Noctua NF-S12A FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (120mm, Brown)
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Jake Brake
> 3 dayVery high quality, typical of Noctua.
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Jim Wings
> 3 dayThis a great cooling fan, because it is extremely quiet. I have one of these in my bedroom cooling a DVR, and you can not hear it running at night when it is very quiet in the room. Note that I am using the fan with a 9 volt calculator type power pack, so the reduced voltage makes it quieter then the normal 12 volt.
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Andrew Johnson
> 3 dayUnfortunately, having just put 3 of these in my chassis, I am finding they are louder than my old fans which were much less expensive, and all while moving notably less air. Adding the low-noise wire adapter gets them to about the same noise level as my old fans while adding a very high pitched faint electrical whine. I can barely feel them pulling air across my water cooler using those adapters and see cpu temps averaging 9c higher on my cpu. One of them also randomly rattles with a sound like a bad bearing, even though theyve been running for just over an hour now. I am hoping it clears up but as I type this review I can hear it spending more and more time rattling.
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EDominguez
> 3 dayI am using four of these fans in a Corsair 540 case, and the fans run completely silent! The mounting can be a little bit difficult at times, but the overall a great fan design. Airflow is excellent, oh and I didnt notice any issues with the high pitched noise other reviews mention.
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N8 - Honest Reviewer
Greater than one weekUPDATE:
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grace
> 3 dayThey work as described. They were a replacement for fans that seemed to rattle all the time. These are very quiet and supply the air we need.
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Christian Seier Blackburn
> 3 dayThey should have a black version with the same specs. Yes I realize theres a louder pro version thats all black.
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bats
> 3 dayMuch more quiet than the stock fan and same airflow.
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Mr. E
> 3 dayThis brand certainly lives up to its rep. The fan is very quiet. I had trouble installing it with the silicone knobs so I just used the regular screws instead and its still quiet.
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David Edward Giarratana
> 3 dayThis fan pushes a ridiculous amount of air. None of the other fans I have used even come close, at all, and theyre completely silent, even at their highest speed. This would mean nothing if they didnt make much of a difference in my temperatures, but my system actually started to run about 10°C cooler when I replaced my previous fans (some Cooler Master ones and some Corsair AF series ones) with these.
The NF-S12A marks the third generation of Noctua’s signature S12 series quiet case fans, which have received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press. Featuring a further refined blade design with Anti-Stall Knobs that works in tandem with the new AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frame, the NF-S12A improves the airflow/noise efficiency of its renowned predecessor by up to 8%. The FLX version provides 1200/900/700rpm speed settings via the supplied Low-Noise Adaptors in order to give you full flexibility in fine-tuning the fan for maximum ventilation performance or near-silent operation. Its superb running smoothness, SSO2 bearing and Noctua’s trusted premium quality make it an elite choice for quiet case cooling
AAO frame
Noctua"s AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames feature integrated anti-vibration pads as well as Noctua"s proprietary Stepped Inlet Design and Inner Surface Microstructures, both of which further refine the fan"s performance/noise efficiency.
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Integrated anti-vibration padsIntegrated anti-vibration pads made from extra-soft silicone minimise the transmission of minute vibrations while maintaining full compatibility with all standard screws and other mounting systems. |
SSO2 bearingThe NF-S12A features the further optimised second generation of Noctua"s renowned, time-tested SSO bearing. With SSO2, the rear magnet is placed closer to the axis to provide even better stabilisation, precision and durability. |
Inner Surface MicrostructuresWith the tips of the fan blades ploughing through the boundary layer created by the Inner Surface Microstructures, flow separation from the suction side of the blades is significantly suppressed, which results in reduced blade passing noise and improved airflow and pressure efficiency. |
Scope of delivery
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Anti-Stall Knobs
The NF-S12A"s Anti-Stall Knobs reduce flow separation phenomena in medium to high impedance situations and thereby increase the fan"s stall margin. This means that the NF-S12A is even more versatile than its renowned predecessor and can achieve better performance on heatsinks and radiators.
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| NF-S12A PWM | NF-S12A FLX | NF-S12A ULN | NF-S12A PWM chromax.black.swap | |
| Connector | 4-pin PWM | 3-pin | 3-pin | 4-pin PWM |
| Voltage | 12V | 12V | 5V | 12V |
| RPM | Max: 1200 / Min: 300 | 1200 | 800 | Max: 1200 / Min: 300 |
| RPM with L.N.A. | 900 | 900 | 600 | - |
| RPM with U.L.N.A. | - | 700 | - | - |
| Acoustical Noise | 17,8 dB(A) | 17,8 dB(A) | 8,6 dB(A) | 17,8 dB(A) |
| Acoustical Noise with L.N.A. | 10,7 dB(A) | 10,7 dB(A) | 6,7 dB(A) | - |
| Acoustical Noise with U.L.N.A. | - | 7,4 dB(A) | - | - |
| Size (mm) | 120x120x25 | 120x120x25 | 120x120x25 | 120x120x25 |
| Colour | Brown & Beige | Brown & Beige | Brown & Beige | Black with swappable coloured anti-vibration pads |