Noctua launches the NF-F12 PWM

Andy Ruffell / 13 years ago

Noctua, the company responsible for one of the best air coolers today, has launched their latest fan that incorporates a number of features to improves both effectiveness and quiet operation; the NF-F12 PWM.

“Our award-winning NF-P12 has become a standard choice for pressure demanding applications such as CPU coolers and radiators, but we’ve been striving to achieve even better performance in this domain, and this is how the NF-F12 was born”, explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. “Due to the stator guide vanes focussing the airflow, it can push the air through dense fin stacks more effectively. This type of design has mostly been used for noisy high speed fans so far, so our engineers have put a lot of thought into keeping the noise in check.”

The most important part of a fan is the aerodynamics, which in this case has been optimized to improve the airflow and acoustic qualities; for example the stator guide vanes are placed in varying angular distances and feature vortex-control notches, both of which spread the noise emission over a broader frequency spectrum making the sound pattern more pleasing to the human ear. Another of those improvements comes with the use of the Stepped Inlet Design, which, by adding turbulences to the influx, helps in the transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow, which not only reduces the noise once more, but also increase the suction capacity and improves flow attachment.

Additionaly, The NF-F12 PWM also features improvements on the fan bearing, with an optimized version of Noctua’s SSO bearing, but also includes the new custom designed NE-DF1 PWM IC, providing full PWM speed control. Moreover the NE-FD1 features the Smooth Commutation Drive technology reducing the noise output even more, and also makes the consumption of the fan drop drastically; drawing only 0.6W, it is green as well as it is less imposing on your electricity bill.

Along the fan, you’ll find modular cabling, integrated anti-vibration pad as well as two speed settings for complete flexibility. With all those technologies and features, it makes you wonder if the NF-F12 even makes an audible sound.