You can now 3D print your own Noctua fans and accessories, but you can't build a full clone — CAD files available as free downloads for Noctua's top-rated products

3D-printin' folks and hobbyists of various stripes can rejoice. The highly-regarded folks at Noctua have released pitch-perfect CAD models of many of the company's fans, including the NF-A12x25 G2, which currently ranks at the top of our best PC fans roundup.

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Noctua revealed the news in a simple blog post, pointing interested techies to the downloads section of its website. The Austrian beige-and-brown firm says that the files in question accurately match the mounting dimensions and external dimensions of its fans, a boon for enthusiasts everywhere who may have had previous trouble with inaccurate official models. This bit of news dovetails nicely with the availability of the official Noctua-colored filament from Prusa, announced last December.

Some folks may find it concerning that Noctua would be freely offering their proverbial golden goose, but the CAD files don't include the internal frame structure, and the fan impeller geometries have been slightly tweaked, as forms of IP protection.

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It bears remarking that high-precision manufacturing and tight tolerances are one key reason why Noctua's fans are so effective (and pricey, too), and that's a feature that is exceedingly hard to simulate in a home laboratory and, we'd wager, most factories. If nothing else, you'll be able to replace some parts of an existing fan, or use Noctua's files as a basis for creating your own system fans.

Noctua naturally notes that users are free to do as they with with the files, but that they cannot be used for selling or manufacturing the depicted products — assuming one would be able to reproduce the entire product accurately to begin with.

Response from the community was immediate and joyous. The tweet announcing the files had a bevy of happy replies, with one commenter noting that "every model [they] used online for 120mm mounting specs so far has ALWAYS been just the slightest bit off." While most enthusiasts are sensibly enthused, the availability of the bespoke filament and Noctua's cooperation with the maker community has already given way to some truly cursed designs.

If you're interested in downloading the CAD files and starting on your own creations, check out our roundup of the best 3D printers for recommendations. We've seen a rapid increase in quality and decrease in price across 3D printers over the last couple of years.

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Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer. He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves. When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.

4 Comments Comment from the forums

thrus

The company knows that all it takes is someone with time and some calipers and the models are out. By releasing them they ensure the models will be good quality to represent them and they make goodwill with the community. This means when people need the motors they are more likely to buy from them as a trusted source and a friendly source. Honestly a good pr move.
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bit_user

The article said:
the CAD files don't include the internal frame structure,
Huh? It seems to me that the main value of this would be integrating the frame design into some 3D-printed case or housing. It seems like you'd need the full frame design, for that.

thrus said:
The company knows that all it takes is someone with time and some calipers and the models are out.
You can use calipers to accurately measure the fan blade geometry? No, those would require precision laser scanning.

thrus said:
This means when people need the motors they are more likely to buy from them as a trusted source and a friendly source. Honestly a good pr move.
Actually, no. For their motors to be of much use, you'd also need their impellers. That's because they had to specially formulate the plastic to withstand the forces subjected to them, or else they'd deform and rub against the frame.

There's no way anyone is 3D printing impellers that perform close enough to Noctua's own that they'd be a worthwhile substitute. Not only the plastic formulation, but also the precision and finishing they'd need is certainly beyond what I think it's worth to anyone. For a lot less trouble and expense, you can just buy fans from someone like Artic that would still outperform any knock-off Noctuas you could fabricate yourself.
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TechieTwo

If only the bolt pattern and outside dimensions are provided then there is no IP being provided. Obviously the internal dimensions and fan are the real IP. The only reason to 3D print this is if you are bored... ;)
Reply
bit_user

TechieTwo said:
Obviously the internal dimensions and fan are the real IP.
According to Noctua, their IP also includes:
the formulation of the impeller plastic
the motor design
the PWM & motor controller design
the bearings
My take is that they're providing it mainly to assist folks who want to integrate their fans into 3D-printed housings or custom frames. It's also a PR win for them.
Reply