Thursday, June 8th 2023
Noctua's Next-Gen NF-A14 Fans Use Liquid Crystal Polymer Impellers
Noctua is preparing a major design update for its NF-A series fans. The company is preparing its next-generation fans with the new Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer material. LCP provides superior structural stability for the blades at high RPM, allowing them to maintain their correct profile, and maximizing their airflow and noise characteristics; in comparison to impellers made from conventional thermoplastics such as LDPE, PBT, PVC, ABS, etc. LCPs also feature very high strength-to-weight ratio, which is what makes another popular kind of LCP, Kevlar, the material of choice for anti-ballistic armors.
For case fans, the impeller has such structural strength to hold its shape, that Noctua has reduced clearance between the impeller and the bore of the frame to under 1 mm, which helps guide all of the fan's airflow axially. Other design innovations to the impeller include channels that accelerate airflow toward the edges of the fan blades, and a stepped inlet structure toward the impeller hub that creates a pressure-differential, and guides the air better toward the impeller blades. The fan hub is metal reinforced, and the motor uses an SSO2 fan bearing. The frame of the fan, has integrated anti-vibration pads. Noctua plans to launch the next-gen 140 mm A-series case fan in Q1-2024.
For case fans, the impeller has such structural strength to hold its shape, that Noctua has reduced clearance between the impeller and the bore of the frame to under 1 mm, which helps guide all of the fan's airflow axially. Other design innovations to the impeller include channels that accelerate airflow toward the edges of the fan blades, and a stepped inlet structure toward the impeller hub that creates a pressure-differential, and guides the air better toward the impeller blades. The fan hub is metal reinforced, and the motor uses an SSO2 fan bearing. The frame of the fan, has integrated anti-vibration pads. Noctua plans to launch the next-gen 140 mm A-series case fan in Q1-2024.
26 Comments on Noctua's Next-Gen NF-A14 Fans Use Liquid Crystal Polymer Impellers
I can see why the fans take so but but to hold other HS models back seems odd.
Unless the HS design changes so much that it needs the improved fans but I don't think thats the case as the improvement is less than 10%, total improvement (HS=fan).
There is an argument to be made about why Noctua doesn't just release Chromax Black fans concurrently with what I'll call 'classic' versions. During the first development of Chromax products, the company had to work out how to get that black while maintaining equal performance. But, it's years later and the line must be successful.
So, is it because Noctua doesn't want to cannibalize any 'classic' sales? Is it possible there isn't enough production capacity for Chromax as well at the get go? Is it both? Or is it Austrian outfit would prefer to spend its time considering Schrodinger's cat and won't walk and chew gum at the same time? :-p
8 years later and everyone is taking about a fan? Who cares about the fan, I care about the cooler, and it’s potential performance with a high performance fan.
I won't put no stinkin, smelly, butt-fuggily parts in me pc's, fans or otherwise, simply 'cause I would KNOW it was in there and would cringe/barf every time I looked inside the case, or worse, have to explain my poor choice to friends, colleagues, clients, and coworkers....
I can hear them now: "Hey man, cool looking rig, but why did you use those poop-colored fans ?"
End of story !
In most big fan review roundups, the much cheaper ring design solves the problem of minimising blade-tip clearance and fans like the CM Mobius or Arctic P12 Max get very close to the A12x25's in its niche as a good, quiet radiator fan, whilst also having higher peak performance and significantly lower costs.
I'd like to see Noctua ditch the LCP, and just add a ring to their new design - it clearly works for other manufacturers and I'll buy the Arctic P12 Max at 1/4 the price of an A12x25 Chromax, thanks. If I really need a quiet radiator fan, which is the one niche the A12x25 held for so long, I'll grab Phanteks T30 because they're higher flow and pressure per decibel than the A12x25 whilst being about $25 cheaper for three.
sorry
;)
If someone questions "why brown fans !?!?!?!?" they probably don't know enough about DIY PCs, or they know enough to have their prefered brand of high-end/great budget fans... or they just hate the color scheme that much.
I proudly use a Noctua brown fan (S12A) as desk fan sitting beside my working monitor on my office desk, and only got questioned once (and it's not about color scheme), so I would doubt how many people would have the question "why brown fans !?!?!?!?" outside Internet forums.