[SOLVED] Arctic P12 PWM vs Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM vs Arctic P14 PWM for most silent case airflow?

[curry36]

Arctic P12 PWM vs Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM vs Arctic P14 PWM for most silent case airflow?

I've seen a video where the Arctic P12 noise was so much more pleasant in terms of pitch, than the Noctua. But other tests claim, that the NF-A12x25 tends to be more silent. And in theory the P14 should be more silent than the P12, but can anyone confirm this?

Intending to run the fans at lower to medium rpm.

 

[FoxVoxDK]

The P14 is more silent and less, hmm, obtrusive I guess is the word. As for silence and performance NF-A12x25 is practically unbeatable, especially when paired with a radiator. BUT for the price point, the P12/P14 are superior, as they are just as quiet, but slower and have less overall static pressure, but as case fans? In my humble opinion, amongst the best there is.

As a sidenote, the P12 is practically silent at 60-65% PWM and the P14 practically silent up to 70% PWM.
Some run them higher, cause they aren't bothered by the slight noise.

 

[Phaaze88]

OP must've seen this video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBoLyC0tSDQ

Intending to run the fans at lower to medium rpm.

Unfortunately, only people who've personally tested those 2 fans at those speed ranges can answer this for you.
Most manufacturers don't post the curves for their products. Ratings such as CFM, static pressure, and dbA, do not scale linearly.

 

[curry36]

As a sidenote, the P12 is practically silent at 60-65% PWM and the P14 practically silent up to 70% PWM.
Some run them higher, cause they aren't bothered by the slight noise.

Thanks! So its the P14 for me then. Sounds like an overall good choice.

OP must've seen this video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBoLyC0tSDQ

Unfortunately, only people who've personally tested those 2 fans at those speed ranges can answer this for you.
Most manufacturers don't post the curves for their products. Ratings such as CFM, static pressure, and dbA, do not scale linearly.

This is exactly what I've been watching. 😅
I totally agree, it's difficult to get a solid overview without hearing the fans by yourself.

However, even though the noise levels in that guys video didn't really sound like the actual values they represented, I think it was clear to see what kind of noise you'd be dealing with. Which is imho even more important than having 3db more or less volume. The P12 just had this pleasant low rumble noise which doesn't interfere too much on dialogue/music frequency range. That's the only thing that makes me consider Arctic over Noctua.

But I guess I'm just way too traumatized from my old MacBooks fans.. this garbage peaks at 2200Hz which gave me so much headache over the last years that I only want to do things right this time..

 

[curry36]

@Phaaze88 btw, very interesting point regarding competition and the speed of progress. It's so simple but I've never thought about it that way in the world of CPU progress. For me as someone who only needs a fast CPU, but any CPU you give me wouldn't be fast enough, it really pissed me off to see almost no progress in the last 10 years (not only because I could have used a better CPU but also for social and global progress). Hopefully times will change now with AMD back in the game and Apple going for their own ARM chips.

 

[Flayed]

Tough to beat Noctua on performance, easy to beat them on price/performance

 

[Phaaze88]

@Phaaze88 btw, very interesting point regarding competition and the speed of progress. It's so simple but I've never thought about it that way in the world of CPU progress. For me as someone who only needs a fast CPU, but any CPU you give me wouldn't be fast enough, it really pissed me off to see almost no progress in the last 10 years (not only because I could have used a better CPU but also for social and global progress). Hopefully times will change now with AMD back in the game and Apple going for their own ARM chips.

Yep. Competition is best for us as the end user. Monopolies = bad.

Tough to beat Noctua on performance, easy to beat them on price/performance

See, this goes back to bite companies who expand to cover too many markets. You know, that whole jack of all trades, master of none thing?
Noctua specializes and focuses in cooling. They aren't a strong value option, but for raw performance, there aren't too many that can touch them:
Thermalright: they make some good and affordable products, but are sadly underrepresented in the Americas.
Scythe: similar to Thermalright.
be quiet!: their prices get up there with Noctua, but they have the more favorable color scheme - excluding Noctua's Chromax.

 

[ShadowRD]

i bought 3 Arctic bionix f140 to replace Noctua NP-P14s 1200 and i don't regret.

And 2 bonix P120 to replace ML corsair fans for h110i cui, works really well