[SOLVED] Should I get Noctua case fans?

[Deleted member 2720853]

Planning to get four Noctua NH-A14 fans to replace my current configuration of 4x 140mm Pure Wings 2 (1 rear exhaust, 1 top exhaust, 2 front intake) on my be quiet! Pure Base 500DX. Those red swappable corners sure do look good, and would fit my current color scheme.

I don't care about the price, I know Noctua charges more but the quality adds up. Would these fans bring me better airflow and quieter operation?

I can hardly bring my current case fans above 1200 RPM due to the sheer amount of noise. For being "be quiet" case fans, they're really not that quiet. Meanwhile, my 26 dB rated @ max CPU cooler sounds very quiet and to my liking, and these Noctua fans have the same- scratch that, 24.6 dB rating at full 1500 RPM. I'm also one of those "Performance >>>>> RGB" guys. Really tempting.

Or should I go for three (1 rear exhaust, 2 front intakes) instead of four? I kind of want one top exhaust above my tower CPU cooler though.

 

[Phaaze88]

~Ohh, you must've bought the high speed version of the PW 2.
be quiet! Pure Wings 2 HS:
RPM: 1600
CFM: 94.2
Static pressure: 1.82mm-H2O
Noise: 37.3 dBA

Noctua NF-A14 Chromax:
RPM: 1500
CFM: 82.5
Static pressure: 2.08mm-H2O
Noise: 24.6 dBA

Looks like they are quieter while moving more air.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

~Ohh, you must've bought the high speed version of the PW 2.
be quiet! Pure Wings 2 HS:
RPM: 1600
CFM: 94.2
Static pressure: 1.82mm-H2O
Noise: 37.3 dBA

Noctua NF-A14 Chromax:
RPM: 1500
CFM: 82.5
Static pressure: 2.08mm-H2O
Noise: 24.6 dBA

Looks like they are quieter while moving more air.

Yup, the High-Speed ones. They're loud as hell at full RPM. I'd like to be able to run my case fans above 1200 RPM while gaming for once, and these Noctua fans seem like they'd do the job. Or is there another model better than the NH-A14 that I should consider? I'm purchasing 4 of these tomorrow, so there's time to contemplate.

My midtower case with a mesh front and exposed top should complement Noctua fans just fine I suppose?

 

[Flayed]

I have some Noctua fans and one Akasa fan in my system. The Akasa fan is louder at lower RPM than the Noctua fans

 

[Phaaze88]

There's a rival in the Pure Wings 3 High Speed: https://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/723

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I don't know, price really doesn't matter to me and I'm already sold on the 24 db @ 1500 rpm... with higher CFM.

So, I guess the question boils down to should I go for the NH-A14 pack or is there a better model from Noctua that I should consider? If not, NH-A14 it is.

 

[Flayed]

Theres a 2k RPM Noctua indusdrial but I think that would be loud at full speed lol

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I should also mention that I'm interested in 140mm only.

2k RPM sounds like 120mm to me

 

[Flayed]

No they are 140mm NF A14 2k and 3k RPM models are avaliable

 

[Phaaze88]

I currently use these in my chassis:
Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM
Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM
These things do get loud, but only if you let them - but that's the case with any fan, really. PWM control, FTW.

If run at the same speeds as the NF-A14 and NF-A12x25, the IPPCs can be just as quiet, albeit with a different pitch - different motor, after all.
I've heard that some people find the regular Noctua fans to have an 'annoying hum' to them - I have some of those as well, and I never noticed it.
That said, those same people might like the IPPCs more, because they won't produce that 'hum'.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I currently use these in my chassis:
Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM
Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM
These things do get loud, but only if you let them - but that's the case with any fan, really. PWM control, FTW.

If run at the same speeds as the NF-A14 and NF-A12x25, the IPPCs can be just as quiet, albeit with a different pitch - different motor, after all.
I've heard that some people find the regular Noctua fans to have an 'annoying hum' to them - I have some of those as well, and I never noticed it.
That said, those same people might like the IPPCs more, because they won't produce that 'hum'.

While these may be better I'm really sound sensitive. Don't really have an use for 3000 RPM fans when all I need is a max of 1500 with quiet operation.

So I'll go with the original NH-A14 pack. Even if they do have that "hum" I doubt I'll get more annoyed by that than I already am by these PW2 at 900 idle RPM.

Other than the industrial versions, is the NH-A14 the best I can get?

 

[Phaaze88]

While these may be better I'm really sound sensitive. Don't really have an use for 3000 RPM fans when all I need is a max of 1500 with quiet operation.

Oh no, I wasn't suggesting they were better at all. Quite the contrary; they are rather pointless for most builders, but I grabbed them anyway to sate my curiousity - it gets the better of me at times.
Once these things break, I'm going back to the regular ones - or whatever the updated 120/140mm will be at the time, if there are any.

Other than the industrial versions, is the NH-A14 the best I can get?

Yep.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Yep.

All I wanted to hear.

Oh no, I wasn't suggesting they were better at all. Quite the contrary; they are rather pointless for most builders, but I grabbed them anyway to sate my curiousity - it gets the better of me at times.

Yup, just compared the noise levels from these YT vids:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U8-OjGwk8o

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMvBQoU82_8

Think I'm gonna stick with the NH-A14. The NH-A14 PPC are not in stock anyway.

Thanks for your help! Was expecting your help since you seem to be a Noctua connoisseur.

 

[Phaaze88]

Yup, just compared the noise levels from these YT vids:

I saw those EXACT same videos. They don't do the IPPCs any justice. There's a night and day difference between hearing them over a video VS being right there with them.

Think I'm gonna stick with the NH-A14. Thanks for your help! Was expecting your help since you seem to be a Noctua connoisseur.

Yeah, I am a Noctua whore 😛

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I saw those EXACT same videos. They don't do the IPPCs any justice. There's a night and day difference between hearing them over a video VS being right there with them.

I can believe that. Still, out of stock, too powerful for my taste, the four NH-A14 seem perfect.

I'm guessing there is a night and day difference between hearing the NH-A14 in the video vs being there with them as well. Or?

 

[Phaaze88]

I'm guessing there is a night and day difference between hearing the NH-A14 in the video vs being there with them as well. Or?

It's just one fan running in the test vid, VS a few, or several. Plus, it's not sitting in an actual chassis.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

It's just one fan running in the test vid, VS a few, or several. Plus, it's not sitting in an actual chassis.

Yup that was my first doubting of that video, not enclosed in a chassis. Guess I'll have to see the results myself. I expect to be satisfied though.