Noctua presents NF-A12x25 120mm Fan, 140mm Adaptor and redux line NF-P12

[Michael Nager]

Now for the NF-A12x25 running full whack with gasket and the NF-A12x25 running with gasket and LNA

a) Without LNA

b) With LNA

Very interesting results! The F12 w/ Gasket has the same max temperature but lower average temperature than the A12x25 with LNA.

Thanks again, I appreciate you taking the time.

Yes the results are interesting.

What is more interesting is the the fact that if I run the test without AVX then the new NF-A12x25 runs approx. 5 degrees Celsius lower than the NF-F12.

I did some of those tests as well.

Although the NF-A12x25 does better than the NF-F12 in the benchmarks I ran, I think the main limiting factor for my tests was the pump on the H100i. If the AIO has a better pump then I think the results would be even more in favour of the NF-A12x25.

Remember I watched these results as they were happening and keeping an eye on all the cores.

From one run to the next either Core 0 and Core 3 would show the highest temps and then again on other tests it would be Core 1 and Core 2.

This is why just showing the results for Core 0 doesn't tell the entire story.

Needless to say that after seven hours of continuous benchmarking I am pretty bloody knackered

So I am going to crack open a cold blonde one now and kick back.

As far as noise is concerned, the only thing one can really hear is the air going through the radiator and not the fans themselves.

This surprised me considering that the NF-A12x25 runs 500 RPM faster than the NF-F12. I quite literally could not hear any difference in FAN NOISE between them, in fact putting my ear right up to both of them it is the noise going through the radiator that I hear, and not the fans themselves.

 

[Blueberries]

For the average enthusiast looking for the best performance the A12x25 looks like a solid win-- but the adventurous may want to play around with the gasket on different fan profiles.

 

[Michael Nager]

If anyone at TechPowerUp wants all the results I can pack them up in a zip file.

For the average enthusiast looking for the best performance the A12x25 looks like a solid win-- but the adventurous may want to play around with the gasket on different fan profiles.

The thing is that OCCT with the AVX and running on all cores really kicks the crap out of a CPU and to see ONE of the new fans keep the temps of the CPU to the mid seventies was pretty amazing.

I was sure that I would have to break off the test.

 

[Michael Nager]

Well now that I am no longer groggy from the experience of watching the equivalent of paint dry, grass grow and Trump trying to create a cogent sentence all in one mind numbing experience, I would say that the new fans are an upgrade from their previous static pressure NF-F12 fans.

So I put the profile back to what it was and the fans spin slower for the same temp target as the NF-F12 it is about 1050 RPM for the A12x25 vs. a bit over 1200 RPM for the NF-F12.

Do I notice a difference in sound? Not really because I didn't notice the sound of the NF-F12 fans I had in before.

Was it worth it?

The honest answer is, I don't know. I didn't really need them, but I did want them.

Would I have bought them again? Yes.

Are the fans worth the money? Yes, especially when you consider the goodies like LNA cable, splitter cable and extension cable you get with it.

The NF-F12 fans have been running in my system 24/7 for four years and they are still as good today as they were on day one.

At the end of the day, that's why I buy Noctua - colour be damned - because I can rely on them, and in over ten years of using them (the first one I ever bought was when they first came out about twelve years ago) I have never had one fail on me, or go noisy, clicky or annoying over time.