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Stock Fan Measurements
We begin with an analysis of the stock fan, the NF-P14, which is also one of the fans that ships with the side-blowing D14 heatsink. It's a nine blade 140 mm fan with 120 mm fan holes and a round frame with open corners.
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Specifications: Noctua NH-C14 Stock Fan(s)
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Manufacturer
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Power Rating
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1.2 W |
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Model Number
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NF-P14
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Airflow Rating
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110.3 m³/h |
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Bearing Type
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SSO |
Speed Rating
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1200 RPM |
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Corners
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Open |
Noise Rating
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19.6 dBA |
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Frame Size
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140 x 140 x 25 mm
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Header Type
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3-pin |
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Fan Blade Diameter
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130 mm |
Starting Voltage
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6.4 V |
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Hub Size
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40 mm |
Weight
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150 g |
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Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer
or observed; data in the blue cells were measured.
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Noctua's patented "vortex notches" which look like small bite marks are designed to break up turbulence. The blades have gentle curves and are relatively thin. The P14 fan has an unusually high starting voltage, so it's best to run 7V and above unless it can be controlled automatically.
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Stock Fan Measurements
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Voltage
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Avg. Speed
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SPL @1m
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One Fan
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Two Fans
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12V
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1230 RPM
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26~27 dBA
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29 dBA
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9V
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940 RPM
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18~19 dBA
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21 dBA
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8V
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850 RPM
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16 dBA
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18 dBA
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7V
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740 RPM
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13 dBA
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15 dBA
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6V
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610 RPM
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11~12 dBA
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12~13 dBA
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of the heatsink.
Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA.
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The acoustics of the P14 are generally smooth, with most of the audible noise being in the form of air turbulence which of course is unavoidable. There is also an odd pulsing hum that is only evident at and close to 9V. The two fan samples varied in speed by only 10~30 RPM, not enough to develop any intermodulation effects, something that afflicted the NH-D14 which used a P14 with a P12. Combined, the C14's two fans become what we consider quiet at about 8V.
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At 8V, the noise produced by the fans is mostly broadband with little to no tonality.
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COOLING RESULTS
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Fan Voltage
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SPL@1m
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°C Rise
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CPU
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NB*
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VRM*
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Both Fans
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12V
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29 dBA
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35
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11
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12
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9V
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21 dBA
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36
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24
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14
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8V
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18 dBA
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37
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28
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15
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7V
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15 dBA
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39
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30
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20
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6V
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12~13 dBA
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41
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38
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24
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Top Fan
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12V
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26~27 dBA
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38
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32
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17
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9V
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18~19 dBA
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40
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32
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23
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8V
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16 dBA
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40
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40
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26
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7V
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13 dBA
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44
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48
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34
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6V
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11~12 dBA
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48
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53
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41
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Bottom Fan
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12V
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26~27 dBA
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38
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26
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16
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9V
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18~19 dBA
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40
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32
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18
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8V
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16 dBA
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41
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32
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19
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7V
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13 dBA
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44
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38
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24
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6V
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11~12 dBA
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49
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40
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32
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Bottom Fan (ref. 120 mm fan)
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12V
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16 dBA
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39
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25
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21
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9V
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13 dBA
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42
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34
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23
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7V
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12 dBA
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48
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41
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34
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°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (22°C)
at load.
*NB and VRM temps taken with an IR thermometer from the hottest portion of each heatsink.
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Virtually identical CPU temperatures were produced with both single fan configurations. Placing the fan underneath the fin-stack was far superior for cooling the board components as one would expect. With the fan closer to the PCB, we recorded much lower northbridge and VRM heatsink temperatures, up to 13°C and 9°C respectively depending on the fan speed. When the fans were used in tandem, CPU cooling improved marginally at similar noise levels. The same can be said for heatsinks around the socket, at least when the fans were set to quiet levels.
The only surprise was how well our 120 mm reference fan performed. Despite not covering the entire surface of the heatsink, the Nexus actually generated better overall results than the stock fan in the bottom configuration. The results with the fan on top were omitted for brevity; on average CPU cooling was 7°C worse while the NB/VRM took a 15°C hit. Using a single fan above the fin-stack should be avoided.
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