Noctua fans Question

[phillyman36]

Does anyone have use Noctua fans as their intake/exhaust fans on their pc case?(Air cooling not any form of liquid cooling). I brought some corsair Sp and Af led fans. I just got a Noctua Nh-u14s and tried the fan out and was surprised how much air it moves and how silent it was(seems more powerful than the corsair fans). Are all of their fans static pressure fans that are better suited for heatsinks and radiators?

If you do which ones did you get and how do you have them set up?

 

[Yuriman]

I use Noctua fans for my intake and exhaust. There are other fans out there which are equally good (or better) to Noctua's offerings, but they're sometimes hard to source and don't usually come with as many useful accessories. I would check out SPCR's fan reviews.

Regarding Noctua fans, I recommend you read about individual models on their site.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Mmmm. . . . Yuri-man may be right there. If you follow the published specs at the reseller or manufacturer, there's always the possibility they can fudge it. So you want to consult an independent reviewer such as SPCR to be absolutely sure.

Even so, as Yuri obliquely alluded, there are some good fans that are harder to find now. To which -- I would add -- some fans exceed the expectations of their specs.

The Gentle Typhoon AP-30, which will cause noise-obsessives to run away if they only read the top-end published spec, was rated from the maker at 117CFM or thereabouts. An independent reviewer, using an elaborate and accurate methodology, showed them capable of about 140 to 145CFM.

So far, the only Noctua I've purchased is the iPPC 3000 3,000 RPM 120mm PWM fan. The 2000 model may find more ready acceptance among the noise-worrisome, but it doesn't really matter. I'd had other Noctua fans as bundled with my heatpipe coolers, and they've been re-deployed to other computers.

As for the iPPC fan -- I think it's great. But still pricey.

And . . PS . . . Right now, my intake fans are all 200mm. But future projects with smaller cases will compel me to re-examine 120's and 140's. The iPPCs come in both sizes. So -- yeah -- I'd pick them for intake and exhaust. If I had two intakes for every exhaust fan used, then I'd probably pick the iPPC 2000s for the former.

 

[Ramses]

Given the option I don't buy anything but Noctua anymore. They might not be the best, but they are almost assuredly very, very, very good performers and I have faith in their quality and longevity without spending days and days sorting through reviews and data online(which is what lead me to them to start with). I hated to even throw away the boxes they were so nice. I had ten 120's in my last case, went through two set's of 10 other types getting there, should have just spent the money in the first place. Ditto the air coolers, I've had a D14 and now a D15, there might be something slightly cheaper and/or slightly cooler, but the N stuff is a no brainer go-to for me now. There isn't much in the world I can say that about either.

 

[ClockHound]

Have to agree with Rames. I'm a fan freak. A freaking fan of fans. I collect fans like some collect pocket lint. Only been disappointed with the performance of one Noctua model.

As an all-rounder (cooler/case) 120mm fan, the P12 is the best I've used so far for a flow-to-noise ratio. Prefer its sonic profile to my GTs, Vardars, Cougars, Be!Q, BNs, YTs, ACs and S-Flex. The A15/A14 PWM fans are among the best 140mms on the quiet and efficient continuum.

Noctua makes premium products - for a long time that bothered my cheapskate ethos. Several hundred dollars later and knee deep in bargain fans, I realized that quality costs more upfront, but the annoyance of poor quality remains after the sweet taste of cheap is forgotten.

Noctua customer support is exceptional. The best I've experienced with any vendor. However, one thing you may discover to your aesthetic dismay, is that Chocolate and Cream becomes your fav color scheme. ;-)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Are all of their fans static pressure fans that are better suited for heatsinks and radiators?

If you do which ones did you get and how do you have them set up?

No, they are not all static pressure fans. Some are intended for heatsinks and radiators, and others are designed for no or minimal obstructions.

But, I'm not sure how much difference you would see among the various 120 mm Noctua fans in actual use in various spots on the same PC when the fans are spinning at the same rpm. HOWEVER--some of them have a lower minimum speed and others have a higher maximum speed. Not all are PWM. Etc.

Drill into the Noctua web site. You'll find that some of their fans have several different models. For instance, the S12A is available in PWM, Flex, and Ultra Low Noise variations.

I've heard it said that the P12 is quieter than the S12 when used with a case filter, but I have no firsthand knowledge.

Having said that--I use a NF-F12 on a U12S cooler and also as an intake fan on the front side of an Antec Solo II case. It's a PWM fan and I have both connected to the very same CPU header via a splitter that was included with the intake fan. I've got my BIOS fan controls set to the slowest fan speed possible and neither fan spins above 875 rpm under Prime 95, with CPU temps peaking at 67. I can just barely hear the PC under a full load---hard to believe it would be quieter with some other Noctua fan. I'm using the NF-F12 as an intake only because I got it on sale and wanted to try Noctuas for the first time. I have no experience with any other Noctua.

I have the low noise adapters for the fans but have not used them. The tests I've seen say the fans are only slightly quieter with the adapter, so I have no current incentive to try it.

 

[phillyman36]

I would need 5 140mm fans.(2 front intake, 2 top exhaust, and 1 rear exhaust). On the description for each fan it says on their website that all their fan can be used for either rads or as case fans. I guess I'll go with the NF-A14 PWM. I prefer the look of the industrial ppc fans but not sure its needed. Fan noise usually doesn't bother me(Having Amtrak trains pass behind our house growing up lol)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Probably a good idea to go with PWM.

Unless money is little or no object, you might buy maybe 3 of them--intake, top, and exhaust and then make a decision to buy more based on realized temperatures under your actual usage situation. Oftentimes, the marginal benefit of the last couple of fans added is very low. Ignore this if you are a full-fledged self-confessed fanaholic and proud of it.

 

[rchunter]

I bought a norco 4224 server case in December had a fan die on me within the first couple months of owning it. I installed noctua 3x nf-f12 and 2x nf-r8. They are quite an upgrade compared to the stock fans that come with it. I could sleep next to my server case now it's so quiet. Crappy fans belong in the garbage....

 

[birthdaymonkey]

NF-P14 is my 14cm fan of choice. I have an NF-A14, which was the replacement model for the P14, but I found it much lest acoustically acceptable than the P14. If you check out SPCR's 14cm fan round-up #1, you can see from the graphs that the A14 exhibits a lot of tonality.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/140mm_Fan_Roundup1

I was running the A14 as an exhaust and it was the only thing I could hear in my case. It now sits idle in my extra fan box. I have three NF-P14s (2 intake, 1 exhaust) and they're silent at 5v.

So... get the NF-P14 if you can still find them. They also make the "redux" line in grey now, and the P14 Redux comes in various PWM and 3-pin versions.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ATCH&Description=noctua+redux&N=-1&isNodeId=1

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I would need 5 140mm fans.(2 front intake, 2 top exhaust, and 1 rear exhaust). On the description for each fan it says on their website that all their fan can be used for either rads or as case fans. I guess I'll go with the NF-A14 PWM. I prefer the look of the industrial ppc fans but not sure its needed. Fan noise usually doesn't bother me(Having Amtrak trains pass behind our house growing up lol)

We should start a club. From what I glean over years of reading these forums, some folks are totally anal about any sound at all coming from their computer. They pick cases and fans that starve airflow. But electronic parts need airflow.

I don't think anyone here dares to use something like an AP-30, but I purchased two to try out. There IS some motor noise as RPMs rise above the 2,500 to 2,800 RPM range, but it can be easily stifled. The GT AP-30s top out at ~4,250 RPM. I use them for exhaust fans in my two Sandy Bridgers. Any extra CFM to be had from speeds above 3,300 RPM has little additional cooling effect using my D14 and EVGA ACX coolers. But I'd rather have the flexibility of high-output fans with PWM thermal-fan-control and a low-noise profile in the prevailing operating range, allowing for temperatures up to 65C to 70C before they become just a bit more than "barely audible."

On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen some folks so obsessed with excess airflow that they provisioned their case with 8 to 15 fans. This is totally unnecessary.

Generally, you'd like to plan your computer-building to achieve the overall airflow that supports maximum "cooler effectiveness" -- heatpipes, AiO or custom-water. But the best strategy is your personal solution to a "maxi-min" problem: most effective airflow with the least number of fans overall, and the least amount of dBA or noise in your usual operating range -- below what the stress-tests give you.

Under that scenario, here are the fan-makers I look at for various purpose:

Nidec-Servo for "Gentle Typhoon" PWM
Noctua -- particularly the iPPC product line
Akasa -- there are some good 120 and 140mm Akasa Viper PWM fans that are spec'd in the 100 to 110 CFM range
Cougar Vortex -- I use a couple of the 120mm's. They're also fitted with the rubber corners like the iPPCs. They are quiet, but the output is less than I'd like for certain situations.
Bitfenix Spectre Pro for 200mm fans

Always avoid fans with sleeve bearings. More generally, avoid fans with less than 30,000 hours MTBF, and look more closely at those rated from 50,000 to 100,000 hours.

Now . . . if you're put off by the color of the plastic shroud or blades (Akasa Vipers have puke-yellow blades), I have to say "Are you serious?" OK!! Looks trump airflow or longevity or silent-running, then . . . . But some useful fans are "just plain black." If I wanted LED fans, I'd search long and hard to get the other features I want -- or no dice. No cigar. No deal.

 

[Ramses]

I had darn near every 200mm there was to be had and that Bitfenix was the best of the bunch. It was too cheap was my only gripe, I think they could make those fans perform a lot better if they spent some more money on RnD and material.

Had a pair of those Cougars that were nice fans with the exception of a weird noise at low PWM RPM's that I was particularly susceptible to. Nice for the money otherwise.

These were my go-to low buck fans for a long time
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006BA9I4W/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_2
There are a few reviews of them online, but not many last I looked.
Great fans, I'd buy them today if I needed more than two 120's for sure.

The advantage I found with a ton of fans, at least in a suffeciently sized case (big mid-tower+) is the ability to tie certain fans to certain hot spots and have them react thermally while not spinning up ALL the fans and raising noise levels. For example, my last midtower was an Antec 1100 with eight 120's and a 200 in top. The pair on the side door blowing on the GPU I had slaved to the GPU temp, as the rest of the case didn't need airflow till a lot heavier load than regular gaming. Beyond a set set temp, additional fans would ramp up also but it had to be pretty darn hot. It was the most sound efficient way to have the cooling performance I wanted, and I tried a ton of setups.

Then I bought an FT02 and haven't given cooling or noise a second though lol...

 

[Yuriman]

With my component selection, I've always had greatly diminishing returns above ~800-1200rpm. Sure, electronics need airflow, but many go kindof overboard. Doubling or tripling noise for an extra 2-3c? No thanks.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

With my component selection, I've always had greatly diminishing returns above ~800-1200rpm. Sure, electronics need airflow, but many go kindof overboard. Doubling or tripling noise for an extra 2-3c? No thanks.

Like I said, there are ways of dealing with that. I think I squeeze more out of my coolers than just a 2-3C margin with the attention to airflow.

But like I said . . . wait-a-minute . . .

. . . running a Steam game racing simulator, I see my AP-30 spinning up to about 2,800 and my iPPC fan at about 1,800. I honestly do not hear a thing after muting the audio.


Way I see it, if you can have airflow without noise, it's better than no airflow without noise.

I'll speculate that most of us evaluate our noise profiles during stress-tests. This may bias our judgment -- I'll say that, because it has biased my own. So? You can provision the system to attenuate noise under those singular conditions, but it's basically going to be noiseless under regular operating conditions.

ADDENDUM: I'm going to update this with a better observation, since this is an issue in the demarcation between water-cooling and heatpipes, fan choices, case choices and so on. Perhaps I should get a "noise meter." But when I say I "don't hear a thing," I mean that I don't hear anything more than the air-turbulence you might hear from your AC vent across the room. The white noise can only be reduced by eliminating obstructions to exhaust -- like cutting all the perforated sheet metal from a case exhaust vent. To me, it's nothing. To someone else, I can't say. But you "won't hear a thing" playing a game -- speakers or earphones. It's an "air-conditioner vent." The motor noise -- that's the component I use to judge my cooling strategy and the fans I use. Users are going to encounter "white-noise" with either water or air, or they will have sub-optimal cooling for the chosen strategy.

The question remains: Where does one draw the line? You draw it where it works for you, and where you're still satisfied with cooling.

 

[MoInSTL]

NF-P14 is my 14cm fan of choice. I have an NF-A14, which was the replacement model for the P14, but I found it much lest acoustically acceptable than the P14. If you check out SPCR's 14cm fan round-up #1, you can see from the graphs that the A14 exhibits a lot of tonality.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/140mm_Fan_Roundup1

I was running the A14 as an exhaust and it was the only thing I could hear in my case. It now sits idle in my extra fan box. I have three NF-P14s (2 intake, 1 exhaust) and they're silent at 5v.

So... get the NF-P14 if you can still find them. They also make the "redux" line in grey now, and the P14 Redux comes in various PWM and 3-pin versions.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ATCH&Description=noctua+redux&N=-1&isNodeId=1

I have four of the NF-P14s redux-1500 PWM fans. The second one that you linked to. They supply static pressure. I love them and have them in a push/pull on my radiator. On my old build, before I replaced a case fan to match the other Fractal fans, I had a Corsair AF140 Quiet Edition for exhaust and it was quiet. On Sandy Bridge it was enough.

 

[Ramses]

I actually did buy a cheap db meter off Amazon. My ambient most of the time without PC stuff is 38-39db.

 

[MoInSTL]

I actually did buy a cheap db meter off Amazon. My ambient most of the time without PC stuff is 38-39db.

That sounds fun. Link?

 

[Ramses]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

I'm sure it's not precision or super accurate, but it's repeatable and of reasonable quality.
And cheap. I learned some stuff about sound playing with it, was a good buy.

 

[MoInSTL]

Thanks, I just ordered one.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I actually did buy a cheap db meter off Amazon. My ambient most of the time without PC stuff is 38-39db.

Now I may be the next one to jump on that bandwagon.

My starting point began with a 2003 computer-build with something called a Thermaltake Volcano cooler with a whining 80/92mm fan. And does anyone remember a 92x38mm fan called the Vantec Tornado? Volcano! Tornado! I experimented with one of those screamers for a short time. I hate distracting noise like anyone else.

I consistently judged my configurations as if I were the "sensitive artiste" -- leaving it up to my ear.

Some few weeks ago, I came across a review or article suggesting that 24 dBA was the demarcation between perceptible noise and hard-to-detect noise.

I'd be fairly confident of vindication over my "walk-on-the-wild-side" fan selections and their deployment. I'll buy the d*** noise meter, and we'll find out!:biggrin:

UPDATE: Now that I've looked at that link and explored other options preponderantly priced around $30, I find they all measure sound in the range of 30 dBA to 130 dBA. It's my best guess, then, that they'd be mostly useful just to see if your rig exceeds 30 dBA! But $20 to $30 is chump change, and some of them cost less than that.

 

[Ramses]

I think the pitch of the noise is important too, and that it varies with every person how they perceive it. You can download phone apps now and test your hearing to a degree with good headphones, I was able to confirm a hole in my midrange in one ear and a few other oddities I'd noticed over the years listening to music. The whole ambient noise level was really interesting too, and experimenting with positioning, and being able to see what my ears were telling me on a display, it was a cool experiment well worth twenty bucks

 

[MoInSTL]

My Decibel Meter/Sound Level Reader should be here Monday. Got $10 off in Discover card points. (I never save them up )

i agree about pitch. While the SPCR review of the included fans with the X61 were positive, I disliked them. They sounded too loud to me, but it was the pitch that bugged me.

@BonzaiDuck It would be great if you can find that article and share it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

My Decibel Meter/Sound Level Reader should be here Monday. Got $10 off in Discover card points. (I never save them up )

i agree about pitch. While the SPCR review of the included fans with the X61 were positive, I disliked them. They sounded too loud to me, but it was the pitch that bugged me.

@BonzaiDuck It would be great if you can find that article and share it.

I can appreciate the suggestion, and I'd like to assist, but I read so much sheee- it in the course of one day or another, that what I absorb from it may not get added to "Favorites." I can't . . . . freakin' . . . . remember. If I could remember the site, I'd stand a chance. But I don't, and I can't.

 

[MoInSTL]

lol. No worries.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Some few weeks ago, I came across a review or article suggesting that 24 dBA was the demarcation between perceptible noise and hard-to-detect noise.

I think that depends pretty strongly on background environment. As you indicated above, inexpensive handheld equipment isn't really designed to read below ~30 dB, and that's well below the noise floor of most people's day-to-day environments anyway.

SPCR generally regards 22 dB @ ~1m to be imperceptible. YMMV based on the background environment, the spectral qualities of the noise source etc.