The ability to concentrate is one of the key skills of software engineers. Although modern computers can be very quiet, the wrong fan selection can have a very negative effect on the impression of a modern PC. That’s why I decided to try five different fans from Noctua to see for myself if they live up to their reputation for quiet operation.
The human ear perceives noise levels very subjectively. This test is also adapted to this, as it does not measure the sound pressure level of the fan itself in the soundproof chamber, but the real noise of the fan mounted on the processor cooler under normal load. During the test, the fans were mounted on the NH-U12P cooler, under which the AMD Ryzen 9000 series processor was hidden. The maximum speed was achieved by BIOS settings. Idle in Windows is the state in which the speed stabilizes after its start and after all applications and services running in the background are started. The real workload in this test was compiling a larger project in C# in Visual Studio 2022.
Zleva doprava: NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM, NF-P12 redux-1200 PWM, NF-P12, NF-P12 PWM, NF-F12 PWM
| Model | Maximum speed RPM |
Maximum speed Hz / dB(A) |
Idle in Windows Hz / dB(A) |
Roslyn Compiler Workload Hz / dB(A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NF-P12 redux-1200 PWM | 1350 | 194 / 37 | 65 / 22 | 194 / 35 |
| NF-P12 PWM | 1270 | 129 / 47 | 65 / 35 | 108 / 47 |
| NF-P12 | 1445 | 151 / 58 | 86 / 44 | 151 / 50 |
| NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM | 1280 | 151 / 50 | 65 / 34 | 151 / 51 |
| NF-F12 PWM | 1520 | 172 / 40 | 86 / 22 | 172 / 39 |
The NF-P12 redux-1200 PWM is the model with the lowest measured sound pressure value, which reached only 37 dB(A). However, it should be noted that the measured frequency is again the highest. Subjectively, however, this fan looks very quiet. And why not, when it has its maximum speed reduced to 1200 rpm. The noise of this fan is reminiscent of the sound of a wide-body jet engine in the distance.
The NF-P12 PWM is a model that you can't go wrong with (unless you use it to cool Intel’s direct heaters). Although it does not have the lowest sound pressure value measured, it has the lowest frequency of all the fans tested. And it really shows in his quietness. Its sound is reminiscent of the wind when riding a bicycle.
The NF-P12 is an older version that comes with the NH-U12P cooler, which is no longer manufactured. Still, it is interesting to compare it with current models. It has speed control by voltage value (which, by the way, is still supported by the latest motherboards). Compared to NF-P12 PWM, it is a bit noisier, but it still has a relatively low frequency. Interestingly, although it can develop almost as high revs as NF-F12, it is significantly quieter. Its sound is reminiscent of the sound of the wind in the crowns of pine trees.
The NF-S12B redux-1200 PWM is not a fan designed for a CPU cooler, but it is optimized for case venting, where it does not overcome such static resistance. Nevertheless, I mounted it on the cooler to confirm my expectations. Despite the fact that it has a limited maximum speed of 1200 rpm, it is indeed noisier and resembles a strong wind in the crowns of deciduous trees.
The NF-F12 PWM is much, much noisier than NF-P12, even though it is quieter on paper and measurably. This is because the sound pressure value is 7 dB(A) lower, but the frequency is 43 Hz higher. In subjective noise perception, frequency has a noticeably greater influence than sound pressure. The sound of this fan is reminiscent of the sound of a narrow-body aircraft jet engine taking off.
The NF-A12x25 PWM is inaudible at low speeds, but this also applies to other models. At maximum speed, it emits noise at such a high frequency that even headphones with active noise cancellation cannot shield it. Its sound is reminiscent of a bizjet jet engine.
The accessories that the individual fan series are equipped with are also interesting. Metal screws are always included in the package. All series can be fitted with corner rubber pads, but in the Redux series they are not included in the package. Although the black chromax.black.swap series has a premium feel, its package does not include a cable to reduce the maximum speed or a splitter for connecting two fans to one connector on the motherboard.
| Series | Cable Length | Extension Cable | Rubber Clips | Rubber Pads | Adapter & Splitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redux | 40 cm | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Fans | 20 cm | YES: 30 cm | YES | YES | YES |
| Chromax | 1 cm | YES: 30 cm | NO | YES: 6 quarts | NO |
The speed reduction cables are not the same for all fan models, so I recommend not tearing off the label with their label. Using a low-speed fan or a cable to reduce the maximum speed will reduce the noise level, but the processor will not use its turbo boost frequency to its full potential.
| Reduction cable | Typical for a fan | Resistance value |
|---|---|---|
| NA-RC6 | NF-F12 PWM | 80 Ω |
| NA-RC7 | NF-A14 PWM | 50 Ω |
| NA-RC8 | NF-P12 PWM | 150 Ω |
| NA-RC9 | NF-R8 | 100 Ω |
| NA-RC10 | NF-A14 FLX | NF-S12A FLX | 51 Ω |
| NA-RC11 | NF-A14 FLX | 98 Ω |
| NA-RC12 | NF-S12A FLX | 150 Ω |
| NA-RC13 | NF-A12x25 FLX | 82 Ω |
| NA-RC14 | NF-A12x25 PWM | 27 Ω |
| NA-RC15 | NF-A12x25 FLX | 27 Ω |
The development of coolers and their fans has gone hand in hand with the development of processors (at least since 1997, when active cooling became a common part of them). As computing power increases, so does the power consumption of the processor and thus the heat that needs to be dissipated somewhere. Even the best water cooling cannot avoid a possible manufacturing defect. Its advantage lies only in the different location of the cooler, which can be fitted with three 140mm fans. If the processor is designed for a thermal output of 150 W and higher, water cooling makes sense. On the other hand, the advantage of heatpipes is mainly their reliability.
The choice of fan should not be underestimated, and I even dare say that it has a greater impact on performance than the clock speed of the operating memory. In other words, rather than paying a high price for memory that can operate at high frequencies, investing in high-quality cooling can instead bring a greater performance increase for less money, because the processor uses its maximum clock speed to the fullest. A bonus to this will be quiet operation without constantly changing CPU cooler fan speeds.