Any insight on Noctua Redux fans compared to the standard beige / brown ?

[herrxrds]

I'm looking for some insight from someone who owned both Redux and the standard beige version. Looking at their website, the Redux lineup seems to be worse by a slight margin than their brown counterpart. Looking at some online reviews, the results are opposite. The most comprehensive tests I've found are from CoolingTechnique and from their results, Redux are noticeable better. Searching for other reviews and forums, the results are mixed, some say they are noisier, other say they are better but no one seems to have own both of have a clear answer.
Now before you recommend other fans, know that in my journey to avoid buying puke brown fans, I've owned quite a few other brands. Yet, nothing compared or has been as impressive as an old Noctua NH-P12 and a Noctua Industrial PPC I own. Fans I've tried:
Phanteks - 3 out of 5 had bad bearings, the two that worked were quite good but the failure rate was a downer so I've returned them.
Xigmatek, Cooler Master, True Quiet, Corsair, ID-Cooling, Scythe and a few others, most have been moved in other builds due to various issues, either noise at low speeds, PWM clicking, horizontal mounting problems and so on.
Fans I like and I currently use in my system are: an Arctic F12 , which is used as bottom intake, Be Quiet! used for front intake and Cougar for exhaust. This is a decent setup, but the BeQuiet!, while they are exceptionally quiet, they could use some better airflow and static, my puke brown Noctua offers all that. Cougars are also very good fans, butt still no match for the brown poo.
So I own one puke brown and one Industrial PPC, I saw it's better than anything else I've tried. I want to go all Noctua but never owned a Redux, I would appreciate any insight on this. Should I get Redux or Brown poo.

 

[ehume]

I have actually reviewed the Noctua redux fans for Vortez.net (Noctua redux Series & Accessory Kit Review, 7/19/14). And prior to Noctua sending me review samples, I bought some at retail. So I have had my hands on both. Where the old and the new differ is 1. Color, 2. the availability of PWM and 3. The 140mm come in square frame in addition to round frame. Otherwise, they're the same.

I think where some reviewers see old better than new and new better than old is in manufacturing variability.

 

[herrxrds]

Thank you, I just found your review, very helpful. I went with the Redux lineup, I understand it has a more pleasant noise tone than the A series.

 

[ehume]

The A-series is a different kind of fan. I did two reviews for Vortez. One was Noctua A-Series (NF-A14 NF-A15) Review, and one was Noctua A-series NF-A9, NF-A8 & NF-A4x10 5V Review. I fount the NF-S12A to be a firly good fan -- almost up to the NF-P12. In my prior build I used two NF-P12's as intake, pulling through the front filter. I used an NF-S12A as a mid-case fan. I would recommend them both, but I prefer the NF-P12. Actually, for 120mm fans, the Gentle Typhoon is even better IMO for operating close to your ear; but that is no longer available retail. If you want to buy 10,000 though . . .

For 140mm work, their best is the NF-A14/A15. Quiet and pushes a lot of air. I use two NF-A14 ULN's as front intake in my current build. For 140mm fans that are nearly as good for half the price, check out Thermalright's TY-140 series. I would use them on my heatsink, but I'm going to be doing some heatsink testing with them, and the Rosewills are Good Enough(tm).

 

[Valantar]

Isn't the whole point of the Redux series that they're the same fans, just with stripped down bundles (and thus lower cost)? From when I last bought Noctua fans, that was my conclusion at least. Right now I'm running one 92mm regular noctua and one Redux side by side in my server, there is no tangible difference between them. The regular ones seem to have a slightly updated blade geometry, but nothing major.

 

[ehume]

Isn't the whole point of the Redux series that they're the same fans, just with stripped down bundles (and thus lower cost)? From when I last bought Noctua fans, that was my conclusion at least. Right now I'm running one 92mm regular noctua and one Redux side by side in my server, there is no tangible difference between them. The regular ones seem to have a slightly updated blade geometry, but nothing major.

Yup same fans . . . as the old ones. But there are more PWM options now, and you can now get a square-frames P14. The redux fans do differ from the A series, though. And the NF-P12 is not available as a redux.

 

[jji7skyline]

They're great airflow fans, but only the 140mm is pressure optimised. If you need a 120mm pressure optimised fan you should avoid the Redux line as apart from the 140mm they are all airflow fans and will struggle when used with a radiator or a dense heatsink.

 

[herrxrds]

Here is an update, I've bought a full set of eight Redux for my case and a full set of beige Noctuas, I tested them both and decided to keep the beige version.
From my tests, Redux proved to be an inferior product, it should be a lot cheaper than it is. The NF-P14 Redux was only $2 cheaper than the NF-A14 and it's missing a lot of things for those $2. The Redux is also noisier and must be using a different circuitry to smooth out the signal cause all eight of them, NF-P14 . NF-P14 PWM , NF-S12 had a clicking noise at low speeds, less than some of the other fans I've tried, but I could still hear it , none of the beige fans had any audible clicking noise whatsoever.
There are a few things though where the P14 Redux is superior compared to A14. The A14 will change it's sound signature greatly if something is placed in front of it like an air filter or radiator, the P14 is not affected as much, also it's performance is not as good in restricted pull configurations. Under 700 RPM the Redux also has a lot less air moving noise, it does click though.
Installed in my case, the thermal performance is almost identical, Acoustically, Redux is noisier.
Overall, I found the beige Noctuas to be the best. After trying all the top brand fans, I am finally happy. I've had fans that cooled better, but also a lot noisier, had fans like BeQuiet which are quieter, but don't have enough power when needed. Noctuas are simply good all rounder, except for their ugliness.