Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM Fan

[The Terrible Puddle]

While this may be technically correct information it does not address the full picture. I have experienced many fans that are subjectively "louder" but operate at much more pleasant frequencies. What is measured as "pleasant" is subject to relative personal tastes and hearing ability. This is where a recording can "help" (nothing is better than experiencing sound characteristics first hand).

The test is in dBA so it uses A-weighting which compensates for the perceived loudness of human hearing. Not everyone has the same hearing but it's not that different.

I have a question for VSG: Which ISO is the A-weighting complying with in your setup? I couldn't find that information.

 

[GlacierNine]

The test is in dBA so it uses A-weighting which compensates for the perceived loudness of human hearing. Not everyone has the same hearing but it's not that different.

This is also a very good point.

Again, these things are not black magic. I understand the appeal of explaining your experiences with "subjectivity", but ultimately that does not justify throwing out the results of objective measurement as inadmissible. The fan is, not subjectively, but objectively, going to be perceived as being 150% the volume of the noctua at the same 1500 RPM.

The A weighting standard is not completely flawless, however people really do overrate subjectivity in these instances. I'm sorry, but the simple truth of the matter is - almost nobody has ears so special and unique that equal loudness contours and decibel weighting do not apply - unless your ears are significantly malformed or damaged in some way, in which case you have much bigger problems than any test could accommodate for.

 

[VSG]

The test is in dBA so it uses A-weighting which compensates for the perceived loudness of human hearing. Not everyone has the same hearing but it's not that different.

I have a question for VSG: Which ISO is the A-weighting complying with in your setup? I couldn't find that information.

Not 100% sure to be honest, I use a facility at my university for the noise measurements. I will find out and let you know, and mention it in the reviews henceforth too. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Shatun_Bear]

I disagree, their decision to stick to an instantly recognisable fan is smart.
It's called branding.
Take fans from 20 different manufacturers and throw them as far as you can, then ask people to pick who made which fan without allowing them to get close to them.
My bet is they will all pick the Noctua fans out from the rest.

Sure but that instantly recognisable design hasn't moved on with the times. Beige and brown doesn't fit with nearly any build trends in the last several years. They can have that ugly colouring as the base model but there's no excuse not to have alternative colour schemes available at release when the main colour is so incompatible with everything else you can buy today.

 

[John Naylor]

Frankly I expected more... way more.

My fans never get over 850 rpm outside stress testing

At 750 rpm, it delivers 4.2 % more cfm while being being 1.5% louder than the 5 year old design Phanteks
At 1000 rpm, it delivers 4.8 % more cfm while being being 1.0% quieter than the Phanteks
At 1250 rpm, it delivers 6.6 % more cfm while being being 3.2% louder than the Phanteks

While that certainly is a win, it's a win against a 5 year old design. When 1st read about Nocs' stengthened blade / reduced gap design, I was expecting improvements in double digits. But since Phanteks also has an upcoming stengthened blade / reduced gap design, that's the comparison on looking for. However, if I was to go out and switch from the Phanteks in my box now, I'm looking at a $480 investment for these 120s. Assuming the 140mm will cost the same, since (5) 140s came with the case, the (11) 140mm Phanteks fans I added (10 radiator / 6 case fans) cost just $110.

So I don't see folks rushing out to replace their fans .... as for new build, I will certainly have these in mind; I expected more... especially for $30 but now anxiuous to see how Phanteks similar design measures up.

 

[Assimilator]

Or they could just buy one of the Gentle Typhoons it's based on

How ignorant.

Sure but that instantly recognisable design hasn't moved on with the times. Beige and brown doesn't fit with nearly any build trends in the last several years. They can have that ugly colouring as the base model but there's no excuse not to have alternative colour schemes available at release when the main colour is so incompatible with everything else you can buy today.

Whining about it won't cause Noctua to magically change their brand.

 

[Blueberries]

Quite a bit more than your typical fan but clearly the best performance / dB available.

 

[HTC]

What I gather from this; if you want almost identical CFM characteristics at a slightly higher decibel output just grab a GT for -$10 bucks...

Something that would be very useful is a video comparing tone. Decibels are a more absolute form of measurement but some frequencies at any perceivable decibel are just down right annoying.

A good example is I bought a pack of NF-F12s once expecting great things on paper only to find the tone they generated at full tilt (1500rpm) was significantly worse than the GT2150s (2100rpm) at full tilt.

Edit: Where the hell are the Noctua ANC fans?

I agree with this: to some people, even lower decibels of sound X are more annoying then higher decibels of sound Y.

As such, a recording of the ambient sound 1st for a few seconds (the whole PC without this fan???), followed by a recording of the fan being tested in operation @ whatever cooler / radiator for the same amount of time (the whole PC but including the fan being tested???), for all the fans in the test would be something that would enrich the review quite allot.

Ofc, this would increase the time required for the review by quite allot, so there's that.

 

[EsaT]

The A weighting standard is not completely flawless, however people really do overrate subjectivity in these instances. I'm sorry, but the simple truth of the matter is - almost nobody has ears so special and unique that equal loudness contours and decibel weighting do not apply - unless your ears are significantly malformed or damaged in some way, in which case you have much bigger problems than any test could accommodate for.

For broadband noise it should certainly work pretty well regardless minor differences in individual/personal hearing.
Better guestion is how well it can measure narrow band frequency spikes.

I am not really set up for video, especially since my anechoic chamber is not a well-lit environment for reasons including that a lot of lighting can affect the noise signature. You also need good video equipment to be able to record true video without having it being disrupted by in-camera or external factors.

I don't see why there would be need to record also image when recording sound.
Recording only sound would be lot easier.
And anyway no one can tell RPM from video image...

BTW, did you test them in hand for vibration level?
It's quite easy to feel if fan runs smoothly or vibrates by keeping it in hand from one corner of frame.
Also easy to hear it when setting running fan to stand on table or other such surface.
Just interested on that because NF-P12 and NF-F12 (which came with heatsinks) must be using some miniaturized hammer drills/vibrating rollers as motors...
And are the worst vibrating fans I've yet touched.

 

[HTC]

I don't see why there would be need to record also image when recording sound.
Recording only sound would be lot easier.
And anyway no one can tell RPM from video image...

BTW, did you test them in hand for vibration level?
It's quite easy to feel if fan runs smoothly or vibrates by keeping it in hand from one corner of frame.
Also easy to hear it when setting running fan to stand on table or other such surface.
Just interested on that because NF-P12 and NF-F12 (which came with heatsinks) must be using some miniaturized hammer drills/vibrating rollers as motors...
And are the worst vibrating fans I've yet touched.

@ OP: Consider doing something similar to what this dude did. For reference, start watching @ 3:20 mark. You can also use the approach this dude used for his sound tests. For reference, start watching @ 1:48 mark.

 

[VSG]

For broadband noise it should certainly work pretty well regardless minor differences in individual/personal hearing.
Better guestion is how well it can measure narrow band frequency spikes.

I don't see why there would be need to record also image when recording sound.
Recording only sound would be lot easier.
And anyway no one can tell RPM from video image...

BTW, did you test them in hand for vibration level?
It's quite easy to feel if fan runs smoothly or vibrates by keeping it in hand from one corner of frame.
Also easy to hear it when setting running fan to stand on table or other such surface.
Just interested on that because NF-P12 and NF-F12 (which came with heatsinks) must be using some miniaturized hammer drills/vibrating rollers as motors...
And are the worst vibrating fans I've yet touched.

I know exactly what you mean about vibration levels for a free-standing fan. The NF-A12x25 was fine in that regard, much lower such effects compared to the NF-F12 although I personally did not feel the NF-P12 was doing much either (review of these two coming up as well).

@ OP: Consider doing something similar to what this dude did. For reference, start watching @ 3:20 mark. You can also use the approach this dude used for his sound tests. For reference, start watching @ 1:48 mark.

Audio recordings would be far more doable at my place, and I will see if I can get a good audio recording setup. It will come in handy for other reviews as well, such as for keyboards where I currently use my phone and already know it's not exactly true-to-life.

 

[phanbuey]

Great review - one comment though, you have to take the rubber bumpers off the phanteks fans if you're going to stick them on a rad... otherwise there is a gap and it does affect temps -- if you leave them on they space the fan off the rad and it drops pressure.

I was a bit surprised when i did it with mine (i have them in pull though so it might have been more pronounced).

 

[lexluthermiester]

The tan and brown color scheme is polarizing at best.

Nailed it. Noctua, please take note;

No matter how great/well your fans perform, the color scheme is a deal-breaker! It does not matter if you're proud of it, most people aren't. I will never put one of those "ugly-as-jankys-mama" fans in my cases, nor cases I build for clients/customers. There are plenty of excellent performing, better looking fans out there. You don't have a corner on the market. Light grey and dark grey would be infinitely better! Would it kill ya? Seriously..

 

[VSG]

Great review - one comment though, you have to take the rubber bumpers off the phanteks fans if you're going to stick them on a rad... otherwise there is a gap and it does affect temps -- if you leave them on they space the fan off the rad and it drops pressure.

I was a bit surprised when i did it with mine (i have them in pull though so it might have been more pronounced).

That's where the included gasket comes in, as shown in page 3.

 

[phanbuey]

That's where the included gasket comes in, as shown in page 3.

 

[Shatun_Bear]

How ignorant.



Whining about it won't cause Noctua to magically change their brand.

Er, yes it will. That's how PR works.

 

[HTC]

Nailed it. Noctua, please take note;

No matter how great/well your fans perform, the color scheme is a deal-breaker! It does not matter if you're proud of it, most people aren't. I will never put one of those "ugly-as-jankys-mama" fans in my cases, nor cases I build for clients/customers. There are plenty of excellent performing, better looking fans out there. You don't have a corner on the market. Light grey and dark grey would be infinitely better! Would it kill ya? Seriously..

I understand your logic and i'm sure Noctua does too: it seems they just consider the brand recognition more important.

Personally, i don't give a crap if the fans are brown, white, blue, pink, with triangles, with squares, whatever: i'm interested in the performance, and most of all, the noise. In these two metrics, Noctua is among the very best there is. Pricey, for sure, but quality is expensive.

There are those that care more for the aesthetics of the fans then of their performance. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more people in this "category" then there are in the "category" that i'm in but it seems Noctua sees things with my perspective.

If you spread out like 30 or so different fans from several brands, including Noctua and place them on a table with the brand's name covered, pretty much every person that has @ least some knowledge of fans can identify a Noctua fan, even from several feet away. It will probably be more difficult to identify the other ones, even standing right next to the table.

 

[GlacierNine]

Er, yes it will. That's how PR works.

Well people have been saying it since 2005 and Noctua are only BARELY doing black fans and heatsinks now, 13 years later.

Clearly they don't give all that much of a fuck, do they? And yet they're still in business and doing rather well for themselves just by making objectively better performing product than anyone else.

You might care more about aesthetics than performance. The vast majority of people simply don't give a shit and will buy whatever performs the best.

 

[EsaT]

I know exactly what you mean about vibration levels for a free-standing fan. The NF-A12x25 was fine in that regard, much lower such effects compared to the NF-F12 although I personally did not feel the NF-P12 was doing much either (review of these two coming up as well).

Maybe they this time got it right, or besides blade geometry took inspiration for bearing/motor from Gentle Typhoon.
Have two 1450rpm GTs and for ball bearing fan those have insanely smooth rotation and low bearing/motor noise.
With all the Noctua hype that vibration level of fans bundled with expensive heatsinks was huge mid finger to face.

Because that vibration of fan in hand or on soft surface isn't problem.
It's what that vibrating object does when put on hard surface or attached into case: Turns it into diaphragm/soundboard.
So when minimizing noise of PC any vibration creating parts should be avoided/number of them minimixed.

As for NF-P12 you'll want to listen its noise precisely at different speeds. It has its special quirk, nicely described in SPCR's test:
Fan @ 9V: The fan became much quieter, registering only 22 dBA@1m. However, it generated an unusual sound effect — that of an aircraft flying overhead. We interrupted testing twice, believing that a plane was in the vicinity, but it turned out to be the fan itself. We never thought a fan would be capable of producing such a noise, but apparently it hit just the right frequency and tone to create the effect. Spectrum analysis showed tonality around 360Hz with multiple harmonic overtones at lower amplitudes.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article846-page5.html

The vast majority of people simply don't give a shit and will buy whatever performs the best is the most fashionable/hyped.

Now it's correct.

And Noctua has clearly been aiming for marketing hype.
What's with experience from NF-F12 and NF-P12.
And SPCR had to revise their original fan testing method, because NF-S12 was basically designed to fool free air impeller anemometer measurements.
While actually having lower airflow if there was slightest impedance/back pressure.
Easy to make quiet per RPM fan, if it really can't actually push that air except to downwind...

 

[lexluthermiester]

it seems they just consider the brand recognition more important.

That is exactly what is holding them back. So they have to choose; Stick with a color scheme few want, sell less and making less money, or make a color scheme that people can use and sell more. From a marketing and business standpoint they are shooting themselves in the foot and limiting their own potential artificially. Foolishness. It's their company though..

Personally, i don't give a crap if the fans are brown, white, blue, pink, with triangles, with squares, whatever: i'm interested in the performance, and most of all, the noise. In these two metrics, Noctua is among the very best there is. Pricey, for sure, but quality is expensive.

I'd personally love to buy them, just not willing to put those ugly as hell colors in my great looking case. Now if you have a case that is completely enclosed and you can't see into it, then the color scheme isn't a problem. They are aiming their fans at the enthusiast market sector, the same market sector that has the most cases with windows on the sides. Makes no marketing sense.

 

[HTC]

That is exactly what is holding them back. So they have to choose; Stick with a color scheme few want, sell less and making less money, or make a color scheme that people can use and sell more. From a marketing and business standpoint they are shooting themselves in the foot and limiting their own potential artificially. Foolishness. It's their company though..

I'd personally love to buy them, just not willing to put those ugly as hell colors in my great looking case. Now if you have a case that is completely enclosed and you can't see into it, then the color scheme isn't a problem. They are aiming their fans at the enthusiast market sector, the same market sector that has the most cases with windows on the sides. Makes no marketing sense.

You think they sell less because of the fans' color: could very well be, in all honesty. They don't see it that way, or they would have change it already, no?

I have 4 Noctua fans in my case currently: one on the back, 2 on top and another on the cooler. I don't have yet another on the cooler (came with the cooler) due to RAM clearance and don't have another on the front because Noctua doesn't make 200mm fans with 2 cm thickness, or i'd buy one. You can see the case and cooler i'm using in my system specs. The case sits on the right side of my monitor currently, which means i see 2 of the fans whenever i look @ the case.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article846-page5.html

Funny, dude: i have that cooler on my sister's PC, which used to be my old PC. I upgraded that cooler to my current one many years ago (see system specs): still serves me well, even in this new Ryzen system.

 

[barku]

Ugly king

 

[RejZoR]

I'm just gonna stick with SilentWings 3.

 

[Blueberries]

Er, yes it will. That's how PR works.

You must be new to capitalism

 

[Ruru]

Name the brand:
View attachment 104173

Aerocool?


For me, Corsair fans have been fine. 2x ML120 with 240 rad as intake, 2x ML120 as top exhaust, AF140L & SP140 push-pull as exhaust with 140 rad.

Noctua fans are good, but I don't see them worth the price.