A Noctua fan that even I don't like the look of... But performance speaks for itself.
Here's the spec: Max RPM Max Airflow (m3/h) Noise (dB(A)) Static Pressure (mmH2O) | Without (U.)L.N.A 3000 29.2 19.3 2.18 | With L.N.A 2400 23.5 14.5 1.41 | With U.L.N.A 1600 16.7 8.2 0.61 |
Accessories: Low Noise Adaptor, Ultra Low Noise Adaptor, 4pin Molex adaptor, 30cm Extension cable, Anti-vibration mounts, 4 Fan screws.
Design:
Featuring basically every other feature that we've seen on the other A-series fans we are going to storm through them in this review and focus on the main points we ant to mention on this product.
| The AAO frame, Noctua's new foundation to their fans. We have the Anti-vibration pads which on this one are the same as the A4's, The Stepped inlet design and lastly the Inner Surface Microstructures. I feel the Anti-vibration pads could have been bigger on this fan and may not be as effective as we see on the rest of the series. Due to the size of the fan I feel they also look a little pathetic, that being said they are better than nothing. I feel the same about the Inner surface microstructures as well. In contrast to this the Stepped inlet design looks quite bold and impressive while being slightly steeper to adhere to the severely awkward dimensions we're given here. | 
Being 25mm thick and only 60mm in diameter the fan benefits from a high static pressure rating. This is further accentuated with the 7 blade fan design, something we saw on the F12 due it's superiority when it comes to static pressure. The blades themselves look rather funny on this fan and I'm not a fan of them (pun intended). |
Something I really wanted to emphasise in this review is the outstanding build quality of this fan in particular, even when comparing it to other Noctua fans. It has the least flex I have experienced on a fan and while being extremely strong because of its dimensions, the additional strengthening made to the chassis turns this fan into a potential brick.
| Flow acceleration channels yet again feature on this fan although you hardly get to see them due to the shape of the blades. You might also notice the rather small motor as well. This helps increase overall performance yet it still looks rather odd and too large for the frame. Maybe the fan would look better if it was thinner. |
Some final notes are that it still features the SSO2 bearing system I absolutely love and that the cable sleeving doesn't go all the way to the motor. I don't think I have ever mentioned this in a previous Noctua review but it is actually mesmerizing watching a Noctua fan run. The smoothness you see on these fans you just don't see on others. For example when watching other fans run you can notice some of them slightly wobble as they spin, on these fans they don't move at all. As beautiful as Noctua fans look (I'm completely impartial to the looks on this fan however) they always look 10x nicer turned on.
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Performance:
At 60mm by 25mm this fan isn't the quietest that they make by any stretch of the imagination. What you benefit from though is excellent static pressure at 2.18mm H2O as well as good airflow for such a small fan.
For me this is both good and bad because most 60mm fans will be used in small cramped cases and to have a static pressure rating as high as this does would benefit you immensely. That being said I have always seen smaller systems to be more art than for pure performance and for them to be anything less than silent is almost a no go in my opinion. To add to that with smaller systems a loud fan will always seem louder than if it was in a bigger case, not to say THIS fan is loud but it definitely isn't silent.
For me this is both good and bad because most 60mm fans will be used in small cramped cases and to have a static pressure rating as high as this does would benefit you immensely. That being said I have always seen smaller systems to be more art than for pure performance and for them to be anything less than silent is almost a no go in my opinion. To add to that with smaller systems a loud fan will always seem louder than if it was in a bigger case, not to say THIS fan is loud but it definitely isn't silent.
Conclusion:
In the 120mm and 140mm fan markets Noctua really dominate when it comes to performance and they are ever improving on the looks making them more and more attractive as we see new features come out. I feel that especially with this fan, Noctua have tried to take what they've learnt, downsize it, and create amazing fans in every other standard there is on the market. Unfortunately it seems to of been a big gamble and with the successes of the A4x10 and the A9x14 I was really hoping to be as taken aback with this fan as I was with those, I wasn't.
I wasn't feeling the same vibe when it came to the looks, the dimensions and even the noise. 3 big points in my book.
But then I have to take a step back and look at it for what it really is, stop comparing it to the rest of Noctua's products, especially the NF-A9x14, currently the highest rated product on the Whole of the HalTechTV Independent review network. I have to really compare it to it's competitors.
I may not like the look of this fan but I have to come to the harsh realisation that this fan is actually one of the nicest looking 60mm fans on the market if not THE nicest looking 60mm fan on the market. It pushes a great amount of air, features anti-vibration pads unlike its competitors, comes with tons of adaptors and has the build quality of a building built in the 19th century. Ok it might not be quiet in my eyes but it has fan speed reducers to compensate.
Overall It didn't score high enough to be awarded a medal but it didn't score low enough to just be average being that it still is better than the rest. I hope to see Noctua in the future, take this fan and refine every detail of it, creating something truly magnificent. But for now guys if you need a 60mm fan you wont be overwhelmed by any of them but this is a very good choice to go with if you have the money for it.
I wasn't feeling the same vibe when it came to the looks, the dimensions and even the noise. 3 big points in my book.
But then I have to take a step back and look at it for what it really is, stop comparing it to the rest of Noctua's products, especially the NF-A9x14, currently the highest rated product on the Whole of the HalTechTV Independent review network. I have to really compare it to it's competitors.
I may not like the look of this fan but I have to come to the harsh realisation that this fan is actually one of the nicest looking 60mm fans on the market if not THE nicest looking 60mm fan on the market. It pushes a great amount of air, features anti-vibration pads unlike its competitors, comes with tons of adaptors and has the build quality of a building built in the 19th century. Ok it might not be quiet in my eyes but it has fan speed reducers to compensate.
Overall It didn't score high enough to be awarded a medal but it didn't score low enough to just be average being that it still is better than the rest. I hope to see Noctua in the future, take this fan and refine every detail of it, creating something truly magnificent. But for now guys if you need a 60mm fan you wont be overwhelmed by any of them but this is a very good choice to go with if you have the money for it.
Verdict:
Rating: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Value: 7/10
