This is my first Noctua fan but I've purchased well over 100 computer fans over the past 20 years. This is the first time I've felt it necessary to write a review for a fan, something so basic that you never think about it after fitting.
I used to think that the hype around Noctua's fans was just that, hype. All fans are about the same aren't they? But actually I was wrong, this fan is by far the best computer fan I've ever purchased.
Firstly it's silent, I did not need to use either of the inline resister cables that come with the fan as by default it's inaudible. I literally cannot hear it while holding it in my hand having plugged it in to test it worked.
That's the first time that has ever happened, I'm replacing a Zalman 80mm fan that purported itself to be silent but was by far the most noisy fan in my environment so to go from that to this is like a night and day difference.
I can see why these fans are exspensive when compared to the competition, it moves quite a decent amount of air while being inaudible to my ears, obviously a lot of development has gone into the fan and it shows.
The packaging is also the best I've seen for something like a fan, it's printed in full colour, thick cardboard and includes a window piece to view the product which is held closed with two velcro pads. Quite a lot of effort has been made in the presentation.
The fan itself feels very solid, the plastic has no flex to it and is using a thick injection mould. The rubber grommets on all the corners are also nice quality and it does include both metal screws and rubber pull throughs for affixing the fan to your computer case. I chose to use the rubber pull throughs which work perfectly fine and feel durable.
Overall I'd highly recommend this fan it has surprised me enough that I will be buying some more Noctua fans in different sizes for other computer builds, never have I used a fan this quiet after trying all manner of brands prior to this.
| Brand | Noctua |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 8 x 2.5 cm; 230 g |
| Item model number | NF-A8 FLX |
| Manufacturer | Noctua |
| Series | NF-A8 FLX |
| Colour | brown |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 230 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
