Noctua's New A-Series Fans: A Closer Look

Editor's Note: While Computex took place last week and all of the news announcements are behind us, we're still sorting through hundreds of in-person meetings and demonstrations, picking out just a few more of the most interesting items we saw up close.

Noctua was one of the few manufacturers that really stood out to us during Computex 2014. We already know that Noctua simply makes good things, but what made the company really stand out was that almost everything it showcased was new, and the items that weren't new were either flagship products or something recently announced.

First off, Noctua presented its new fans. These fans include an A-series 92 mm fan, an A-series 80 mm fan, and most importantly, an A-series 200 mm fan. The 200 mm fan is particularly impressive, as it is the company's first 200 mm fan. Many buyers have been asking for a 200 mm Noctua fan since more and more enclosures support these. The company also presented a slim 120 mm fan, which has also been in high demand.

Noctua also presented its new fans with a flock coating. The idea behind treating either the frame or the blades of a fan with a flock coating is not only to provide a more silent fan, but also to ensure that any noise created is more pleasant. This concept offers two problems: cost and dust. Such treatments aren't particularly cheap, and a flock coating will attract a lot of dust, thus requiring more maintenance. This concept is still very much in the experimental phase, and it might not ever come to market.

The new A-series fans are scheduled for release in Q4 2014, with the slim fan scheduled to hit shelves sometime throughout the second half of 2015.

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