Noctua today presented 24V variants of its renowned industrialPPC fans. Conceived for industrial heavy-duty applications that require enhanced cooling performance and advanced ingress protection, Noctua's industrialPPC (Protected Performance Cooling) line comprises ruggedised high-speed versions of the company's award-winning retail fans. The new 24V models use a dedicated wide input range version of Noctua's NE-FD2 three-phase motor driver IC in order to support 24V-based industrial applications and to provide moderate speeds and lower noise levels in standard 12V PC environments.
$35 for an industrial-grade fan should not be surprising.
I used to be technical sales support for an industrial computing supplier - you get what you pay for, and high MTBF, ingress protection, shock rated, or extreme temp rated equipment will not come cheap.
Just buy some solid low-noise AC fans and put them on your box's power bar. One on the radiator and another on the case. They'll push 200cfm at one inch pressure, unlike ANYTHING 12v which will only push about 1.5cfm at 4mm.
Noctua isn't necessarily the king of the hill in this category. They're competing with Sanyo, Nidec, Delta etc who have some very high quality 24V fans at the same price or less.
I had a Noctua fan start making a rattling sound once, but keep in mind I have about 16 of them running nearly 24/7 in various systems. Emailed the company and they sent me out two fans without even requiring proof of purchase. That's the moment I realized I'll never buy another brand when it comes to fans.
$35 for a fan. A incredible fan that will last for years, and in the rare case it doesn't, they will make sure you are happy.
I wish. I have four of the IndustrialPPC fans, 2x120 and 2x140. Three of them died within a week of use. Only one 120mm is still working but it won't do much from the bottom of my box 'o fans in the closet since it moves barely any air at 50 bazillion RPM, all it does is make noise. Waste of money those were.
$35 for an industrial-grade fan should not be surprising.
I used to be technical sales support for an industrial computing supplier - you get what you pay for, and high MTBF, ingress protection, shock rated, or extreme temp rated equipment will not come cheap.
Eh... Noctua fans are very nice, and I'll never knock them on quality or customer service, but they are a bit expensive for the performance they offer.
It is pretty easy to source fans that are equally robust and move more air for less dollars. The Panaflo fans I've been using at full speed 24/7 for the last 7 years are a good example - they cost less than half of what Noctua asks (which adds up to quite a bit when you are using 10 of them), and each one of them moves about as much air as an entire set of Noctuas would.
I'll still gladly pay the price premium Noctua asks when it comes to building an HTPC for example, where a low speed, quiet, but very reliable fan with refined fit and finish is what I'm looking for... but for "industrial" use where more airflow is and lower cost are generally more important factors than lower noise and pre-sleeved cables, there are much better choices.
Their fans actually have some pretty high production costs associated with them.
They don't cost $35 bucks to make, sure, but $10 is probably about right. Add in the cost of distribution, customer service (which, in their case, is absolutely the best in the industry), R&D (almost all their components are designed in house), etc, and you end up with them making maybe $10 off each fan.
That's a bit more than the $5-8 profit most companies make off their fans, but then you aren't just paying for premium quality fans - you are also paying for premium quality warranty and service, in an already niche market (low noise high pressure computer fans).
It is an industrial fan... a TON of machinery and automation systems run 24v sensors and logic circuits, lights, etc. This is perfect for the modern industrial world. It isnt a PC fan for the general consumer
That's a bit more than the $5-8 profit most companies make off their fans, but then you aren't just paying for premium quality fans - you are also paying for premium quality warranty and service, in an already niche market (low noise high pressure computer fans).
A good point but honestly I'd rather spring for fans that have the reputation for performance and reliability so as to avoid needing any customer service in the first place. Like say, the Panaflos you mentioned.
Space issues aside it baffles me why the market for the 38mm-thick fans actually used in/for industrial applications is shrinking in the consumer space, it's only getting overcomplicated at this point. There's a reason I have Panaflos and San Aces almost exclusively, the exception being the Delta in my PSU. Sure, lemons exist in the industrial space, but if it works out of the box, it'll probably keep working long after you retire. I'd rather have that than spend 10 bucks extra for unnecessarily flashy packaging and over-engineering.
Their fans actually have some pretty high production costs associated with them.
They don't cost $35 bucks to make, sure, but $10 is probably about right. Add in the cost of distribution, customer service (which, in their case, is absolutely the best in the industry), R&D (almost all their components are designed in house), etc, and you end up with them making maybe $10 off each fan.
That's a bit more than the $5-8 profit most companies make off their fans, but then you aren't just paying for premium quality fans - you are also paying for premium quality warranty and service, in an already niche market (low noise high pressure computer fans).
In my expiriance no big company would put a product out for those kind of margins.
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