Review on Noctua NF-S12B Redux-1200 PWM: High Performance 120mm Cooling Fan (Grey) by Kevin Parker

Noctura has been touted as one of the best PC fans for years. But I've only recently started using them regularly since their old color scheme was so ugly in most builds. This two-tone gray turned out to be lighter than I expected, but still went well with the aesthetic of the builds I bought them for. I wish they would offer black cases with white fan blades. But the performance of this fan is fantastic! I use them in the Fractal Design Define C cases. I chose the high pressure fans to bypass the filters and narrower intake areas in this case and after some experience with them I am very impressed. At 50% PWM duty cycle, they run at around 720 rpm and are almost silent, but you can actually feel them moving some air, even through the filters. At these speeds there is virtually no bearing or motor noise. When duty cycle exceeds 50% they become a little audible but mostly air moving noise, no buzzing/whistling etc. I have yet to test these fans but I'm really impressed with the quality! However, I have 2 complaints: The cable, although very good for a PC fan, is very good but a bit short. An extra 2-3 inches would have really helped connect the fans to the headers I was planning to use. The fans don't come with rubber grommets, which I expected at this price and quality level. It looks like Noctura is selling them separately. But overall, in terms of performance, this is probably the best 120mm fan I've come across.