@@Tome4kkkk A mesh still creates a lot of obstruction compared to pure open air. That's why many silent PC enthusiasts cut away any mesh from fan mounts. Ofc you can't typically do that at the front of the case as then all debris will get in too easily. But you can definitely do that at the back exhaust position.
I bought these because of 2 things, the unique fan blade design (yeah kinda useless to consider since they'll be spinning most of the time) and it's usage as exhaust fan at the back.
@@abangss its also excellent as an intake fan for well ventalted mesh cases. This pretty mush has similar airflow as a12x25 but it can do it at a much lower rpm which is perfect to create low noise PC
I only have my PSU and a 120mm fan slot as exhaust, so I use one of these so my PSU can run a bit cooler. I even cut out the fan-grill cutouts in the case and replaced them with those made from wire, to increase airflow.
People need to keep in mind, the S12 is very good in it's intended application, which is pretty much as a high flow fan on the upper rear of a case, with no fine mesh, filtering etc slowing airflow. If there is any mesh, filtering etc you need a fan with higher static pressures.
That’s why we’re doing a deep dive on this topic. We’ll compare all three standard nf- Fans in ever possible use case, including really bad ones. I’m sure there will be a couple of revelations in that video
The popular trend of using front meshes in cases usually means the airflow is NOT obstructed. And the standard nylon filters most manufacturers use are actually on the non-impeding side, almost to the point of having too big openings for proper filtering. Also those mesh front airflow optimized cases is THE use case for the Noctua's S line as front case fans not covered with solid front panel are the main sources of noice that actually gets through to you.
well i don't know if they're forgotten but i've used a few of them for a custom AVR cabinet cooling. they're completely inaudible and push tons of air.
I finished buying a Lian Li PC 011D XL Rog Box to cool, where a Ryzen 7950X3D and an RTX4080 OC go among other components; 7x Noctua S12 and 6x Noctua A12 both Chromax Black Swap. 3 of the S12 to put them down, 3 more on the right side, and 1 in the back of the box extracting air. And the 6 A12 are to put them in an AIO EKWB Nucleus CR360 Dark in Push/Pull. Without having tried them, I already know that I have made a good choice, because I always look for the best, what do you think? Thank you very much for the video and greetings. PS.: I am from Valencia (Spain) and it is very hot and humid here, we usually have high temperatures like right now, which are 36º C and rising...
I'm considering replacing the front 200mm fans on my Lancool 215 (one of them is dying) with 3 of these NF-S12As. I think they'll do really well as I'll basically just keep them at 100% most of the time, the low noise will be nice. I just got a 6800 XT and that thing BREATHES.
@@STSYT Tried that very thing. The frame of the A20s block the holes that the front panel of the Lancool 215 attaches to. Was very disappointed when I discovered that. The A20's are awesome. Edit: Especially disappointing considering the Lian Li manual lists 2 x 200mm compatibility without any other stipulations. In order to work they have to be almost completely frameless (kind of like the NF-A15 but 200mm).
Going into the video I remember a Reddit post comparing the Noctua fans where F12 was the "budget" one, A12 the best performance one and S12 the useless, never buy it one. Well, guess Reddit was wrong, and I'm surprised how well the fan does its job of just pushing air quietly as a case fan. Noctua S12 is a little underrated.
@Claudiu Lucian It’s a pretty complicated topic overall, especially when you start mixing fans on different positions and with different jobs. I know there are Fan reviews of other brands that found that fans comparable to an S12A are the best option for exhaust fans when having a a12x25 as intake,… We have a deeper analysis video in production where we will try to mix-match the 3 noctua fans and find out which is the best for what job in what situation. @ThunderingRoar I get your opinion on this. I never tried a Scythe Kaze myself until now, but there are plenty cheaper fans ranked higher on my benchmark charts. Though I would wait for that other video, because fans like an S12A may end up being a better fit depending on the rest of the build.
@@ThunderingRoarHow’s that motor noise though? Lol. A lot of the cheaper fans either have motor noise or resonance issues with the blades at a certain RPM.
cmon even a kid know about this, anyone has logic???, this fans are made for no mesh and nothing obstructing it , this fans are made for no filterter, no panels, no aio, this fans work in all potencial with noting obstructing it....
The S12A is not so good. It has a good airflow, it makes a lot of noise with the slightest obstruction when used as intake. For the price the Arctic P12 and P14 value pack obliterate it. Use it as case exhaust or 3D print a shroud to space the blades from obstructions.
I too am finding that the S12A still makes more noise than the a12x25 for the same airflow if any obstruction like a even a rear case exhaust grille is there at all. Or at least when I'm pushing into audible sound levels, but I'm not sure who does the best job for in-audble sound levels. But was actually considering 3D-printing a shroud like you mentioned, that takes the S12A a cm or two from the rear grille when I upgrade to the U12A air cooler. It should significantly decrease noise and impedance by giving it some distance to the grille, as well as a larger exhaust area, but if it will make it a better fan than an a12x25 is hard to say. I have a feeling that it might not really, or maybe it will for the in-audible sound levels I use my case-fans for 🤔 Not that it matters, case fans are hardly the bottle-neck in modern, good airflow cases anyways, even if they're set to silent operation.
Apple stuff is also made largely in China. You can get the full range of quality from China from the cheap trash to highest quality. It's all about the quality control and the right producers. That's why he was talking about "cheap" Chinese fans and not about "Chinese fans" in general. Also, it is not just about where it is produced but also how it is designed.
Not a fan of these. I have one as rear exhaust behind air cpu cooler and at 1100rpm its louder than my cpus 1400rpm 140mm fan. Btw these tests at max rpm are pointless who would use a fan at 1800rpm+, pc would sound like jet starting :D
I always thought these were more fitting as exhaust fans and not intakes, especially with thick mesh filters obstructing them.
The popular trend of using front meshes in cases usually means the airflow is NOT obstructed.
@@Tome4kkkk A mesh still creates a lot of obstruction compared to pure open air. That's why many silent PC enthusiasts cut away any mesh from fan mounts. Ofc you can't typically do that at the front of the case as then all debris will get in too easily. But you can definitely do that at the back exhaust position.
Error in your description, NF-F12 is purely static pressure focused, not air flow. Thanks for the great video!
Oups, thanks for letting me know!
I always thought of these as exhaust fans (rear or top).
Thank you! I ended up just going with the NF-A12x25. Your advice plus having the option to use the fan in the future on a radiator is what sold me.
Would be a perfect rear exhaust fan in a 140mm version.
I bought these because of 2 things, the unique fan blade design (yeah kinda useless to consider since they'll be spinning most of the time) and it's usage as exhaust fan at the back.
Hi, i'm stil not understand about this fan, is this only use for exhaust for put on rear case?
@@abangss yes pretty much
@@obeliskt1024 Thankyou
@@abangss its also excellent as an intake fan for well ventalted mesh cases. This pretty mush has similar airflow as a12x25 but it can do it at a much lower rpm which is perfect to create low noise PC
I only have my PSU and a 120mm fan slot as exhaust, so I use one of these so my PSU can run a bit cooler. I even cut out the fan-grill cutouts in the case and replaced them with those made from wire, to increase airflow.
People need to keep in mind, the S12 is very good in it's intended application, which is pretty much as a high flow fan on the upper rear of a case, with no fine mesh, filtering etc slowing airflow. If there is any mesh, filtering etc you need a fan with higher static pressures.
That’s why we’re doing a deep dive on this topic. We’ll compare all three standard nf- Fans in ever possible use case, including really bad ones.
I’m sure there will be a couple of revelations in that video
No, this fan is not good. It Is noisy af and doesn’t push a lot of air when it isn’t noisy. I sold my ones because they suck.
@Stein Mauer You are describing the "top rear" of a case. The "upper rear" is the rear, facing out the back of the case.top
The popular trend of using front meshes in cases usually means the airflow is NOT obstructed. And the standard nylon filters most manufacturers use are actually on the non-impeding side, almost to the point of having too big openings for proper filtering. Also those mesh front airflow optimized cases is THE use case for the Noctua's S line as front case fans not covered with solid front panel are the main sources of noice that actually gets through to you.
well i don't know if they're forgotten but i've used a few of them for a custom AVR cabinet cooling. they're completely inaudible and push tons of air.
I finished buying a Lian Li PC 011D XL Rog Box to cool, where a Ryzen 7950X3D and an RTX4080 OC go among other components; 7x Noctua S12 and 6x Noctua A12 both Chromax Black Swap. 3 of the S12 to put them down, 3 more on the right side, and 1 in the back of the box extracting air. And the 6 A12 are to put them in an AIO EKWB Nucleus CR360 Dark in Push/Pull.
Without having tried them, I already know that I have made a good choice, because I always look for the best, what do you think?
Thank you very much for the video and greetings.
PS.: I am from Valencia (Spain) and it is very hot and humid here, we usually have high temperatures like right now, which are 36º C and rising...
So If I use this as a Intake and exhaust fans, should I be good?
I will put these to replace the stock fans in my new NZXT H6 FLOW case with a AMD Ryzen 5 5600X for mainly browsing and home office work. In silence.
Too bad they don't come in a 140mm option.
I'm considering replacing the front 200mm fans on my Lancool 215 (one of them is dying) with 3 of these NF-S12As. I think they'll do really well as I'll basically just keep them at 100% most of the time, the low noise will be nice. I just got a 6800 XT and that thing BREATHES.
Why not go with Noctua NF-A20 PWM chromax.black.swap? This one should fit and push more air
@@STSYT Tried that very thing. The frame of the A20s block the holes that the front panel of the Lancool 215 attaches to. Was very disappointed when I discovered that. The A20's are awesome.
Edit: Especially disappointing considering the Lian Li manual lists 2 x 200mm compatibility without any other stipulations. In order to work they have to be almost completely frameless (kind of like the NF-A15 but 200mm).
@@zen_lemming My Coolermaster H500 also lists it to have 200mm fan compatibility, but it too doesn't support the A20's :(
Going into the video I remember a Reddit post comparing the Noctua fans where F12 was the "budget" one, A12 the best performance one and S12 the useless, never buy it one. Well, guess Reddit was wrong, and I'm surprised how well the fan does its job of just pushing air quietly as a case fan. Noctua S12 is a little underrated.
they re still shit considering they cost 20€ per fan and something like Scythe kaze flex costs 8€ and performs better
@Claudiu Lucian
It’s a pretty complicated topic overall, especially when you start mixing fans on different positions and with different jobs.
I know there are Fan reviews of other brands that found that fans comparable to an S12A are the best option for exhaust fans when having a a12x25 as intake,…
We have a deeper analysis video in production where we will try to mix-match the 3 noctua fans and find out which is the best for what job in what situation.
@ThunderingRoar
I get your opinion on this. I never tried a Scythe Kaze myself until now, but there are plenty cheaper fans ranked higher on my benchmark charts. Though I would wait for that other video, because fans like an S12A may end up being a better fit depending on the rest of the build.
@@ThunderingRoarHow’s that motor noise though? Lol. A lot of the cheaper fans either have motor noise or resonance issues with the blades at a certain RPM.
Monster !
what is pvm exactly?
He mispronounced it. It's PWM (Pulse-width modulation).
Interesting
For sure
🤔🤔🤔☕️☕️☕️
cmon even a kid know about this, anyone has logic???, this fans are made for no mesh and nothing obstructing it , this fans are made for no filterter, no panels, no aio, this fans work in all potencial with noting obstructing it....
The S12A is not so good. It has a good airflow, it makes a lot of noise with the slightest obstruction when used as intake. For the price the Arctic P12 and P14 value pack obliterate it. Use it as case exhaust or 3D print a shroud to space the blades from obstructions.
Yeah and those Arctics suffer from resonance issues. I have a P12 that I’m about to decommission because of the noise.
I too am finding that the S12A still makes more noise than the a12x25 for the same airflow if any obstruction like a even a rear case exhaust grille is there at all. Or at least when I'm pushing into audible sound levels, but I'm not sure who does the best job for in-audble sound levels. But was actually considering 3D-printing a shroud like you mentioned, that takes the S12A a cm or two from the rear grille when I upgrade to the U12A air cooler. It should significantly decrease noise and impedance by giving it some distance to the grille, as well as a larger exhaust area, but if it will make it a better fan than an a12x25 is hard to say. I have a feeling that it might not really, or maybe it will for the in-audible sound levels I use my case-fans for 🤔 Not that it matters, case fans are hardly the bottle-neck in modern, good airflow cases anyways, even if they're set to silent operation.
Lionel Messi :)
Well Noctua fans are also made in China
Apple stuff is also made largely in China. You can get the full range of quality from China from the cheap trash to highest quality. It's all about the quality control and the right producers.
That's why he was talking about "cheap" Chinese fans and not about "Chinese fans" in general.
Also, it is not just about where it is produced but also how it is designed.
Not a fan of these. I have one as rear exhaust behind air cpu cooler and at 1100rpm its louder than my cpus 1400rpm 140mm fan. Btw these tests at max rpm are pointless who would use a fan at 1800rpm+, pc would sound like jet starting :D