Noctua Presents NF-S12B Premium Fan

[The Edge]

Noctua today introduced the new NF-S12B 120mm premium fan. Succeeding the vastly successful NF-S12, the NF-S12B is a next generation quiet fan featuring Noctua's advanced SCD2 technology as well as a highly optimised blade geometry with Bevelled Blade Tips that improves its award-winning predecessor's airflow efficiency by up to 10%.

"Our popular NF-S12 series is renowned for its excellent airflow/noise ratio, so further improving it was by no means an easy feat", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "It took us quite a lot of time and effort, but we couldn't be happier with the result. The new NF-S12B doesn't only provide more airflow at the same noise level than the original NF-S12, it also produces higher static pressure."

Building on the proven basis of the original NF-S12 impeller, the design goal for the NF-S12B was to further improve its predecessor's much acclaimed airflow/noise ratio and to increase static pressure in order to allow for a broader range of applications. These goals have been achieved by reducing the tip clearance at the leading edge and adding Bevelled Blade-Tips, a feature first introduced with the NF-B9 92mm fan.

In addition to its highly optimised impeller design, the NF-S12B features Noctua's time-tested premium quality SSO-Bearing as well as Smooth Commutation Drive 2, the latest version of Noctua's advanced drive system that ensures superb running smoothness by eliminating torque variations and switching noises.

The NF-S12B is available in two versions: Whereas the FLX (Flexibility) version provides 1200, 900 and 600 rpm speed settings via the supplied Low-Noise and Ultra-Low-Noise Adapters in order to fine-tune it for superior airflow or maximum quietness, the ULN (Ultra-Low-Noise) version with 700/500 rpm speed settings is tailor made for silent enthusiasts who demand super-slow running speeds and utmost quietness of operation.

Pricing and Availability
The NF-S12B FLX and NF-S12B ULN are available immediately at a suggested retail price of EUR 19.90 / USD 24.90

[The Edge]

NF-S12B ULN
Succeeding the vastly successful NF-S12, the NF-S12B is a next generation quiet fan featuring Noctua's advanced SCD2 technology as well as a highly optimised blade geometry with Bevelled Blade Tips that improves its award-winning predecessor's airflow efficiency by up to 10%. Topped off with Noctua's time-tested SSO-Bearing, 6 years warranty and super-slow 700/500 rpm speed settings,the NF-S12B ULN is a premium quality fan for ultra-low-noise applications where maximum quietness has top priority.


NF-S12B ULN Specifications

• Size 120x120x25 mm
• Bearing SSO-Bearing
• Blade Geometry NF-S12B Blade Design with BBT
• Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) 700 RPM
• Rotational Speed with U.L.N.A. (+/- 10%) 500 RPM
• Airflow 56,9 m³/h
• Airflow with U.L.N.A. 38,2 m³/h
• Acoustical Noise 6,8* dB(A)
• Acoustical Noise with U.L.N.A. 5* dB(A)
• Static Pressure 0,44 mm H2O
• Static Pressure with U.L.N.A. 0,23 mm H2O
• Input Power 0,6 W
• Input Current 0,05 A
• Voltage Range 12 V
• MTBF > 150.000 h
• Scope of Delivery
  
  • Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (U.L.N.A.)
  • 4 Vibration Compensators
  • 3:4-Pin Adaptor
  • 4 Fan Screws
• Warranty 6 years

[The Edge]

NF-S12B FLX
Succeeding the vastly successful NF-S12, the NF-S12B is a next generation quiet fan featuring Noctua's advanced SCD2 technology as well as a highly optimised blade geometry with Bevelled Blade Tips that improves its award-winning predecessor's airflow efficiency by up to 10%. Topped off with Noctua's time-tested SSO-Bearing, 6 years warranty and versatile 1200/900/600 rpm speed settings, the NF-S12B FLX is a premium quality fan that offers full flexibility in quiet to ultra-quiet case cooling.

[B]NF-S12B FLX specification [B]

• Size 120x120x25 mm
• Bearing SSO-Bearing
• Blade Geometry NF-S12B Blade Design with BBT
• Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) 1200 RPM
• Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%) 900 RPM
• Rotational Speed with U.L.N.A. (+/- 10%) 600 RPM
• Airflow 100,6 m³/h
• Airflow with L.N.A. 75,8 m³/h
• Airflow with U.L.N.A. 49,2 m³/h
• Acoustical Noise 18,1 dB(A)
• Acoustical Noise with L.N.A. 10,6 dB(A)
• Acoustical Noise with U.L.N.A. 6,2* dB(A)
• Static Pressure 1,31 mm H2O
• Static Pressure with L.N.A. 0,76 mm H2O
• Static Pressure with U.L.N.A. 0,34 mm H2O
• Input Power 1,2 W
• Input Current 0,1 A
• Voltage Range 12 V
• MTBF > 150.000 h
• Scope of Delivery
  
  
  • Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (U.L.N.A.)
  • Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
  • 4 Vibration Compensators
  • 3:4-Pin Adaptor
  • 4 Fan Screws
• Warranty 6 years

[The Edge]

Highly optimised impeller with Bevelled Blade Tips
Thanks to its further refined blade geometry with extended leading edges and Bevelled Blade Tips, the NF-S12B achieves up to 10% more airflow and static pressure than its much acclaimed predecessor at the same noise level.
The NF-S12B sports a further refined version of the original NF-S12’s Straight-Blade-Design that broke new ground in the realm of quiet PC cooling in 2006 and quickly became renowned for its excellent airflow/noise ratio, making the NF-S12 one of the last years’ most successful fans in the PC cooling market.

Building on the proven basis of the award-winning NF-S12’s impeller, the design goal for the NF-S12B was to further improve its predecessor’s much acclaimed airflow/noise ratio and to increase static pressure in order to allow for a broader range of application. These goals have been achieved by reducing the tip clearance at the leading edge and adding Bevelled Blade-Tips, a feature first introduced with the NF-B9 92mm fan.

Reducing the tip clearance by increasing the length of the blades allows for a bigger blade surface area as well as improvements both in airflow and static pressure. This measure though tends to come at the expense of increased noise emission due to critical rotor-stator interaction. For the NF-S12B, this issue has been dealt with by only increasing the length of the blades at the leading edges and adding a bevelled structure (Bevelled Blade-Tips). By increasing the distance between the impeller and the frame at the outermost areas of the fan where the impeller achieves the highest velocities, Bevelled Blade-Tips help to reduce critical rotor-stator interaction. As a result, the NF-S12B’s modification of the original NF-S12 blade geometry combines the benefits of a reduced tip clearance with those of a bigger distance between the tip of the trailing edge and stator parts, achieving up to 10% improvement both in airflow to noise and pressure to noise ratio.At 1200rpm, the NF-S12B FLX produces 18% more airflow and 14% more static pressure than its predecessor at 1300rpm. Running at 100rpm slower, the NF-S12B is almost 1dB(A) quieter at the same time!At 700rpm, the NF-S12B ULN produced 13% more airflow and 16% more static pressure than its predecessor. Despite of this impressive boost in performance, the NF-S12B runs just as quiet as the NF-S12!


3 speed settings for full flexibility
Providing 1200, 900 and 600 rpm speed settings via the supplied Low-Noise and Ultra-Low-Noise Adapters, the FLX (Flexibility) version can be fine-tuned for superior airflow or maximum quietness.

Smooth Commutation Drive 2
The latest version of Noctua’s advanced SCD drive system ensures superb running smoothness by eliminating torque variations and switching noises.
Next to aerodynamic noise and bearing related noises, the so called "commutation noise" or "switching noise" can play a major role in the noise emission of axial fans with brushless DC motors. At each transition from one stator coil to another, the rotor receives a sudden torque pulse when the next coil switches on. Each of these torque pulses causes a minute deformation of the whole fan structure. Depending on rpm, torque and the material of the fan, this can result in noticeable noises.Noctua's Smooth Commutation Drive system provides more continuous switching in order to achieve a smoother transition between the stator coils and thereby significantly contributes to the fan's overall quietness. The second generation of this technology (SCD2) further improves running smoothness and reduces minute noises in close proximity to the motor.

SSO-Bearing
Noctua’s time-tested SSO-Bearing technology has become synonymous with supremely quiet operation and exceptional long-term stability.
Thanks to an optimised principle of operation, the self-stabilising oil-pressure bearing (SSO bearing) of the Noctua NF-S12 and NF-R8 series surpasses current types of ball, sleeve or liquid bearings in terms of long-term stability and quietness.

The rotary motion of the axis generates pressure upon the special oil enclosed within the bearing. This causes the build-up of a dynamic pressure field that centres and stabilises the axis within the bearing shell. While conventional liquid bearings employ the principle of hydrodynamic pressure too, the SSO bearing is equipped with an additional magnet that supports the self-stabilisation of the rotor axis. This allows for a faster, more precise and more reliable centring of the rotor axis and thus increases the long-term stability and quietness of the bearing: When the fan starts, the dynamic pressure field of the liquid bearing needs to build up first, which results in an initial precession of the axis, the so called gyro effect. This amounts to an increased abrasion until the axis is stabilised through the build-up of the dynamic pressure field, which may by and by lead to increased noise emission and bearing defects. Because of this, the SSO bearing possesses a built in magnet, whose field ensures the immediate self-stabilisation of the rotor and hence reduces the gyro effect. In addition to the stabilisation during the start-up phase of the fan, the supporting magnet allows for a more exact centring of the axis within the bearing shell and thus further reduces bearing resistance, abrasion and noise emission.

The sleeve and ball bearings currently predominating the fan market exhibit major drawbacks: While conventional sleeve bearings initially have very low noise emissions, they mostly possess unsatisfying long-term stability, which leads to a short overall lifespan and increasing noise after longer operating times. High grade ball bearings, on the other hand, while providing satisfying long-term stability operate at slightly higher noise levels from the beginning. The SSO bearing not only surpasses the quietness of conventional sleeve bearings but also the long-term stability of current top-of-the-line ball bearing

[The Edge]

In the design and development of axial fans, the three aerodynamic key parameters of airflow, pressure and noise play a major role. Usually, the goal is to achieve the amount of airflow and static pressure required by a specific application at the lowest possible noise emission. The design should hence provide the optimal balance of airflow, pressure and noise for a given application.

However, even in the field of PC cooling, each application has different requirements: Whereas CPU coolers with tighter fin-spacing require high static pressure, it's mostly the airflow to noise ratio that counts when it comes to case fans.Common fans are usually designed to be all-round solutions with compromises in certain areas in order to achieve solid results in all typical applications.Noctua, on the other hand, is following a two-fold approach with its S12 and P12 fan series in order to achieve optimal results at various applications: While the NF-S12B was optimized so as to provide a class-leading airflow to noise ratio and therefore makes for an excellent case fan, the NF-P12 was designed to produce high airflow and an outstanding amount of static pressure, which makes it perfect for use on CPU coolers and other high-impedance applications.


With the NF-S12B and NF-P12, Noctua provides two premium-class fans which have been optimized for specific fields of application. Choosing the appropriate model can therefore help you to obtain even better results. Nevertheless, both the NF-S12B and NF-P12 achieve good results in virtually all typical applications. So in case you aren't sure which of the two fans is right for you: Don't worry, you can't go wrong with either of the two!

I principally recommend the NF-S12B for the following applications:

• Case ventilation (with the exception of very restrictive fan grills, filters or significant obstruction to airflow)
• CPU coolers with wide fin-spacing
• Water-cooling radiators with wide fin-spacing
• All applications where minimum noise emission has first priority