Conclusion
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
The fan itself has a unique color-scheme, with a peach-colored housing and maroon-colored blade.Other than the color, the fan itself looks like similar to other 120mm fans, except that the blades are shaped slightly different.According to the product features, the blades have been designed for sound-optimization.Attached to the fan is a sleeved cable with a 3-pin connector; it�s nice to see that the company takes the time to sleeve their wires.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
Along with the fan, you get a set of rubber vibration compensators and two cables.The first cable is a 3:4 pin adaptor that allows you to connect the fan to a standard molex connector directly from a power supply, thus leaving a 3-pin connector on your motherboard free for another fan.The second cable is an ultra-low-noise adaptor, which reduces the speed of the fan by reducing the power sent to it.All of these accessories are absent from most fan packages and are a quality addition that increases the overall value of the product.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
To be honest, it took me a little bit of time to figure out how to install these fans into my computer, mainly because I couldn�t figure out how to install the vibration compensators easily (no, there weren�t any instructions).The compensators are actually used in the place of fan screws; they secure the fan to the case using a couple of slots.My method of installation involved first inserting the compensators into the case screw holes and then attaching the fan to the compensators one corner at a time, which involved a forceful tug on the end of the compensator to seat it into place.Unfortunately, this took a bit of effort due to lack of finger clearance, and I had to remove the power supply to gain access to one of them.
After about 15 minutes of playing with it, I finally got the fan installed and fired it up.The fan doesn�t have LEDs, which is consistent with the company�s goal of providing a �no-frills� product.However, I still like LEDs in my fans.Thankfully, they were also successful in their main goals: I found the fan to be extremely quiet and powerful.I could barely hear the sound of the fan over the sound of the air moving by, and the air flow was dramatically improved over the generic fan I had installed.The fan seemed to be very balanced, and I couldn�t feel any vibrations on the case.I tried out the low-noise adaptor also, but frankly the noise at full-speed is already so low that I don�t think the reduced speed is necessary unless you�re going for a silent PC build.
Conclusion:
The Noctua NF-S12 series 120mm fans are solid-performing products that deliver results as promised.The fans are really quiet, and they move a significant amount of air.On the negative side, at ~$15USD, they aren�t cheap, and they aren�t the easiest fans to install.However, if you�re looking for high-quality fans that are ultra-quiet and has good airflow, I would recommend you consider these fans for your build.
Pros:
+ Silent operations
+ Good airflow
+ Comes with useful accessories
+ Quality construction
Cons:
- A little hard to install
- No LEDs
- Pricey
Pages: 1 2
Pages: 1 2
Recent Comments