Is this good enough for you:
http://forum.lab501.ro/attachment.php?attachmentid=11983&stc=1&d=1287008941
As you can see on the more pressure demanding heatsink, TRUE copper in this case, the Noctua came in last.
I'm pretty sure this isn't good enough because practical tests are always flawed when the results are not satisfying for the product you folks love.
Yeah, it lost by 1 to 2 degrees to fans that were runing at higher RPMs. Most people are willing to sacrifice a degree or two to bring thei noise down 3 to 7 dbA.
Agreed, as far as I know, Noctua fans are only quiet because they operate at lower RPMs than most performance fans do. I'm more interested in those strakes that 'focus' air flow. Hoping someone is going to review these soon.
The trick here is this fan operates at 1300 to 1500 RPM which is average speed for a fan this size, but still maintains the same price and noise level of the old Noctua fans. Then tops that off by using less power and providing anti-vibration stuff. See the noise a fan makes in your case is not limited to just the impeller. So while other fans may seem like they are the same, they are usually much louder due to vibration against the case and fan wobble. This fan will do neither and thus still generate less noise even though the specs don't say that.
It also does a lot to change the tone of the noise to be less noticeable and focus the air flow to provide more pressure. Its like putting a tube behind a fan. nothing about the fan speed or airflow changed, but the air pressure you get at the end of the tube is higher.
And the price is more than reasonable. I can't explain the difference in quality very well, but trust me it is noticeable. The first time you get a Noctua fan you think, "Damn, why does this just feel like its much much better quality?"