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TEST RESULTS
Stock Fan Testing
The stock fan is the NF-P12. To maximize pressure,
the nine fan blades have less curvature than typical fans and there is very
little separation between them. This also results in more noise, so Noctua
implements something they call "vortex-control notches." According
to Noctua, these notches reduce turbulence and spread the noise generated
over a wider frequency range, making for a more pleasant sounding fan. A summary
of their claims can be read here.
| Brand |
Noctua |
Power Rating |
0.09A |
| Model Number |
NF-P12
|
Airflow Rating |
92,3 m³/h |
| Bearing Type |
SSO (Sleeve variant)
|
RPM Rating |
1300 |
| Hub Size |
1.61" |
Noise Rating |
19.8 dBA |
| Frame Size |
120 x 120 x 25 mm |
Header Type |
3-pin |
| Weight |
1700g |
Starting Voltage |
4.8V |
|
Voltage
|
Noise
|
RPM
|
|
12V
|
32-33 dBA@1m
|
1330 RPM
|
|
9V
|
22 dBA@1m
|
1060 RPM
|
|
7V
|
16 dBA@1m
|
840 RPM
|
|
5V
|
<15 dBA@1m
|
600 RPM
|
This fan model was also used on the NH-C12P, and it sounded identical. We also
have a third sample, a retail version of the fan, and we noted very little variance
between them.
Fan @ 12V: The fan was fairly loud at 32-33 dBA. It also throbbed with resonant
beats. Analysis of the acoustic profile revealed a tonal peak at 380Hz. The
throbbing, while less aggressive sounding than the normal buzz and whine common
with high speed fans, can be just as irritating. It has a much lower pitch than
most fans spinning around this speed.
Fan @ 9V: The fan was much quieter, registering only 22 dBA. However, it generated
an unusual sound effect, that of a distant aircraft engine — a low-pitched,
resonating hum. It hit just the right frequency and tone to create this eerie
effect in our test room. Analysis showed it developed tonality in the 360Hz
range.
Fan @ 7V: The fan was almost silent and very smooth. Close-up it was still
audible, and the same airplane-type noise persisted though to a lesser degree.
Fan @ 5V: The fan was effectively silent.
|
Low-Noise-Adapter on top, Ultra-Low-Noise-Adapter on the bottom. Each
appears to have an in-line zener diode to drop the voltage to the fan
to about 9V and 7V.
|
Cooling Results
During testing the NH-U12P showed itself to be an exceptional performer with
the stock Noctua NF-P12 fan. At 12V, the temperature increase above ambient
was only 12°C — an excellent result. Lowering the fan speed led to
very little detriment in performance. The temperature increased by two degrees
at 9V and an additional one degree at 7V. Not until 5V did the temperature spike
significantly.
| Noctua NH-U12P
with stock fan |
|
Fan Voltage
|
Noise @1m
|
Temp
|
°C Rise
|
°C/W
|
|
12V
|
32-33 dBA
|
34°C
|
12
|
0.15
|
|
9V
|
22 dBA
|
36°C
|
14
|
0.18
|
|
7V
|
16 dBA
|
37°C
|
15
|
0.19
|
|
5V
|
<15 dBA
|
42°C
|
20
|
0.26
|
|
Noctua NH-U12P with reference fan
|
|
12V
|
21 dBA
|
36°C
|
14
|
0.18
|
|
9V
|
18 dBA
|
38°C
|
16
|
0.21
|
|
7V
|
16 dBA
|
39°C
|
17
|
0.22
|
|
5V
|
<15 dBA
|
43°C
|
21
|
0.27
|
Load Temp: CPUBurn for ~10 mins.
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (22°C) at load.
°C/W: based on the amount of heat dissipated by the CPU (measured
78W); lower is better. |
Our reference Nexus fan performed very similarly to the NF-P12, off by no more
than a degree or two at similar noise levels. Acoustically however, in our opinion,
the Nexus is superior, sounding far more innocuous than the NF-P12, despite
what the SPL registered. Combined with our results from our NH-C12P review,
we conclude that the "high-pressure" design, if it does in fact work
properly, is not advantageous when used in conjunction with either of Noctua's
current CPU heatsinks. It may perform better on a poorer quality heatsink with
tighter fin spacing, where high pressure would be needed more and any difference
in performance easily recognized.
Comparables
|
Comparison: NH-U12P vs. Competition
|
|
Fan Voltage
|
Noise @1m
|
°C Rise Above Ambient Temperature
|
|
HR-01 Plus
|
NH-U12P
|
Ultra-120 eXtreme
|
HDT-S1283
|
Zen FZ120
|
|
12V
|
21 dBA
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
15
|
|
9V
|
18 dBA
|
15
|
16
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
|
7V
|
16 dBA
|
16
|
17
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
|
5V
|
<15 dBA
|
20
|
21
|
24
|
24
|
24
|
|
All results generated with our reference Nexus 120mm
fan.
|
The NH-U12P turned out to be a superb performer, coming within one degree of
our current champ the Thermalright
HR-01 Plus across the board. Such a small difference can be considered
negligible — they essentially perform the same. While the Thermalright
Ultra-120 eXtreme edges both heatsinks with higher airflow, we appreciate
low airflow results more and thus award the HR-01 Plus and NH-U12P the top spots.
The data from the orginal NH-U12 is not included here as it is not directly comparable; the earlier test was done on a different CPU and motherboard. The original U12 never made the top of our charts, however.
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