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Night NF-A14x25 G2

Translate from : Noctua NF-A14x25 G2

Central Features

• Sterrox® liquid-crystal polymer compound
• Winglet design
• Progressive-Bend impeller
• Centrifugal Turbulator hub
• Ultra-tight tip clearance
• Integrated anti-vibration pads

When you just skim the feature list on the new NF-A14x25 fans it may sound like a foreign language, but when you dive into things and try them out you can clearly see that a lot of development has gone before these new fans.

A tour around the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2

Seen on the surface, perhaps not much has happened with the design of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 compared to their previous fans.

It's still the classic Noctua brown/beige color combination, which you either love or hate. However, there is a very good reason for that particular color, and it is rooted in the precision that Noctua insists on in their development.

The color is connected to the Sterrox material that the fans are made of. To meet the targets that Noctua has for their fans, the tolerances on the various parts are very small. One of the reasons why Noctua "doesn't just" make other colors is that just the process of coloring material changes the characteristics of the material enough that it no longer meets Noctua's goals.

Personally, the color is not a big deal to me, as I rarely build PC systems as exhibition pieces anymore, and therefore have a more practical consideration for cooling and noise.

If you look more closely at the fans, however, you can start to see some of the measures that Noctua has made to improve the performance and noise level of the new NF-A14x25 G2.

The blades on the fans are made with what Noctua calls their Progressive-Bend impeller design. The blades are designed to push as much air as possible towards the edge of the blades, where the efficiency is highest.

It is combined with the new Centrifugal Turbulator hub, which also works to push as much air as possible towards the edge of the fan.

The small elevations on both the blades and the central hub also help to reinforce this effect.

If we look at the space between the blades and the actual frame of the fans, Noctua has also reduced the distance here. It is down to 0.7mm, which also helps to ensure maximum efficiency and good airflow.

Such a small distance between blade and frame is possible, among other things, due to the Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer material from which the blades are made. It's a material that basically doesn't expand over time.

The fan is powered by Noctua's efficient etaPERF motor and their by now super tested SSO2 bearing. The motor has a built-in super precise NR-FD6 PWM Hall Effect sensor, which provides very precise information and ensures that the fan performs optimally.

It is also the sensor that plays together with Noctua's SupraTorque technology to ensure that the fan reaches the desired RPM speed. Many fans may experience a drop in RPM if they have to work with more resistance, such as when they are mounted on a radiator or a heatsink. The resistance from this creates a pressure back on the fan, which has to work harder and therefore loses a little speed.

With the combination of the NR-FD6 PWM sensor and SupraTorque, the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 automatically compensates for the higher resistance and ensures that the desired RPM is achieved.

The combination of motor and sensors also means that the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 has a wide RPM range, from 300 RPM up to 1500 RPM. So it's not super high speed fans, but it's obviously to strike a good balance between performance and noise.

In relation to the objective of a low noise level, Noctua has also, like previous generations, provided the NF-A14x25 G2 with vibration-damping rubber corners. On the intake side of the fan there is a rubber frame all around. It is made to both dampen vibrations, but also to relieve the fan when it is installed.

Noctua does this, as the tolerances on the fan, which I touched on earlier, are so small that problems can arise if you get the NF-A14x25 G2 installed slightly crooked. So Noctua has really gone down to the smallest details to optimize the performance of the new NF-A14x25 G2.

Also included is an extra set of corners which are specially made for use with water cooling radiators.

If you want to use the new NF-A14x25 G2 in a pull configuration on a radiator, Noctua has also together with the NF-A14x25 G2 launched their NA-IS1-14 Sx2 which, despite a very technical sounding name, is just a small distance frame. It is made to create 5 mm of extra space between the fan and the radiator in a pull setup. The extra distance provides both better efficiency and a better acoustic profile.

However, these are accessories that must be purchased separately and are not included with the NF-A14x25 G2. There is, however, a selection of accessories included in the box. The accessories consist of four standard mounting screws, Noctua's rubber mount that can be used to mount the fans without screws, a PWM extension cable, a Y cable that can connect two PWM cables to one connector and then Noctua's NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adapter.

Multiple versions

The NF-A14x25 G2 comes in two variations. The primary NF-A14x25 G2 that I reviewed above. However, it is also available in an NF-A14x25 G2 LS version which is "just" a version with a lower speed. It will be optimal in setups where the sound level is more important than the raw performance.

Finally, you can get a set of two NF-A14x25 G2 fans in Noctua's NF-A14x25 G2PWM Sx2-PP set. It is a set made for setups where the two fans must be used together. It can either be in a Push/Pull configuration on an air cooler or assembled on a 280mm radiator.

The good feature of the Sx2-PP set is that the two fans are tuned in relation to each other, so their speed is slightly asynchronous. This is done because two fans next to each other, running at the same speed, can result in unwanted resonance that gives a higher noise level.

This can be avoided by letting them run slightly offset from each other, so that resonance does not occur.

Price

The nearly ten-year development of the NF-A14x25 G2 fans and the new features also means that the price is at the high end. The NF-A14x25 G2 and NF-A14x25 G2 LS fans can currently be found with online prices of DKK 319 per fan.

It is expensive if you look at the 140mm fan selection in general. If you compare it to other high end fans from e.g. Corsair or Phanteks, it is not quite up to par.

Conclusion

When you look at the feature list for the NF-A14x25 G2 and stand with them in your hands, there is no doubt that Noctua has filled them up with high end features and implemented build quality and material selection.

The NF-A14x25 G2 feels like a quality product from the inside out, with a focus on even the smallest details.

However, it is undoubtedly a product aimed at the discerning high-end user. The high price alone means that it quickly becomes an expensive affair to supply your PC with NF-A14x25 G2 fans.

If you're looking for a system with a focus on a solid balance between performance and noise, it's hard to get past the NF-A14x25 G2, which is one of the best on the market at the moment.