Noctua NF-S12B FLX
Posted by
TAKTAK on
2 August 2009, 6:07 pm
Today we are taking a look at the NF-S12B FLX fan, which in Noctua’s own words is not a direct competitor to the NF-P12’s We would like to take this time to thank Noctua for providing the review samples. So without any further ado let us bring you the low-down of this product.
The NF-S12B is the successor to the popular NF-S12, the main changes being a more advanced blade structure and motor assembly, this has the knock on effect of lowering the noise of the fan overall. However, unlike the NF-P12 the NF-S12B is more geared towards a low impedance application, for example as case airflow (exhaust or input) or a CPU cooler with a low amount of fins per inch. Noctua demonstrate this tiered approach with a diagram as follows:
Two tier approach
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This diagram shows how the NF-P12 is geared towards higher impedance applications, such as a radiator with tight fin spacings whereas the NF-S12B attacks the silence and airflow quadrants, Noctua seem to place a lot of bearing on the quietness of the NF-S12B.
You may remember from the P12 review that we said it was the quietest 120mm fan that we had come across, well, the S12B has changed that, we didn’t see it coming and didn’t think it was possible, but the S12B is quieter than the P12. Obviously Noctua must have achieved this through use of magic and have managed to fit lots of pixies inside the fan, there is no other way of describing how they have managed it. We described the P12 as a silent fan, so with this in mind, the S12B must be sub-silent as it manages to be quieter. However do not our word for it, here are some audio snippets of the fans:
In order to maintain a fair test the microphone was placed on top of each fan in exactly the same position. Furthermore, in order to be able to hear the two Noctua’s the gain of the files had to be increased, therefore in the interests of fairness each file had the gain increased by 36dB. Obviously the audible level of the fans that you hear depends upon your system setup but they are accurate relative to each other. You may need to increase your volume to be able to hear the files.
Packaging
While describing the noise (or lack of) from the fans, we have got ahead of ourselves, so here is the packaging of the NF-S12B FLX:
Front
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Back
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As you can see, Noctua have stuck to their guns and used their typical package colours with a brown and black gradient, key information is highlighted by the use of a blue background and the version is further highlighted through the use of a green surround.
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As with the NF-P12 packaging, the S12B FLX also has a flap that explains the various technologies that are behind the fan:
Left flap
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Right flap |
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Here is a breakdown of the different technologies in order for you to get a better understanding of how the different aspects function:
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Airflow/Noise
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Pressure/Noise
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NF-S12B FLX vs NF-S12
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Noctua SSO-Bearing
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Bearing comparison
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(Images courtesy of HERE)
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As you can see by the comparisons to its predecessor, the NF-S12B FLX strides into the future with furor, leaving competitors and indeed it’s own kind by the wayside. Can anyone topple Noctua?
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Surely there is a limit to how much diversification and refinement that can take place within a fan, and surely Noctua will soon reach that limit…
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Features
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Specifications
Specification
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As you can see by the features and the specification, the S12-B FLX is a well equipped kit, boasting 59.2CFM @ 1200RPM whilst keeping a sombre 18.1dB. Things get even more interesting when the fan is used in conjunction with the L.N.A and the U.L.N.A. When using the L.N.A adapter, the fan provides 44.6CFM @ 10.6dB, and we think that 10.6dB is low enough for anyone. However, you can go a step further. If used with the U.L.N.A adapter, the fan provides a sultry 28.9CFM, but at a noise level of 6.2dB. That is not a typo, they really are boasting a noise level of just over 6 decibels.
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To be honest though, we can’t really see an application for the U.L.N.A in this instance, as while it drastically drops the air movement, it only makes a small dent in the volume. We would have thought that practically all users would be more than happy with a fan running at 10.6dB, and you would be hard pressed to find an environment where that was audible. However, we do applaud Noctua for giving users the option of using it.
Inner packaging
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The inner packaging is exactly the same as that of the NF-P12. This is good because the P12 provided a huge amount of options
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Included in the kit are:
- 4-Silicon Mounts
- 4-Screws
- 1-U.N.L.A.
- 1-L.N.A.
- 1-3pin to Molex Adapter
- 1-Noctua NF-S128FLX Fan
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Accessories
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Rubber fan mounts
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We covered the noise adapters in the P12 review which can be seen HERE, so we will move on to the fan itself.
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Front
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Back
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As with the P12, the S12B provides a generous cable length which is kept tidy by the use of rubber tubing and heat-shrink at the ends, it is a small feature, but it vastly improves the aesthetics overall.
Bevelled blades
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Here you can see one of the major selling points of the fan, the blade tips which help to lower the acoustical noise.
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Testing
The test setup used is as follows:
-AMD Athlon 6400+ black edition
-ASUS ROG Crosshair
-OCZ Reaper 2x2GB
-EVGA GTX260 SSC
-Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme
Test rig
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The results were obtained by using Orthos to stress the CPU and by using speenfan for temperature readouts! The CPU was left to cooldown to idle temperatures again for 1 hour for each result. To obtain the load temperatures the CPU was stressed for 15 minutes, in order to ensure that results are as accurate as possible.
Results
Temperatue comparison
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LNA Results
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ULNA Results
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LNA + ULNA Results
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Results conclusion
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We find the results quite surprising, as the S12B FLX is intended for low impedance situations such as for case airflow, but the S12B FLX still managed to outshine the NF-P12 by a few degrees on most of the tests. Out-shining the P12 is a tough task to undertake for any fan, but for a fan that is intended for a different situation to be able to do it is amazing. However, if you are looking for a fan to use on a radiator then the NF-P12 is the fan for you, a radiator tends to have much tighter fin spacings compared to standard CPU tower coolers meaning that the additional static pressure that the P12 provides brings it into it’s element.
The results show that the NFS12B FLX is a very wise investment for a fan, even quieter than the NF-P12 while performing better in low impedance situations makes it a no-brainer.
Conlusion
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As shown by the results, the NF-S12B FLX is a wonderful piece of engineering and technological advancement! However one thing that has become apparent in the use of the fan, is that there is now less need for the P12. With the S12B FLX performing better in low impedance situations of which most of the market will be using. The P12 is then pushed further into the corner as an ‘extreme product’ for use by those that use radiators with tight fin spacings, which in terms of market share is a very small percentage.
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The NF-S12B FLX is a hard cookie to crack. At first it just seems strange that Noctua have made a fan quieter than the NF-P12, but then you find out that it performs better, one thing that we think would be interesting, is what would happen if you combined the 9 blades and vortex control notches of the NF-P12 with the bevelled blades of the S12B FLX, does it make a super fan or have disasterous consequences?
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| Pros |
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- Package quality, contains many extras
- Good airflow
- Good performance
- Silent operation
- 6 year warranty
- Colour*
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- Expensive compared to alternatives
- Colour*
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*Dependant on personal tastes.
Here at Gilgamesh Reviews we have a three tier rating system. A Silver Award, an Editors Choice Award, and our top honor the Gold Award. To achieve the Gold Award a product must demonstrate a performance level above and beyond the normal, the Noctua NF-S12B FLX does exactly that.
Once again we wish to thank Noctua for providing the review samples
Noctua has fast become one of our recommended brands, not through bribery or friendship, but with sheer performance advancing products such as the NF-P12 fans
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