Noctua NF-S12 & NF-R8 Fans

Performance:

For testing these three Noctua fans, we had installed the two NF-S12 products in a SilverStone Temjin TJ09 and the NF-R8 was tested in an open-air system. The Temjin TJ09 had housed an Abit NF-M2 nView motherboard with an AMD Sempron AM2 processor with dual SATA drives and 700W Seasonic power supply. Prior to the installation of the two Noctua 120mm fans was two stock SilverStone fans.

While no quantitative tests were used in this comparison, the NF-S12 fans were noticeably quieter than the previous SilverStone fans. When used with the ultra-low noise adapter, the fans were almost silent. However, these Noctua fans as a result had pushed less air than the SilverStone fans, while still pushing enough air through the system to remain operational. The NF-R8 had also operated without fault and remained incredibly quiet during operation.

Conclusions:

While we do not normally review case fans here at Phoronix, Noctua managed to catch our attention with its sound-optimized blade geometry, unique color combination, and a self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearing. While the Noctua NF-S12 and NF-R8 had not pushed as much air as the 120mm SilverStone fans we had compared, the fans had operated quietly with and without the low-noise adapters. While these fans would not be ideal if you are trying to push lots of air through the case to cool a roasting system, if you're all about the quietness, the Noctua fans should be a prime candidate. The Noctua NF-S12 is approximately $20 USD per fan while the NF-R8 is approximately $15, which is somewhat expensive but is backed by a six-year warranty.