14 DAY TRIAL // PC cases can be simple or sophisticated, but all of them have places where they can strap a fan or two, so Noctua decided to make some of those fans.
They aren't just any fans either, but a number of PWM models which are actually improved versions of the NF-P12, NF-B9 and NF-R8.
In that order, they are priced at EUR 19.90 / $24.90, EUR 17.90 / $21.90 and EUR 14.90 / $18.90.
The NE-FD1 IC (integrated circuit) is fine tuned to keep the spinners quiet and is optimized for power efficiency as well.
As such, compared to their non-PWM versions, the fans use 25-40% less energy.
This small chip isn't even the only asset that Noctua decided to outfit its inventions with.
What the company also threw in was Low-Noise Adapters, with 30cm cable extensions and 4-pin y-cables that let two PWM fans be linked to the same fan header.
This offers automatic control over double the cooling prowess of the SSO bearing cooling fans.
“Our customers have been asking us for PWM versions of our fans for a long time, but the available PWM fan driver ICs simply weren't up to our quality standards,” explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO.
“With our NE-FD1, we've now got our custom-designed IC that allows us to build PWM fans that consume less power and remain quieter at low speeds.”
The prices mentioned above can well enough suggest that Noctua doesn't expect just anyone to be able to buy these products.
For those who do, though, it made sure to implement the Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology, which makes the aforementioned FD1 PWM chip slow down the slew rate of the output signal, for a less sudden, smother torque impulse and, thus, little to no noise during switching (low speeds are even more silent, too).
