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Deciding between NF-A140 ippc-24V & SilentWings 3 140mm (High Speed)

5K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Detuned 
#1 ·
Local shop that builds PCs is selling off excess stock tomorrow, and I happen to be in need of a 3 case fans (2 intake, 1 exhaust on a Define R5). Out of their typical stock of Corsair AF/SPs, they also happen to have a bunch of these:

Noctua NF-A14 ippc-24V 3000 for $17.50
and
Be Quiet! SilentWings 3 140mm High Speed for $20

I'd want to run 3 off of one (1A) PWM header for now (until I get a new motherboard next month). I know this isn't an issue with the SilentWings, but I'm not so sure about the Noctuas. Beyond that, from everything I've read they're similar enough in performance and sound @ the ranges I'd run them at (600 - 1000 RPM). Aesthetically both fit the color scheme I'd want as well.

Any recommendations on which I should grab? Would the Noctuas fare well with a few of them running off one header?

Thanks!!
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by guzzoline View Post

Local shop that builds PCs is selling off excess stock tomorrow, and I happen to be in need of a 3 case fans (2 intake, 1 exhaust on a Define R5). Out of their typical stock of Corsair AF/SPs, they also happen to have a bunch of these:

Noctua NF-A14 ippc-24V 3000 for $17.50
and
Be Quiet! SilentWings 3 140mm High Speed for $20

I'd want to run 3 off of one (1A) PWM header for now (until I get a new motherboard next month). I know this isn't an issue with the SilentWings, but I'm not so sure about the Noctuas. Beyond that, from everything I've read they're similar enough in performance and sound @ the ranges I'd run them at (600 - 1000 RPM). Aesthetically both fit the color scheme I'd want as well.

Any recommendations on which I should grab? Would the Noctuas fare well with a few of them running off one header?

Thanks!!
Is that a typo on the A14 IPPC 3000's price? Because normally that's a $27 fan?

If you can actually get them for $17, that's one hell of a steal. Although i'd personally still go with the SW3's.
 
#4 ·
Be Quiet Silent Wings 3 140mm high speed is a better fan unless you plan on dunking your fans in liquids.
 
#5 ·
Do you have 24 Volts in your system for the Noctua fan?
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilles3000 View Post

Is that a typo on the A14 IPPC 3000's price? Because normally that's a $27 fan?

If you can actually get them for $17, that's one hell of a steal. Although i'd personally still go with the SW3's.
Nope, not a typo... that was what I thought at first too! Apparently they picked up a bunch of them almost a couple years ago for a client build, but the client backed out so they've been trying to unload them ever since.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlphaC View Post

Be Quiet Silent Wings 3 140mm high speed is a better fan unless you plan on dunking your fans in liquids.
Yeah, I'm a fan of the SW3 140mm HS; I've got 3 of them in my Enthoo Pro M, and they're great!. I saw the Noctuas and recalled a review on Overclockers (and a few posts on this forum) about how the 24v industrial fans were supposedly really good. Add on the slightly cheaper price, I thought it'd be good to ask around first!

It seems like the common opinion is to stick with the SilentWings over the Noctuas! I may just do that... I know they perform great, and using a few on one header is no prob! Perhaps I'll try to haggle a better deal, maybe the same price as the Noctuas lol. (At $20.50 they're not really on sale... pretty much the same price as Newegg! =P)
 
#7 ·
I've heard the NF-A14 iPPC 3000rpm 24v works well on 12v .. becoming a 1800rpm fan. Maybe @MicroCat will rub his Canadian fur around your legs and tell you what he thinks.
biggrin.gif
Canada has rather limited access to many products so he uses Noctua fans because he can't get TY-147A fans.
helpinghand.gif


What Brightmist and AlphaC said.
Silent Wings 3 High Speed are better fans.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by doyll View Post

I've heard the NF-A14 iPPC 3000rpm 24v works well on 12v .. becoming a 1800rpm fan. Maybe @MicroCat will rub his Canadian fur around your legs and tell you what he thinks.
biggrin.gif
Canada has rather limited access to many products so he uses Noctua fans because he can't get TY-147A fans.
helpinghand.gif


What Brightmist and AlphaC said.
Silent Wings 3 High Speed are better fans.

At 6V the 12V fan produced ~1500 RPM, 86.7 CFM, 23.7 dB, and 2.032 mm H2O. It pulled 0.3A / 1.8W. I imagine putting 12V through the 24V fan would work the same way. Not sure if the PWM would work correctly, or if the PWM even works the same way on the 24V version.

The Noctua are definitely a great choice if you use them in the 1800 - 3000 RPM range. Only real competition at those speeds are the EK Furious Vardar fans. There are probably better fans for lower RPM operation, though.

Only thing that troubles me is that they needed 5.2V in that video for the fan to even move. Running 12V through the 24V fan would be close.
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hydroplane View Post


At 6V the 12V fan produced ~1500 RPM, 86.7 CFM, 23.7 dB, and 2.032 mm H2O. It pulled 0.3A / 1.8W. I imagine putting 12V through the 24V fan would work the same way. Not sure if the PWM would work correctly, or if the PWM even works the same way on the 24V version.

The Noctua are definitely a great choice if you use them in the 1800 - 3000 RPM range. Only real competition at those speeds are the EK Furious Vardar fans. There are probably better fans for lower RPM operation, though.

Only thing that troubles me is that they needed 5.2V in that video for the fan to even move. Running 12V through the 24V fan would be close.
PWM circuitry is seperate from motor power circuit so not an issue.

I've found other fans to be better than Noctua in the 1800-2500rpm range. Thermalright TY-143 for one, Silverstonetek FHP141 & FHP141-VF are a couple more, and Cooljag Everflow 140mm PWM is still another .. if you can find them.
tongue.gif
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by doyll View Post

I've heard the NF-A14 iPPC 3000rpm 24v works well on 12v .. becoming a 1800rpm fan. Maybe @MicroCat will rub his Canadian fur around your legs and tell you what he thinks.
biggrin.gif
Canada has rather limited access to many products so he uses Noctua fans because he can't get TY-147A fans.
helpinghand.gif


What Brightmist and AlphaC said.
Silent Wings 3 High Speed are better fans.
Yeah I've read the same via ehume's review, and opinions on this forum (including MicroCat's!). If they were the 12V ippc fans I'd probably just ignore them, I was surprised to see they were the 24V versions.

Anyhows, I went in to grab the SilentWings this morning, and saw the Noctua fans further discounted to $13.50. At that price it was hard not to pick them up, so I did! I figure worst case scenario: I dislike them, and just take them back; at almost full price, I can get the SilentWings at any time! With the $ I saved I may pick up a SATA powered PWM hub, as I'm not sure how risky it would be to run all 3 on a single header (and still have $ left over!).
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by guzzoline View Post

Yeah I've read the same via ehume's review, and opinions on this forum (including MicroCat's!). If they were the 12V ippc fans I'd probably just ignore them, I was surprised to see they were the 24V versions.

Anyhows, I went in to grab the SilentWings this morning, and saw the Noctua fans further discounted to $13.50. At that price it was hard not to pick them up, so I did! I figure worst case scenario: I dislike them, and just take them back; at almost full price, I can get the SilentWings at any time! With the $ I saved I may pick up a SATA powered PWM hub, as I'm not sure how risky it would be to run all 3 on a single header (and still have $ left over!).
I'm sure they will be fine. Noctua makes good fans, and the iPPC 24v on 12v make them much quieter.. If I saw some for $13.50 I'm sure I would buy them .. and I have more fans than I'll ever use.
tongue.gif
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by guzzoline View Post

Yeah I've read the same via ehume's review, and opinions on this forum (including MicroCat's!). If they were the 12V ippc fans I'd probably just ignore them, I was surprised to see they were the 24V versions.

Anyhows, I went in to grab the SilentWings this morning, and saw the Noctua fans further discounted to $13.50. At that price it was hard not to pick them up, so I did! I figure worst case scenario: I dislike them, and just take them back; at almost full price, I can get the SilentWings at any time! With the $ I saved I may pick up a SATA powered PWM hub, as I'm not sure how risky it would be to run all 3 on a single header (and still have $ left over!).
That's a great price! If you don't like them for your build, sell them to doyll (at a tidy profit) so he can live his secret Canadian fan consumer dream on the cheap.
biggrin.gif
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ciarlatano View Post

I need to grab a couple of the 24V to test. My experience with the 12V was less than pleasant on the audible side. Need to see what @MicroCat is talking about.
Might be able to pick up a couple cheap right here in this thread. ;-)

Agree about the 12V versions - audibly rough 'n rowdy. 24V editions are smoother at low rpms and since the max rpm is nearly half as fast won't split eardrums at 30cm. Altho above 1500rpm they're noisy enough - as is any 140mm I've used.

When I purchased mine they were about the same cost as current redux models. Since then, seems Noctua has cracked down on Canadian retailers selling their products at a fair and noble price - Noctua is only 20% cheaper than other premium brands like Be!Q and Phanteks. Still 90% cheaper than elite fan brands like Thermalright tho.
biggrin.gif
 
#15 ·
The IPPC 24v are pretty quiet; I don't hear any motor noise / hum / clicking that others notice with the 12V variants (though I never run them faster than 1000 RPM!). In terms of performance, they're both really good fans and I'd definitely consider their performance competitive. The SW3 DO have the upper hand for noise at same levels of airflow, but I still wouldn't call the Noctuas loud! So in terms of performance, you really can't go wrong with either.

Beyond performance, Noctua has a better warranty and RMA service compared to Be Quiet!. I've only had to contact Be Quiet! once for a SW3 RMA, and they wanted me to mail the fan to them before considering any resolution (almost 1/2 the cost of the fan to do so!). Noctua on the other hand, has only ever needed me to break a blade off the defective fan and send them a pic of it + Photo ID for a no-cost replacement. So if warranty/servicing is important, you've got another reason to go Noctua!

edit: I've got no way to measure how much power they draw, but I've been running 3 of the 24v noctuas on a single 1A PWM header without any issues. Noctua has them listed at a max input current of .33 A, which I think included start up current - so you should be fine with three on one header! If I'm wrong, somebody correct me!
 
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