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What model of Noctua 120mm fans should I be using?

Henru
Go to solution Solved by Shooterdude34,

i have their NF-S12a fans, and i love them. theyre rediculously quiet but move a decent amount of air. The nf-a12x25 is the best all around from their lineup but can be somewhat pricey at 30-40$ per fan. the s12-a is more often 15-20$ per fan. the nf-s12 b is also a decent option and can be found for $15.

 

If youre not putting the fans in a tiny case or on a radiator/fin stack, youre most looking for a airflow optimised design rather than pressure optimised.

I recently bought this computer used:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cjw9Ls
 

The case is a NZXT s340 Razer edition.

 

It still has its standard case fan, one on the top and one on the back. They are kind of near each other so airflow is mostly in the top back corner. The fans are working but not super well, I can hear some noise and assume it’s time to swap them out just by age. I also want to add  two fans to the front for better airflow through the case. 
 

I really like Noctua’s fans but they have a lot of different options to choose from and I was hoping to choose what is optimal for my build. I plan on sticking with 120mm just so I have max comparability to bring them forward to future builds with me. I like the tan and brown please don’t judge me.


Any advice on a specific fan model noctua makes?

 

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i have their NF-S12a fans, and i love them. theyre rediculously quiet but move a decent amount of air. The nf-a12x25 is the best all around from their lineup but can be somewhat pricey at 30-40$ per fan. the s12-a is more often 15-20$ per fan. the nf-s12 b is also a decent option and can be found for $15.

 

If youre not putting the fans in a tiny case or on a radiator/fin stack, youre most looking for a airflow optimised design rather than pressure optimised.

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BabyBlu (Primary): 

  • CPU: Intel Core i9 9900K @ up to 5.3GHz, 5.0GHz all-core, delidded
  • Motherboard: Asus Maximus XI Hero
  • RAM: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 4x8GB DDR4-3200 @ 4000MHz 16-18-18-34
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Roxanne (Wife Build):

  • CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K @ up to 5.0GHz, 4.8Ghz all-core, relidded w/ LM
  • Motherboard: Asus Z97A
  • RAM: G.Skill Sniper 4x8GB DDR3-2400 @ 10-12-12-24
  • GPU: EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 w/ LM
  • Case: Corsair Vengeance C70, w/ Custom Side-Panel Window
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  • Mouse: Glorious Model O-
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  • OS: Windows 10 Pro

BigBox (HTPC):

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  • Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro AX
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  • Case: Fractal Design Node 202
  • Storage: SP A80 1TB, WD Black SN770 2TB
  • PSU: Corsair SF600 Gold w/ NF-A9x14
  • Display: Samsung QN90A 65" (QLED, 4K, 120Hz, HDR, VRR)
  • Cooling: Thermalright AXP-100 Copper w/ NF-A12x15
  • Keyboard/Mouse: Rii i4
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  • Sound: Denon AVR S760H with 5.1.2 Atmos setup.
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Harmonic (NAS/Game/Plex/Other Server):

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  • RAM: 64GB DDR4-2133
  • GPU: Intel HD Graphics 530
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  • HDD: 3X Seagate Exos X16 14TB in RAID 5
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  • Display: None
  • Cooling: Noctua NH-U14S
  • Keyboard/Mouse: None
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro

NAS:

  • Synology DS216J
  • 2x8TB WD Red NAS HDDs in RAID 1. 8TB usable space
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