Noctua NF-P12 120mm Case Cooling Fan

Jun 25 2009 - While Noctua's NF-P12 fan might be a bit on the expensive side, the design works extremely well for those looking at a low noise fan for situations where their will be restricted airflow. It may not have the highest airflow ratings but it certainly is a great option for those wanting to cool their machine but still leave it very quiet.

Jun 25 2009 - Noctua's NF-P12 120mm fan is designed specifically for low noise applications for cooling off the interior of computer systems. This is the same fan that ships with their NH-U12P horizontal tower heatsink. With its low overall rotational speed, it produces less vibration and thus less overall noise. Additional features such as the SSO bearing, bezeled tips and nice fan blades also help reduce the overall noise. At just 19.8 dBA at its full 1300rpm spin rate, it will likely produce less noise than items such as a CPU cooler or graphics card.

Airflow from the Noctua NF-P12 is quite good but its not as high as some of their other designs. The main advantage that NF-P12 has is the lower overall pressure from the fan design that allows the NF-P12 to be used in more restricted airflow situations. A good example of this using it on a case opening that uses a dust filter. Over time, the dust filter will clog up and reduce the overall airflow that faster fans with fewer blades will have difficultly with.

The fan comes with a wide range of adapters and mounting hardware. Along with standard mounting screws, four silicone rubber mounts are included for use when mounting directly to a metal case. This helps reduce the transmission of vibration from the fan to the case. The included resistors also allow the fan to turn at lower speeds for even less noise. If you motherboard doesn't have and 3-pin fan power connectors, there is a 4-pin molex power adapter as well.

All of these features allow it to provide a good level of cooling while producing very little noise. The downside is that the Noctua NF-P12 is among one of the most expensive 120mm cooling fans available.