Noctua NF-A20 and NF-A12x15 Review

👤by Jamie Procter Comments 📅08-09-17
Conclusion

Pricing was not officially confirmed by Noctua at the point that we received these new models, although a quick look online confirms that the manufacturers recommended retail price in the US is $20 for the 120mm NF-A12x15 and $30 for it's larger 200mm brother, the NF-A20. At the time writing, some further research confirms pricing of around £17 and £26 respectively, regardless of PWM or FLX, from the UK's major online hardware retailers.

It is clear as soon as you get your hands on the packaging that this latest line of Noctua cooling fans exude quality. For many people, the trademark colour scheme will always be a love/hate relationship but there's no denying that it has become synonymous with the Austrian manufacturers premium products.


These new A-Series additions are no exception and shift decent volumes of air whilst performing very well acoustically. The fact that their quiet performance can be lowered even further using the supplied LNA (and ULNA in the case of the FLX NF-A12x15) is a bonus. We would imagine that the majority of buyers considering the slim 120mm model are going to be looking to implement one or two in an HTPC environment, or perhaps as a push/pull combination in a smaller form factor chassis. The 200mm NF-A20 is a little different in that it is arguably an even more niche model - in the age of downsizing how many people still own a case capable of housing such a hefty blower. On the other hand Noctua should be applauded for now offering their premium, and exceptionally quiet cooling solutions, in almost every conceivable frame size.

If you're comfortable with the colour scheme and happy paying the premium-level pricing, then you'll be more than happy with the excellent performance that Noctua's latest offerings bring to the cooling fan market.

Pros
+ Premium build quality
+ Good acoustics out of the box
+ Quality packaging and excellent accessory bundles
+ Whisper-silent acoustics using LNA adaptors

Cons
- Colour combination still won't work for everyone
- Could be deemed pricey compared to competition

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