Noctua A8 & Redux R8 Performance Test

[Dredgy]

 

As usual, video best viewed in 1440P on a 21:9 display

 

So I was in need of a new 80mm fan for my office PC, since it's very hot and the case fan included with CoolerMaster 120 is too loud for my tastes. So Noctua time.

 

I tried the A8 and the R8 Redux. The A8 is everything you expect from a Noctua fan, so I focused more on the cheaper Redux. Due to the way the case is laid out, the case fan should have directly influenced CPU and Motherboard temperatures. Results are in the video, I'll focus on the fan itself here, as compared to the A8:

 

Pros

• Cheap. Half the price of the full fledged Noctua A8 (in Australia, the R8 Costs $15, the A8 costs $30)
• Quiet. It's a Noctua fan, so this was always a given. But it's pretty damn close to the A8, which makes it nearly silent.
• Well built. Typical Noctua build quality.
• Well packaged
• Good performance. Very, very close to the A8 in my tests.
• Discrete appearance (I prefer the Beige and Brown, but I know not everyone does)
• Long cable. Thoughtful since most Noctua fans include a short cable (and bundle an extension cable, which this one does not include)

Cons

• Lack of accessories. Particularly annoying lack of rubber mounts, though the extension cables and y splitters included with the A8 are just so useful to have.
• Unboxing and packaging experience not as good as a typical Noctua
• Lack of airflow optimizations such as stepped inlets, "tear drops" and anti-stall knobs.

 

Conclusion

The Redux are good, simple fans for someone who just wants a quiet, well performing fan. The R8 held its own surprisingly well against the A8 in both noise and performance. Though I'm a sucker for the Noctua packaging and included accessories so I will generally stick to the higher priced fans. That said, at half the price, you're getting alot of the performance of the full fan, so if you just need a fan they are a very compelling buy.