{"id":259683,"date":"2025-09-17T22:01:28","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T20:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hwcooling.net\/?p=259683\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T00:27:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:27:52","slug":"prime-rtx-5070-deshroud-noctua-nf-a12x25-vs-nf-a12x25-g2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hwcooling.net\/en\/prime-rtx-5070-deshroud-noctua-nf-a12x25-vs-nf-a12x25-g2\/","title":{"rendered":"Prime RTX 5070 Deshroud: Noctua NF-A12x25 vs. NF-A12x25 G2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2014noisier than usual at low speeds\u2014for 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.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already tried several deshroud setups on the Asus TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. So far, none of the replacements have meaningfully outperformed the stock fans. However, the ASUS Prime RTX 5070 isn\u2019t as quiet out of the box as the TUF, so a fan swap makes more sense here.<\/p>\n

I covered the operating characteristics of the Prime GeForce RTX 5070 in a review a few months ago. On the tested sample, one of the fans was noisier than the others, which made the card more audible than it could have been. It wasn\u2019t completely silent even at minimum RPM. In short, it was an ideal candidate for fitting higher-quality fans.<\/p>\n

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However, the cooler\u2019s dimensions don\u2019t match standard case fan sizes very well. The card is fairly narrow and 30 cm long, which makes it too long for two 120 mm fans but not long enough for three. Three 92 mm fans would probably fit best, and we\u2019ll be testing them in later articles as well.<\/p>\n

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The heatsink under the shroud is split into two fin stacks.<\/p>\n

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This makes it possible to mount two 120 mm fans so they cover most of the heatsink\u2019s fin surface. That\u2019s quite clear to see with the fans removed.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve reworked the frame for the fans. It fits the heatsink and the card\u2019s mounting holes better, and it\u2019s more rigid. It\u2019s made from ten pieces fastened with screws into plastic, but it\u2019s still just a prototype, and I can already see a number of things I\u2019d approach differently.<\/p>\n

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This is how it comes off the 3D printer in black PET-G. That\u2019s probably fine for a prototype; for long-term use I\u2019d definitely recommend a flame-retardant filament. In the photos below, it\u2019s shown with first-generation Noctua NF-A12x15 fans.<\/p>\n

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Two 120 mm fans are wider than the stock triple-fan setup on the Asus Prime RTX 5070, so they overhang the sides of the card. As a result, some of the airflow will miss the heatsink. However, the overhang should help pull cool air under the card, and I also used it to direct airflow over the power connector.<\/p>\n

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Another approach is to close off the opening under the fan to channel more air through the heatsink.<\/p>\n

On the side facing the motherboard, the shroud sits very close to the fins and extends all the way down. There\u2019s only a small gap at the bottom beneath the heatsink, so most of the cooler\u2019s airflow should exit on the outer side of the card.<\/p>\n

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Last week, Noctua also sent me a set of second-generation fans, so we can test and compare both variants right away.<\/p>\n

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I fitted a rubber gasket under the fans to dampen vibrations and improve the seal between the heatsink and the fans. However, this probably won\u2019t have as much impact on the results because the fan overhang isn\u2019t sealed.<\/p>\n

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In the previous article, where I mounted a pair of low-profile fans from Arctic on the card, I only had anti-vibration fan mounts for 25\u00a0mm fans, so I had to add spacers. Noctua sells silicone pins that address this as well and are \u201ccompatible\u201d with fan frames of all common thicknesses up to 25 mm.<\/p>\n

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First, we\u2019ll look at the card\u2019s cooling performance across the full fan-speed range with first-generation Noctua NF-A12x25 fans, and then with the new NF-A12x25 G2<\/p>\n