As optimum tech tested. They are best for case fans rather than for rad fans. The DB noise is also a bit irrelevant cause it is more the "pitch" of noise that gets more comfortable
Yep. I remember my old Corsaiir 600T with 200mm fans had turrbulance noise. I grinded out the front grill and it was gone! Spacers would definitely have a similar impact.
The difference indeed so consistently perceptible, that if you can't notice a difference you might want to get your ears tested. Every single sample became dramatically softer with the spacer.
These are from the kind of accessories meant to improve acoustics in understanding of making them less annoying. Not lowering dBA, not improving dBA-normalized performance, but potentially solving acoustic problems which may randomly happen when pairing any fan with any restriction. Having such problem already is the reason to buy such stuff, so it's just great that Noctua sells such kind of things.
Yes. I have 3 in my front. They made a noticeable difference for the front fans. I did the good old pliers mod to make them compatible with every fan. Computer tech&more measured them and found a large difference, with a positive effect up to 1cm.
Before watching the tests I want to say that I guess the spacers are more for improving the sound of the fan than improve the performance. I say that as the closer to the fan you put a grill or obstacle the louder it gets. Sure increasing the distance a little might improve the performance slightly, but I doubt it will be all that noticeable.
a long time ago I connected the fans on my case using elastics. In addition it allowed me to put a distance between the fan and the case, and yes it had those hated stamped grills. Then I used some electrical tape to close the gap between the fan and the case. It worked as it removed all the noise caused by the grill being so close to the fan. Not a scientific way to do it, but it worked and changed the sound of the fans just like the spacer from Noctua. It was just something I did more than twenty years ago. That it might make the fan more effective was not something I had considered, and back then I didn't have the tools to test such a thing either way. Thinking back I did this "mod" to the fans for blowing into the case and the ones blowing out. But later tests has shown that having a grill immediately next to the sucking fan does increase noise quite a bit more than having it close to the blowing side. Or at least that's my experience. Fortunately noise is no more a problem for me. With ringing tinnitus in one ear ad being completely deaf in the other a bit of is noise hardly noticeable. Damn thinking about that I realized I "hear" constant whistling in my deaf ear. It seems that not even having the nerves to the ear severed completely stopps tinnitus.
One benefit of using the spacer is that you get more useable surface area of the mesh, which should lower the overall pressure drop and increase performance a little bit. And in push applications you even free up the surface area of the back of the motor, as you said. Should be beneficial if the mesh is really restrictive for some reason, or maybe no benefit at all if it is relatively free flowing. Can't really imagine the spacer having any negative impact unless those 5 mm pushes the other side of the fan closer to something which would add resistance to flow.
Dear STS, your audio samples show a very stark audible difference with the spacer attached. If you can't hear the difference, please get your ears checked. Seriously. It's that clear.
You don't even need to clip anything when using SW4 Pro 140mm. Works like a charm and solved my intake fans and infamous meshify 2 hum problems. Now my bottom intake has no hum at low rpms and front intakes are quieter too. I was very surprised by the result.
It seemed strange to me that Noctua noticed this incident after so many years. 10 years ago, when I was assembling a PC case, I made a device between the fan and the grill myself :)
When will the case manufacturers realize that they need to make the air vents very large? If there is no distance between the dust filter and the filter, it will make noise.
I have found through personal experience that keeping the intake side of any fan at least 5 to 10mm from the exterior panel leads to a substantial noise reduction.
You can buy rubber fan gaskets that will do the same thing but cheaper and without those proprietary tabs. I prefer silicone rubber to minimize any VOC offgassing.
This used to be a common thing in the early 2000's. Most high end water cooling builds added spacers from 10 to 30 mm to get air past the center hub... and presumably cool the part of the rad that was blocked by said hub. I theory it sounds logical and would be a benefit, for less noise and more air hitting the rad fins. There are guys all over Etsy selling these 3d printed in all sizes. I might give it a try again. Also, if you're like me, I have so many old dead fans laying around you could just cut out the inside and use that as your spacer. I wonder why that is not a thing so much as it once was.??
actually he said that these spacers would be more useful if used as a pull fan in a pull-push arrangement on radiators (standard thickness). he suggested me to use noctua a12x25. if I was going to do pull-push, he suggested that I use these on the pull fan side of the radiator. he said that thanks to these, a gap would be created between the radiator and the fan and the whistling problem would be eliminated. can you confirm this? do you have the chance to test this with a standard 27mm thick radiator and not a 60mm thick radiator? my other question is, if I were to use this spacer on the fan I will use on the exhaust side of the case (in a scenario of pushing the hot air inside out), would it be beneficial in terms of noise?
By the way, the case I am using is 7000d airflow. Would I see any benefit if I used these spacers on my front fans? Or would it be beneficial if I used them next to the motherboard? If it was useful as a case fan, which side of the fan should I attach it to?
im wondering if it will be worth getting the nf-a12x25 g2 when it comes out, and if they will be brining out a slim fan to compliment it, cuz right now im running the 12x25 with the 12x25
As optimum tech tested. They are best for case fans rather than for rad fans. The DB noise is also a bit irrelevant cause it is more the "pitch" of noise that gets more comfortable
Yep. I remember my old Corsaiir 600T with 200mm fans had turrbulance noise. I grinded out the front grill and it was gone!
Spacers would definitely have a similar impact.
Where can i see that test result? Can you give me a vid link ? I have hard time with choosing one of 140mm fan
@@rkrnddl5 Video is called: "Stealing Noctua's quiet airflow mod"
@@rkrnddl5 Stealing Noctua's quiet airflow mod is the video title
@@Walhor thank you
I could 100% hear a difference in your noise samples, for the better.
Yes! It seemed to slightly lower the average frequency. Or soften the higher frequencies.
The difference indeed so consistently perceptible, that if you can't notice a difference you might want to get your ears tested.
Every single sample became dramatically softer with the spacer.
I also, one of them came out of noisy sound to almost imperceptible
Those noise samples are all I needed to hear, going to order some right now.
The title of this video looks like your cat walked across your keyboard
Noctua's naming is pure poetry
These are from the kind of accessories meant to improve acoustics in understanding of making them less annoying. Not lowering dBA, not improving dBA-normalized performance, but potentially solving acoustic problems which may randomly happen when pairing any fan with any restriction. Having such problem already is the reason to buy such stuff, so it's just great that Noctua sells such kind of things.
The noise difference in your audio samples is extremely clear.
It's not just about the dB but also about the quality of the noise.
I added these for acoustics and they work great. Much more pleasing to the ear.
10/10 noise samples! Well done! Very useful
Interesting how it doesn't do all that much on round holes
Yes. I have 3 in my front. They made a noticeable difference for the front fans. I did the good old pliers mod to make them compatible with every fan.
Computer tech&more measured them and found a large difference, with a positive effect up to 1cm.
Before watching the tests I want to say that I guess the spacers are more for improving the sound of the fan than improve the performance. I say that as the closer to the fan you put a grill or obstacle the louder it gets. Sure increasing the distance a little might improve the performance slightly, but I doubt it will be all that noticeable.
a long time ago I connected the fans on my case using elastics. In addition it allowed me to put a distance between the fan and the case, and yes it had those hated stamped grills. Then I used some electrical tape to close the gap between the fan and the case. It worked as it removed all the noise caused by the grill being so close to the fan. Not a scientific way to do it, but it worked and changed the sound of the fans just like the spacer from Noctua. It was just something I did more than twenty years ago. That it might make the fan more effective was not something I had considered, and back then I didn't have the tools to test such a thing either way. Thinking back I did this "mod" to the fans for blowing into the case and the ones blowing out. But later tests has shown that having a grill immediately next to the sucking fan does increase noise quite a bit more than having it close to the blowing side. Or at least that's my experience.
Fortunately noise is no more a problem for me. With ringing tinnitus in one ear ad being completely deaf in the other a bit of is noise hardly noticeable. Damn thinking about that I realized I "hear" constant whistling in my deaf ear. It seems that not even having the nerves to the ear severed completely stopps tinnitus.
One benefit of using the spacer is that you get more useable surface area of the mesh, which should lower the overall pressure drop and increase performance a little bit. And in push applications you even free up the surface area of the back of the motor, as you said. Should be beneficial if the mesh is really restrictive for some reason, or maybe no benefit at all if it is relatively free flowing. Can't really imagine the spacer having any negative impact unless those 5 mm pushes the other side of the fan closer to something which would add resistance to flow.
I ordered 4 for my a12x25 case config and the noise difference was so good.
Dear STS, your audio samples show a very stark audible difference with the spacer attached. If you can't hear the difference, please get your ears checked. Seriously. It's that clear.
There is a huge difference what are you on about?!
This is the coolest video! Thanks
You don't even need to clip anything when using SW4 Pro 140mm. Works like a charm and solved my intake fans and infamous meshify 2 hum problems. Now my bottom intake has no hum at low rpms and front intakes are quieter too. I was very surprised by the result.
It seemed strange to me that Noctua noticed this incident after so many years.
10 years ago, when I was assembling a PC case, I made a device between the fan and the grill myself :)
Maybe this was a fractal terra thing, lol.
When will the case manufacturers realize that they need to make the air vents very large?
If there is no distance between the dust filter and the filter, it will make noise.
I have found through personal experience that keeping the intake side of any fan at least 5 to 10mm from the exterior panel leads to a substantial noise reduction.
Man I'm looking forward to the NF-A12x35
You can buy rubber fan gaskets that will do the same thing but cheaper and without those proprietary tabs.
I prefer silicone rubber to minimize any VOC offgassing.
This used to be a common thing in the early 2000's. Most high end water cooling builds added spacers from 10 to 30 mm to get air past the center hub... and presumably cool the part of the rad that was blocked by said hub. I theory it sounds logical and would be a benefit, for less noise and more air hitting the rad fins. There are guys all over Etsy selling these 3d printed in all sizes. I might give it a try again. Also, if you're like me, I have so many old dead fans laying around you could just cut out the inside and use that as your spacer. I wonder why that is not a thing so much as it once was.??
🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄
actually he said that these spacers would be more useful if used as a pull fan in a pull-push arrangement on radiators (standard thickness). he suggested me to use noctua a12x25. if I was going to do pull-push, he suggested that I use these on the pull fan side of the radiator. he said that thanks to these, a gap would be created between the radiator and the fan and the whistling problem would be eliminated. can you confirm this? do you have the chance to test this with a standard 27mm thick radiator and not a 60mm thick radiator? my other question is, if I were to use this spacer on the fan I will use on the exhaust side of the case (in a scenario of pushing the hot air inside out), would it be beneficial in terms of noise?
By the way, the case I am using is 7000d airflow. Would I see any benefit if I used these spacers on my front fans? Or would it be beneficial if I used them next to the motherboard? If it was useful as a case fan, which side of the fan should I attach it to?
bequite silent wing fans have specific mounting corners, one side flat and other side with bump for creating few mm gap
just 3d print a spacer
hi thanks for your work, can you reviwe antec nova fans thanks
I am using a Phanteks T30 120mm for my intakes limited at around 63% max fan speed, would the 140 G2's be an upgrade?
Noise/pitch maybe, raw performance no.
My only concern with these is that the fans themselves already cost quite a lot
You can add the spacers to any fan by cutting the tabs.
im wondering if it will be worth getting the nf-a12x25 g2 when it comes out, and if they will be brining out a slim fan to compliment it, cuz right now im running the 12x25 with the 12x25
I'd rather 3d print something like that instead of buying them from any brand
So this is their "30mm fan"
they are designed for the front of the fan only
noctuah
Buy 30mm Phanteks fans instead, problem solved.