Tag: Noctua

NF-S12B redux-700: Noctua’s quietest fan no longer justifiable

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

An old, yet still-selling aerodynamic design. Despite being attributed with excellent properties, we dare to disagree. It’s not quite the ideal system cooling fan that the NF-S12B-redux impellers were historically famed for either. Yes, it is quiet—but without the “airflow”. By that logic—where low noise carries the utmost weight—one could quickly conclude that the best fan is no fan at all. “Zero” noise, but substantial airflow isn’t happening here either. Read more “NF-S12B redux-700: Noctua’s quietest fan no longer justifiable” »

NP-DM3 desk mat giveaway to celebrate 20 years of Noctua

Giveaway, News | | Editors

We are adding new prizes to the recent Noctua contest: large desk mats for your mouse and keyboard. They are themed around what many of you guessed right. Yes, the brand is now 20 years old, and Noctua has printed this entire history onto its mats. Three have new owners—the first, second, and third randomly drawn winners from the August contest who answered correctly. Read more “NP-DM3 desk mat giveaway to celebrate 20 years of Noctua” »

Asus GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua OC Ed. 16GB Review: Silent Monster

Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

When Asus, Noctua, and Nvidia team up, it’s clear the result won’t be a compromise. For those who find the RTX 5090 already too expensive, the GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua OC Edition offers a unique combination of a massive heatsink and three top-tier Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 120 mm fans. An air cooler capable of keeping a powerful 360 W card at low temperatures with the fans spinning at just under 700 RPM is something you rarely encounter. Read more “Asus GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua OC Ed. 16GB Review: Silent Monster” »

TUF RTX 5070 Ti Deshroud: 2× 140 mm Noctua NF-A14x25 G2

Cooling, Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

Last time, we tested a pair of low-profile 140 mm fans on the TUF RTX 5070 Ti. They noticeably reduced noise, but they didn’t offer nearly as much cooling headroom as the stock fans, which can spin at over 3000 RPM. The top-tier Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 fans with the standard 25 mm thickness are much quieter than the originals at the same temperatures, and at full speed they also narrow the temperature gap significantly. Read more “TUF RTX 5070 Ti Deshroud: 2× 140 mm Noctua NF-A14x25 G2” »

Prime RTX 5070 Deshroud: Noctua NF-A12x25 vs. NF-A12x25 G2

Cooling, Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

Many ASUS graphics cards let you remove the fan shroud without breaking the warranty seal. We did that last time with the ASUS Prime RTX 5070 and swapped its fans—noisier than usual at low speeds—for Arctic P12 Slim fans. However, standard 25 mm fans usually provide higher static pressure and can cool more quietly. Let’s see how the card performs with the top-of-the-line Noctua NF-A12x25 and its successor, the NF-A12x25 G2. Read more “Prime RTX 5070 Deshroud: Noctua NF-A12x25 vs. NF-A12x25 G2” »

How well do you know Noctua? Desk fan giveaway

Giveaway, News | | Editors

This time, something a bit different. In this giveaway of a desk fan (and no, it’s not the type with a pole—this one has PWM control… NV-FS1), you’ll get the chance to show off knowledge that you can’t just pull out of thin air. That makes it all the more rewarding. Do you know when Noctua first appeared as a brand? How long have those unmistakable brown-and-beige products been around, and how many years will it be this year? Read more “How well do you know Noctua? Desk fan giveaway” »

Asus TUF RTX 5070 Ti Deshroud Using 3× Arctic P12 Slim Fans

Cooling, Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

After testing the low-profile Noctua NF-A12x15 fans, we moved on to another appealing alternative for replacing the stock fans on the Asus TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti—a set of three Arctic P12 Slim fans, which you might already know from HWCooling tests. While they don’t outperform Asus’s original solution, which is tailor-made for the heatsink, they deliver slightly better results than the Noctua low-profile fans—and at a much lower price. Read more “Asus TUF RTX 5070 Ti Deshroud Using 3× Arctic P12 Slim Fans” »

Triple Noctua NF-A12x15 Deshroud for Asus TUF RTX 5070 Ti

Cooling, Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

Graphics card manufacturers usually fit low-profile fans. If you ever need to replace them, there’s a wide range of 25 mm-thick models to choose from. In most cases, however, using them will make your card occupy four slots. The alternative is to stick with low-profile fans. We’ll test what happens when we swap Asus’s factory-installed 100 mm Axial-tech fans for three slimmer NF-A12x15 from Noctua—and also what happens if they don’t spin at all. Read more “Triple Noctua NF-A12x15 Deshroud for Asus TUF RTX 5070 Ti” »

Asus TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti: 2× Noctua NF-A12x25 Deshroud

Extra tests, Graphics | | Adam Vágner

A few days ago, I tested how repasting affects the thermals and noise of Asus’s TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. Today, we’ll take it a step further. We’ll take advantage of the fact that the card’s design allows easy removal of the shroud and and mount different fans directly onto the heatsink—in this case, a pair of Noctua’s classic NF-A12x25. We’ll measure how the noise profile changes while keeping temperatures under load the same. Read more “Asus TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti: 2× Noctua NF-A12x25 Deshroud” »

Lack of space? Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM analysis

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Sometimes, there’s just no other way—it becomes necessary to opt for a fan with a slimmer profile. Often, this is simply to ensure the fan fits inside the case at all. We’ve already covered several examples of such “low-profile” designs, and the Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM is one of them. It’s a model that comes with high expectations. And no, a 15 mm thick (or rather thin) fan doesn’t necessarily mean low airflow. That holds true in this case as well. Read more “Lack of space? Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM analysis” »

Future of older Noctua NF-A12x25 “G1” fans finally clear

Cooling, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

Redux? That’s one of the possible scenarios being discussed following the release of the second generation of Noctua NF-A12x25 fans. Considering the technically superior performance of the newer NF-A12x25 G2 model, a price reduction for the original makes sense. To find out the actual plans, we asked Noctua directly, and the future of one of the most popular fan models of recent years is relatively clear. Read more “Future of older Noctua NF-A12x25 “G1” fans finally clear” »

Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 PWM: The king is dead, long live the king!

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

We won’t keep you in suspense – the Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 (PWM) is the most efficient fan we’ve ever tested. It clearly outperforms its predecessor (NF-A12x25 “G1”), as well as the Phanteks T30 and all competing 120 mm fans in the extensive database we’ve built so far. The NF-A12x25 G2 consistently comes out on top, making it an uncompromising choice for the most demanding PC builds. Read more “Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 PWM: The king is dead, long live the king!” »

New 120 mm Noctua Fans Coming in June. What About Coolers?

CPU coolers, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

We spoke with a Noctua representative not only about their upcoming 120 mm fans, designed to surpass the performance of the older NF-A12x25 models, but also about their integration into CPU coolers. Yes, they’re coming. And why exactly do these fans use winglets on the blades? It’s also possible that sooner or later, we’ll see Noctua fans with a thicker profile. However, new single-tower coolers with 140 mm fans are now unlikely. Read more “New 120 mm Noctua Fans Coming in June. What About Coolers?” »

Noctua NM-IMB8a: Closer to hotspots – lower CPU temps

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

The repositioning of Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) CPU cores to the north side of the chip – compared to the previous southern placement – has also shifted the location of the CPU’s thermal hotspot, where the most intense heat transfer is needed. Noctua has responded with the NM-IMB8a offset mounting bars, which reposition the coldplate of the NH-D15 G2 cooler on the processor to achieve lower operating temperatures. Read more “Noctua NM-IMB8a: Closer to hotspots – lower CPU temps” »

PC Cooling Guide: Heating Up Ryzen 9 7950X in Cinebench

Cooling, Extra tests, PC cases | | Adam Vágner

Today, we’ll focus on what happens inside a case when a CPU is under heavy load. We’ll run a Cinebench 2024 rendering on a Ryzen R9 7950X cooled by a Noctua NH-D15 G2 air cooler with AM5 offset mounting bars and see how it affects the temperatures and how all the values change with different settings of the system fans’ performance across their entire operating speed range. Read more “PC Cooling Guide: Heating Up Ryzen 9 7950X in Cinebench” »

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