The unique geometry of the Noctua fan actually makes it worse at providing static pressure, because the swept area is very open and the tip clearance between the frame and the blades is large.Would this reasoning still apply to the Noctua fan that was reviewed? Although the depth is the same, the geometry and size of the blades is quite unique.
http://www.cooling-masters.com/articles-39-6.html
Roughly translated, "The Noctuas have very little static pressure available (0.5 to 1 mmH2O at most), due to their thin blades and open design."Les Noctua ont très peu de pression statique disponible (0.5 et 1 mmH2O maxi), leur design très fin et très ouvert ne le permettant pas.