Noctua released a new 120mm fan called the NF-A12x25. It was designed from the ground up to deliver the best performance Noctua can offer for both high-pressure and high-flow applications. As a true all-rounder, the NF-A12x25 definitively takes the flagship spot in Noctua’s fan lineup.
Nothing says you value performance above all else like having a case filled with hearing aid-colored Noctua fans. That signature beige and tan color palette has been around long enough to gain notoriety. Last year, the company finally showed some willingness to change with the release of the black Chromax-edition fans, but Noctua is back to form with the NF-A12x25. The new flagship fan is a no-compromise all-rounder that’s all brown. It must be a point of pride for Noctua that its customers are willing to suffer the sight of its fans for the performance they provide.
Joking aside, the new NF-A12 is a product of over four years of development. It surpasses Noctua’s previous purpose-dedicated fans, the NF-F12 and NF-S12, in both static pressure and flow rate. As shown in Noctua’s testing, the NF-A12 maintains higher pressure while delivering more airflow at all but the extreme ends of the RPM range.
To achieve this high performance while maintaining comparable noise levels, Noctua had to use new materials and construction methods that allowed it to reduce the blade-to-frame gap on the NF-A12 to only 0.5mm. Noctua claims that the NF-A12 is so effective that it will even outperform most 140mm fans. The company has created a special 120mm-to-140mm adapter, the NA-SFMA1, so that the NF-A12 can be used on 140mm radiators.
The NF-A12x25 is available in three versions. The NF-A12x25 PWM is driven from a 4-pin PWM header and has an RPM range of 450 to 2,000. The NF-A12x25 FLX is driven by a 3-pin header and has adapters to run it at 1,350 RPM, 1,700 RPM, and 2,000 RPM. The NF-A12x25 ULN is also driven by a 3-pin header and has adapters to run it at 900 RPM and 1,200 RPM.
The NF-A12x25 is available now at Amazon. All versions have an MSRP of $30. The NA-SFMA1 adapter is also available immediately for $12.
