Question about Noctua NF-A14 PWM vs NF-A14 FLX, and NF-S12A

[tkensei]

Hi there, I'm planning to purchase a few Noctua case fans for the following new system build :

 

Intel Core i5-6600K
ASRock Z170 Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel Z170 Motherboard
Thermaltake Core V31 Window ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA 750 GQ 80 Plus Gold 750W Power Supply

 

According to my motherboard board specs below, it has 3 fan connectors, 2 for 4-pin, and 1 for 3-pin.  Does this mean I should purchase 2 of the PWM, and 1 of the FLX?  

- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (2 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)*

 

*CPU_FAN1 and CHA_FAN1 can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin fan is in use.
The CPU Fan Connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 1A (12W) fan power.

 

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170 Pro4S/index.us.asp?cat=Specifications

 

 

And if I need to add more fans would I use the included splitters and add more corresponding PWM or FLX fans?  (ie. another FLX fan if I want to use the same connector as the current FLX fan)

 

Also is the NF-S12A newer and better? (they also come in PWM and FLX versions).  How about the NF-P12?  I am very confused. 

 

 

 

[Skiiwee29]

17 minutes ago, tkensei said:

Hi there, I'm planning to purchase a few Noctua case fans for the following new system build :

 

Intel Core i5-6600K
ASRock Z170 Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel Z170 Motherboard
Thermaltake Core V31 Window ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA 750 GQ 80 Plus Gold 750W Power Supply

 

According to my motherboard board specs below, it has 3 fan connectors, 2 for 4-pin, and 1 for 3-pin.  Does this mean I should purchase 2 of the PWM, and 1 of the FLX?  

- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (2 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)*

 

*CPU_FAN1 and CHA_FAN1 can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin fan is in use.
The CPU Fan Connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 1A (12W) fan power.

 

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170 Pro4S/index.us.asp?cat=Specifications

 

 

And if I need to add more fans would I use the included splitters and add more corresponding PWM or FLX fans?  (ie. another FLX fan if I want to use the same connector as the current FLX fan)

 

Also is the NF-S12A newer and better? (they also come in PWM and FLX versions).  How about the NF-P12?  I am very confused. 

 

 

 

Might be easier if you just purchased a fan controller like the NZXT Fan Sentry 3 for like $35 would take all the guessing game out then you can get all the same fans throughout the system. 

[tkensei]

Oh, I see.  So this case does not come with fan controller?  If the case has a fan controller, then it doesn't matter which of the PWM or FLX I buy?  (it would support both of them I guess?).   We would like to try without the fan controller first as he might not want to purchase them (this one is for my boyfriend, he doesn't know anything about building computers).  If this is the case, which fans should I buy?  (for now we need 3 x 140mm, 1 x 120mm)

[WoodenMarker]

8 hours ago, legacy99 said:

Might be easier if you just purchased a fan controller like the NZXT Fan Sentry 3 for like $35 would take all the guessing game out then you can get all the same fans throughout the system. 

The Sentry doesn't allow for fan control as granular as most modern motherboards with pwm.

7 hours ago, tkensei said:

Oh, I see.  So this case does not come with fan controller?  If the case has a fan controller, then it doesn't matter which of the PWM or FLX I buy?  (it would support both of them I guess?).   We would like to try without the fan controller first as he might not want to purchase them (this one is for my boyfriend, he doesn't know anything about building computers).  If this is the case, which fans should I buy?  (for now we need 3 x 140mm, 1 x 120mm)

PWM and FLX denote how the fan is powered. FLX uses DC which runs the fan at 100% rpm at 12v and lowers the fan speed by lowering the voltage. PWM pulses 12v and controls the rpm by pulsing 12v at different rates. Due fans requiring a certain amount of power before starting up, pwm generally allows for more granular control and and reach lower rpms. 

Using a splitter for pwm off of the cpu_fan header would be optimal for the most reliable pwm signal and is what I would recommend.

 

The NF-A is an update to the NF-P as a balanced general-use fan with a decent amount of static pressure.

The NF-S is optimized for unobstructed airflow. 

The NF-S12A is newer than the NF-P12 but is not necessarily better.

[tkensei]

Thanks everybody.  I have decided to go with the NF-A14, but still not sure whether to get the PWM or FLX.  Maybe one of each to see how they work?  I've been able to convince my boyfriend to get the Fractal Design Define R5 which is quieter and has a built in fan speed controller, so I guess I no longer have to buy the fan controller separately.  

 

If I use the fan speed controller, does this mean I plug all the fans into the case rather than attach to the motherboard?  Preferably I would like to attach them all to the motherboard for speed monitoring.  But I guess maybe my boyfriend would find it easier to just use the fan controller.

[Bcat00]

14 hours ago, tkensei said:

Hi there, I'm planning to purchase a few Noctua case fans for the following new system build :

 

Intel Core i5-6600K
ASRock Z170 Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel Z170 Motherboard
Thermaltake Core V31 Window ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA 750 GQ 80 Plus Gold 750W Power Supply

 

According to my motherboard board specs below, it has 3 fan connectors, 2 for 4-pin, and 1 for 3-pin.  Does this mean I should purchase 2 of the PWM, and 1 of the FLX?  

- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (2 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)*

 

*CPU_FAN1 and CHA_FAN1 can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin fan is in use.
The CPU Fan Connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 1A (12W) fan power.

 

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170 Pro4S/index.us.asp?cat=Specifications

 

 

And if I need to add more fans would I use the included splitters and add more corresponding PWM or FLX fans?  (ie. another FLX fan if I want to use the same connector as the current FLX fan)

 

Also is the NF-S12A newer and better? (they also come in PWM and FLX versions).  How about the NF-P12?  I am very confused. 

 

 

 

The easiest way for you is to get a 6 way fan splitter. No hassle whatsoever. Just plug all the fans into one header and controll them all in 1 fan curve.

 

above all, its cheaper then everything else and certain to work!!

[tkensei]

Thanks, which is the best 6 way fan splitter?  

[SteveGrabowski0]

I don't get blowing $20-$25 per Noctua fan and then cheaping out on CPU with an i5 over an i7. It's true i5 is better price to performance, but spending on an i7 will do a lot more for your system's performance than a bunch of overpriced fans. Price to performance goes out the door once you start buying Noctua fans.

[tkensei]

I know sometimes I spend a bit much trying to make my systems silent.  But due to my sensitive hearing I feel it's worth it to pay a little more for silence over performance.  Besides I can always upgrade my processor later as prices fall, while the cost of Noctua fans probably won't drop as quickly.

[WoodenMarker]

7 hours ago, tkensei said:

Thanks everybody.  I have decided to go with the NF-A14, but still not sure whether to get the PWM or FLX.  Maybe one of each to see how they work?  I've been able to convince my boyfriend to get the Fractal Design Define R5 which is quieter and has a built in fan speed controller, so I guess I no longer have to buy the fan controller separately.  

If I use the fan speed controller, does this mean I plug all the fans into the case rather than attach to the motherboard?  Preferably I would like to attach them all to the motherboard for speed monitoring.  But I guess maybe my boyfriend would find it easier to just use the fan controller.

The NF-A14 is an excellent fan and 3 of them fit in the front of a Define S or R5 more easily than a NF-A15 but is slightly louder.If you're just going with 2 fans in the front, NF-A15's would be better.

 

The Define R5 provides a 3-speed fan controller that provides 12v, 7v, or 5v to fans connected to it. Because it uses DC, you should go with FLX if you decide to go that route. Keep in mind it doesn't allow fans to reach as low of an rpm as pwm or dc from the motherboard. (~37% with the built in Define R4 fan controller vs. ~20% with dc off of the motherboard vs. ~7% with pwm)

 

You need to quote a post or tag a member or else they won't get a notification you replied to them.

[tkensei]

6 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

The NF-A14 is an excellent fan and 3 of them fit in the front of a Define S or R5 more easily than a NF-A15 but is slightly louder.If you're just going with 2 fans in the front, NF-A15's would be better.

 

The Define R5 provides a 3-speed fan controller that provides 12v, 7v, or 5v to fans connected to it. Because it uses DC, you should go with FLX if you decide to go that route. Keep in mind it doesn't allow fans to reach as low of an rpm as pwm or dc from the motherboard. (~37% with the built in Define R4 fan controller vs. ~20% with dc off of the motherboard vs. ~7% with pwm)

 

You need to quote a post or tag a member or else they won't get a notification you replied to them.

 

Oh no ... I already ordered the NF-A15 PWM and 2 of the NF-A14 PWM from Amazon Canada ....

 

The NF-A15 PWM I see is better for the NH-D15S cpu cooler (matches the other one that is already on there).  I thought I was going to use the NF-A14 PWM as my case fans since I guess they are more popular.  If I decide to keep the NF-A14 PWM as my case fans, I would plug directly into the motherboard and not be able to use the case fan controller right?  This way I get the fan speed readings/warnings on the motherboard which I otherwise wouldn't with the fan controller, correct?  I think I am finally getting this now.  :-)  I just want to set it at a certain speed and forget about it (set at best performance/noise ratio).

 

PS.  Thanks for letting me know about quoting posts to get a notification! 

 

[WoodenMarker]

6 hours ago, tkensei said:

Oh no ... I already ordered the NF-A15 PWM and 2 of the NF-A14 PWM from Amazon Canada ....

 

The NF-A15 PWM I see is better for the NH-D15S cpu cooler (matches the other one that is already on there).  I thought I was going to use the NF-A14 PWM as my case fans since I guess they are more popular.  If I decide to keep the NF-A14 PWM as my case fans, I would plug directly into the motherboard and not be able to use the case fan controller right?  This way I get the fan speed readings/warnings on the motherboard which I otherwise wouldn't with the fan controller, correct?  I think I am finally getting this now.  :-)  I just want to set it at a certain speed and forget about it (set at best performance/noise ratio).

You can still use them with your case fan controller if you can get past the plastic casing that only fits 3pins. It's not too much trouble to cut. That being said, controlling them with pwm would be better in the first place.

There isn't a need to read fan speeds since the case fans only allow 3 speeds of 12v, 7v, and 5v which end up being 100%, ~60%, and ~40%.

Unless your system is always at load, having a fan curve that isn't static would allow for quieter operation most of the time as opposed to having them run fast enough for the system at load at all times.

[tkensei]

4 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

You can still use them with your case fan controller if you can get past the plastic casing that only fits 3pins. It's not too much trouble to cut. That being said, controlling them with pwm would be better in the first place.

There isn't a need to read fan speeds since the case fans only allow 3 speeds of 12v, 7v, and 5v which end up being 100%, ~60%, and ~40%.

Unless your system is always at load, having a fan curve that isn't static would allow for quieter operation most of the time as opposed to having them run fast enough for the system at load at all times.

 

Oh I actually get distracted/annoyed easily and prefer not to have the fans spin up during load.  Or would that wear out the fans quicker?  Do you mean if I attach to the fan controller I have to manually turn it up when I play games for example?  And if attached to the motherboard it would stay at a certain speed at all times?  I would like to not have to touch it after installation.  Also because I wouldn't know how much to turn up the fans under load.

 

 

Also I am unable to delete the block below for some reason.  It was a duplicate quote from my last post.

 

16 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

 

[WoodenMarker]

39 minutes ago, tkensei said:

Oh I actually get distracted/annoyed easily and prefer not to have the fans spin up during load.  Or would that wear out the fans quicker?  Do you mean if I attach to the fan controller I have to manually turn it up when I play games for example?  And if attached to the motherboard it would stay at a certain speed at all times?  I would like to not have to touch it after installation.  Also because I wouldn't know how much to turn up the fans under load.

Also I am unable to delete the block below for some reason.  It was a duplicate quote from my last post.

With a fan curve, fans can also spin down or up depending on how you look at it during idle and at load. How fast or slow they go depends on the curve. 

Changing the rpm won't ear out the fans more quickly. 

Whether you need to manually turn up the fan speed with the fans connected to the case fan controller will depend on your target temps and fan speed. Optimally, you would leave the fans at the lowest setting of 5v and not touch the setting. 

With fans controlled from the motherboard with software, you can set a curve to automatically ramp up or down the fan speed according to your temps. 

 

You can delete a quote by clicking on it and pressing the Delete key. 

[tkensei]

hmm ... ok cool, thanks for the info.  This weekend my boyfriend and I are building our computers (already ordered the Fractal R5 for the both of us).  Hopefully we will be able to figure it out together.  I'm so excited I can't wait!!