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A Silent Killer!
Review Summary
The Noctua NF-P12 REDUX series offers premium cooling performance with a muted design, targeting users prioritizing quiet operation and efficient airflow in budget-friendly options. These fans are an excellent choice for those seeking a balance between performance and silence without the need for extra accessories. While lacking flashy RGB lighting, they excel in delivering reliable cooling with a clean and understated appearance.
Hours Tested: 4
Overall
-
Performance - 9/10
9/10
-
Design - 8/10
8/10
-
Features - 7/10
7/10
-
Value - 9/10
9/10
Pros
- Budget-friendly premium cooling.
- Clean and understated design.
- Silent operation with Vortex-control notches.
- Noctua’s renowned build quality.
- Flexible and sleeved black cable.
Cons
- Lack of RGB lighting.
- Not for extreme overclocking.
- Standard appearance may not suit all.
Noctua refreshed their existing lineup of NF-A12 and NF-P12 fans, with slight updates to build and appearance, touting them as the “next generation” of fans. Noctua has been kind enough to send us 3 versions of their NF-A12X25 and 4 versions to Noctua NF P12 Review. This review will focus on the NF-P12 variants.
Key Takeaways
- The Noctua NF-P12 REDUX series offers premium cooling performance with a minimalist design, targeting users prioritizing quiet operation and efficient airflow in budget-friendly options.
- You should get the Noctua NF-P12 fans if you prioritize premium cooling performance with minimal noise, a muted and understated design, and are looking for a budget-friendly option without the need for extra accessories.
- You should not get these fans if you are seeking flashy RGB lighting for your setup, require additional accessories beyond basic fan screws, or prioritize aesthetic appeal over absolute performance and quiet operation.
- Why you can trust Tech4Gamers: Our reviews are based on dedicated hands-on testing by our team of experienced hardware experts. Find out more about how we test.
Let’s take a look at the specifications for each fan.
| Model | Noctua NF-P12 REDUX 1700 PWM | Noctua NF-P12 REDUX 1300 PWM | Noctua NF-P12 REDUX 1300 | Noctua NF-P12 REDUX 900 |
| Size | 120x120x25 mm | 120x120x25 mm | 120x120x25 mm | 120x120x25 mm |
| Mounting hole spacing | 105×105 mm | 105×105 mm | 105×105 mm | 105×105 mm |
| Connector | 4-pin PWM | 4-pin PWM | 3-pin | 3-pin |
| Bearing: | SSO-Bearing | SSO-Bearing | SSO-Bearing | SSO-Bearing |
| Blade Geometry | Pressure-optimized Nine Blade Design with Vortex-Control Notches | Pressure-optimized Nine Blade Design with Vortex-Control Notches | Pressure-optimized Nine Blade Design with Vortex-Control Notches | Pressure-optimized Nine Blade Design with Vortex-Control Notches |
| Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) | 1700 RPM | 1300 RPM | 1300 RPM | 900 RPM |
| Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%) | 450 RPM | 300 RPM | – | – |
| Airflow | 120,2 m³/h | 92,3 m³/h | 92,3 m³/h | 63,4 m³/h |
| Acoustical Noise | 25,1 dB(A) | 19,8 dB(A) | 19,8 dB(A) | 12,6 dB(A) |
| Static Pressure | 2,83 mm H2O | 1,68 mm H2O | 1,68 mm H2O | 1,21 mm H2O |
| Max. Input Power | 1,08 W | 0,6 W | 0,6 W | 0,3 W |
| Max. Input Current | 0,09 A | 0,05 A | 0,05 A | 0,025 A |
| Voltage | 12 V | 12 V | 12 V | 12 V |
| MTTF | >150.000 h | > 150.000 h | > 150.000 h | > 150.000 h |
| Scope of delivery | Fan screws | Fan screws | Fan screws | Fan screws |
| Warranty | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
Unboxing and Impressions
The NF-P12 fans come in a very minimal grey and brown cardboard box. The top show the Noctua logo in the top right corner and the name and specific model of the fan in the center. The sides of the box are brown in color and without any text or logos.
The top shows the Noctua logo in the top right corner and the name and specific model of the fan in the center. The sides of the box are brown in color and without any text or logos.
The back of the box carries information specific to each version and support about Noctua’s chromax inserts, along with a link to Noctua’s website and a QR code. Getting into the box itself, you don’t get a whole lot, just the fan itself and 4 screws for mounting.
Design
Taking a closer look at the fans, if they could be described in one word, it would be “understated”. The Noctua NF P12 Review have a muted color scheme light grey frame with dark grey fan blades which result in a very clean appearance. The fan center is also without any labels or stickers.
Moving to the back of the fans, you’ll notice the Noctua sticker at the center, displaying fan details and power draw information. The cable, sleeved in black, is highly flexible and spans about 2 feet—ideal for easy routing and management. Crafted from robust plastic, these fans are built to endure extensive use. Noctua employs an SSO bearing, boasting a remarkable 150,000 MTTF rating.
The fan unit has 9 blades, made with plastic similar to the frame but with a darker grey color. Each blade has 2 cutouts on the outer edge which Noctua refers to as Vortex-control notches.
Overall, despite being a budget-orientated option, the Redux series of fans don’t disappoint with their looks and promising design and specifications. Noctua has clearly adhered to its high-quality standards even for its lower-end products. We’ll see how all this translates to real-world performance in our testing.
Performance Test
The test system is setup as follows:
- AMD Ryzen R7 1700
- Asus Prime B350 Plus
- Corsair Vengeance LED Red 2X8GB 3200MHz
- Sapphire Nitro RX 480 8GB
- Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 CPU Cooler
- WD Caviar Green 500GB
- Toshiba 1TB
- EVGA Supernova G2 1000W
- NZXT S340 Elite
CPU was at stock voltage and tested at stock clocks. The ambient room temperature was 35c. The system was stressed using the ASUS Realbench utility, tortured and tested for 10 minutes with 4GB RAM. HW Monitor was used to observe the temperatures.
Non-PWM fans were running at their maximum RPMs. The 1300 RPM PWM model was tested in a standard fan curve and turbo. The 1700 RPM model was tested at max RPM to differentiate the performance between 1300 RPM and 1700 RPM.
Results
The Redux fans deliver expected temperature differences across RPM ranges. As budget alternatives to Noctua’s pricier models, they perform well. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize cooling or silence. Notably, the Redux 1700 at full RPM remains barely audible. The Redux 900 records a 3.8C idle delta over ambient and a 26.7C load delta, reflecting its performance.
Moving up to the Redux 1300, the idle delta really changes much, but the load delta drops to 22.9C. The PWM version performs identically on the Turbo fan profile. On Standard, the RPM is still a bit conservative even on load so it performs worse, with a 4.4C idle delta and 25.6C load delta.
The 1700 Redux performs the best out of the bunch. At max RPM, it manages the lowest idle and load deltas at 1.4C and 20C respectively.
Should You Buy It?
Noctua’s NF-P12 fans are amazing, but that doesn’t mean they will suit everyone.
Buy It If:
✅ Premium Build Quality: The Noctua NF-P12 Redux fans boast the famous Noctua build quality with a durable and sturdy construction, making them a reliable choice for long-term use.
✅ Quiet Operation: Designed for minimal noise output, these fans feature Vortex-control notches for low noise even at full RPM, providing a silent cooling solution for your system.
✅ High Performance on a Budget: As budget alternatives to Noctua’s pricier models, the Redux fans deliver expected temperature differences across RPM ranges, making premium cooling performance more accessible.
✅ You Prefer a Clean Design and Easy Cable Management: If you prefer a clean and understated appearance for your setup without flashy RGB lights, the muted color scheme and minimalistic design of the NF-P12 Redux fans could be appealing. Furthermore, its flexible and sleeved black cable spanning about 2 feet, allows for easy routing and cable management in your system.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You Want RGB Lighting: For users who prefer a vibrant and colorful setup with RGB lighting, the NF-P12 Redux fans might not meet your aesthetic preferences, as they prioritize performance and silence over flashy lights.
Final Words
Noctua products were previously reserved for higher-end PC builds and projects due to their price, but with the REDUX line of fans, they have definitely made premium cooling performance more accessible.
In today’s market of flashy RGB fans, the NF-P12 REDUX fans are very muted. The presentation and build quality are as Noctua is famous for, premium and extremely sturdy. These fans are not meant to appeal to those who want sparkling lights in their entire setup but to those who desire absolute performance as quiet as possible.
The Noctua NF P12 Review come very close to their top-tier fan brethren in terms of real-world performance, although some compromises have to be made. Construction is very similar to the A12 series, with durable hard plastic and support for customization with CHROMAX anti-vibration pad compatibility. Silence is also kept in mind with the Vortex-control notches for very low noise output, even on full RPM.
The only compromise that has been made is the absence of any extra accessories. The box only comes with 4 screws for mounting the fan, and that’s it; however, at this price point, one can hardly complain. Keeping all that in mind, Noctua’s REDUX series of fans is definitely deserving of the Tech4Gamers’ Value award.
Recent Updates
- February 3, 2024: Few text changes to improve readability. Also added image galleries.
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I am Wajih Hyder Chohan – a PC Hardware Nerd who always analyzes the latest products and reviews them. Usually, people call me boring, but I can’t limit my love for Hardware!
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