Last week saw the launch of Noctua’s NF-S12B, we take a look at this fan and see what changes have been made.
Noctua has been producing cooling solutions for over 4 years now and whilst in the early years they weren’t very well known, in the last 2 years they have grown to be a big name in the field of cooling. I would go as far as saying they are at the very pinnacle of the cooling giants out on the market.
Other companies such as Asus, OCZ, and Thermalright have all been in the business for a vast amount of years, Noctua have risen through the ranks so rapidly because of their determination, expertise and customer support. Taken from their website the below extract characterises Noctua very well.
“Scientific know-how pooling and state-of-the-art simulation environments allow for advanced, highly optimised products that set new benchmarks for performance to noise efficiency. Over the years, Noctua has put itself on the forefront of quiet cooling innovations with its unique, psycho-acoustically optimised impeller designs as well as new bearing and drive technologies such as the SSO-Bearing (Self-Stabilising Oil Pressure Bearing) or the Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) system. Thanks to advanced aerodynamic design measures like Vortex-Control Notches and Bevelled Blade Tips, Noctua’s products are renowned for pushing the envelope in axial fan technology.”
It falls into our hands today to review the new successor to the much loved S12 case fan – the NF-S12B. I will be analysing the S12B today and evaluating whether this new arrival is an improvement over its predecessor and how it compares against some other favourites on the market.
Specifications (taken from Noctua)
Over the page we will take a closer look at the S12B fan.
Closer Look
The Noctua S12B is presented in similar fashion to the previous Noctua fans. The box lists the key features of the S12B along with giving a sneak preview of the case through a clear window section. At this stage we know that the new case follows on from previous editions, using the same trademark branding of beige and maroon. Reversing the box we find some further details on the features the S12B takes advantage of. In the top left hand corner there is a small label marked “open”. Opening this panel reveals two-pages of in depth information regarding the technologies and methods used in the implementation of this fan. All of the information on the packaging is informative and presented in an eye-catching manner.Opening the box, we find a the S12B is encased in a plastic container along with the other accessories –
~ Anti-vibration plugs
~ Molex adaptor
~ 4x self-tapping screws
~ Low noise adaptor (900RPM)
~ Ultra low noise adaptor (600RPM)
Removing the S12B from the case we can finally take a look at it in some more depth. The S12B as already mentioned follows on with the synonymous branding on previous fans like the S12 and the P12. The S12B differs most notably in that there are now bevelled fins, this encourages up to 10% increased airflow and pressure to noise ratio. To read more on the S12B blade design please follow this link.
Note how the blades on this fan differ significantly from the Noctua NF-P12 fan. (click to see images) This is because the P12 is predominently used for CPU coolers rather than as a case fan. The fins are closer together and have a different style of bevel. The S12B follows on as a forerunner for the case fan market, allowing for better airflow within the case due to the wider gaps between the fins.
Testing
We have seen the difference between the original S12 and the S12B, but how does this difference compare in performance? Does it really give us any gains? Well to discover this we need to get the S12B installed and working. For the testing stage of this review I will be putting the S12B up against – Noctua S12, Antec TriCool and Yate Loon.For the test, I will be putting all four fans through identical processes. Each fan will only be installed as a case fan and not a CPU fan (the S12B is predominantly a case fan). All fans will be running at 1200RPM. Although the fans will not be installed on a CPU heatsink, the CPU temperature will be recorded.
Test 1 (CPU temperature)
Report idle temperatures
Report load temperatures
Test 2 (Motherboard temperature)
Report idle temperatures
Report load temperatures
Test Setup
Processor: Intel 920 i7 @ 3.8GHz
Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe X48
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C12P
Graphics: XFX 7900GT 256MB PCI-e
Audio: Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic
Hard Disk: 1xSamsung Spinpoint 500GB SATAII 1xWD 160GB SATAII
PSU: Antec Signature Series 650W PSU
Case: Antec P183
Idle temperatures will be reported after 10 minutes of a cold boot. Whilst load temperatures will be reported after 20 minutes of running an OCCT stress test.
Results
Motherboard Temperatures
CPU Temperatures
The results speak for themselves, the S12B clearly shows some improvements over the original S12 fan. This bevel obviously supports this progression. I was surprised to see that the temperatures on the CPU side also dropped lower, I didn’t expect this. The S12B has some great air pressure performance and this shows in these results as the fan draws even more heat off the CPU heatsink also.
Conclusion
I recently reviewed the Noctua SE1366 NH-U12P cooler and I was blown away with the performance and innovation behind this product, I also mentioned in this review how Noctua seem to go from strength to strength in each new product release, well they have done it again.The NF-S12B is a fantastic case fan, it offers great performance out of the box lowering the overall motherboard temperature as well as the CPU temperatures too. Noctua have created quite a liking amongst system builders and enthusiasts because of their quality fans, this new release will I am quite sure cause even more exposure.
Whilst the S12B does perform by giving us those reduced temperatures, it also delivers on the audible side of things too. The S12B is whisper quiet with the adaptor kits and even at the full speed of 1200RPM it isn’t much bother and will not disturb most.
When it comes to pricing, the Noctua NF-S12B comes in at around €19.90 which translates to around £16. Bare in mind this is the MSRP. Weighing up the results you get, the sound reduction features and 6 years warranty, this package is very attractive.
I award the Noctua NF-S12B the GOLD Award.
We would like to thank Noctua for supplying us with the NF-S12B. Discuss this review in the Vortez Hardware Forum.
