Noctua NF-S12B ULN Fan

(4.0 star rating) Written by: William Ford

Today we're going to take a look at two Noctua case fans that look identical but are designed slightly different for different computer operating requirements. The first fan we want to test is the Noctua NF-S12B ULN. This fan runs at two different speeds; 700 RPM or 500 RPM. The main feature of this particular fan is that it is designed to run as quietly as absolutely possible and still cool your computer components effectively. The second fan we'll look on the next page is the Noctua NF-S12B FLX, which runs at three speed modes of 1200 RPM, 900 RPM and 600 RPM for flexible cooling needs.

Design

This fan fits 120mm fan mounts and comes with four screws but also optional rubber grommets to use instead of screws for ultimate silent running. The fan frame is beige and the blades are brown and the power cables are plenty long enough to reach the power jumpers on just about any motherboard. The fan sports Noctua's well proven SSO-Bearing for supreme quiet operation and stability. The blade tips are also beveled with extended leading edges for 10% more airflow than previous models. This fan also sports Noctua's SCD2 technology (Smooth Commutation Drive 2) that eliminates torque variations and switching noises.

Specifications

• RPM: 700 / 500
• Airflow: 59.6 m³/h / 38.2 m³/h
• Acoustical noise: 6.8 dB(A) / 5 dB(A)
• Input Power: 0.6 W
• Operating Voltage: 0.05 A
• MTBF: > 150,000 h

Features

• Highly optimised impeller with Bevelled Blade Tips
• 2 speed settings for maximum quietness
• Smooth Commutation Drive 2
• SSO-Bearing

Box Contents

• 1 - NF-S12B ULN 120mm Fan
• 1 - Molex power adapter
• 1 - ULN adapter
• 4 - Rubber mounting grommets
• 4 - Mounting screws

Installation

Installing the fan is a breeze. You find a place in your computer case to mount a 120mm fan and then either screw the fan into place using the four mounting screws or you can use the rubber mounting grommets to help keep vibration down. The grommets simply insert from the outside of the case and through one side of the fan, holding it securely in place. Installation takes about two minutes for even the most technically challenged. Once the fan is installed you can attach it directly to the motherboard using the attached 3-pin plug or if you do not have a place on the motherboard to attach the fan you can use the Molex adapter to get power directly from the power supply.

You also have a choice of using the ULN (Ultra-low noise) adapter. Using the ULN will slow the fan speed down from 700 RPM to 500 RPM. The fan runs practically silent at 700 RPM but for those that demand ultimate silent running, the ULN adapter makes the fan truly silent. This adapter is not for people looking for the most powerful cooling fan, rather it is for those seeking the quietest cooling fan.

NF-S12B ULN Box		Box Contents

Performance

After installing the fan in a typical mid-tower PC case we ran the fan for two hours under each setting then checked the revolutions per minute and checked the ambient temperature inside the case.

Test Setup

• Operating System: Vista Home Premium x64
• Motherboard: ECS G45-MT2
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad E6600 @ 2.40GHz
• Memory: 4GB G-Skill DDR2 6400
• CPU Heatsink: Noctua NH-C12P
• Video card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
• Hard drive: Hitachi 500GB SATA
• Case: Antec SOLO

Using the fan without the ULN adapter showed 701 RPM with an ambient case temperature of 33° Celsius. The fan could not be heard over the CPU and GPU coolers. Running the fan for two hours with the ULN adapter showed 499 RPM with an ambient case temperature of 37° Celsius. Both temperatures are acceptable, however this test was done with the computer idle.

The next test was done with the computer under load running NVIDIA's Adrianne (a 3D graphic demo) to heat up the insides of the computer. We also had the computer running a virus scan at the same time to get the hard drive pumping heat as well. For this test we only waited 20 minutes because the virus scan would end before two hours and we didn't need to run it long to get the full temperature reading. Without the ULN again the revolutions per minute were at 701 but the temperature had risen to 34° Celsius. With the ULN attached the RPM read 499 and the temperature was 40° Celsius. These temperatures are again acceptable, but you must remember that the hotter you run your computer the shorter its life span.

Closeup view		Overhead view

Noctua NF-S12B ULN 120mm Fan

The Noctua NF-S12B ULN is an excellent choice for people who want the quietest computer possible. It is not necessarily the best choice for cooling a computer with chronic heat problems. However, that is why Noctua made the NF-S12B FLX model which we will also review today. If you need the quietest cooling possible, then the NF-S12B ULN is your fan.

The only real drawback to both of these models is that you have to open the computer and attach an adapter to change the fan speeds. It would be nicer to have a built in resistor in the fan with a switch that can be accessed from the back of the PC instead of having to switch adapters every time you want to change the speed; but then again, that's why we have fan controller panels.

Pros: Practically silent operation, cools effectively at the low speeds.

Cons: Pricier than other 120mm fans. Does not cool as effectively as other higher speed 120 mm fans and it would be nicer to have a built in resistor in the fan with a switch that can be accessed from the back of the PC instead of having to switch adapters every time you want to change the speed.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

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