Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.Black.swap, Premium Quiet Fan, 4-Pin (120mm, Black)

Setup (Idle):1) NF-A12 as an intake fan (1400 RPM)2) ARCTIC P12 as exhaust. (1300 RPM)3) CPU Heatsink: Noctua NH-U12S chromax.Black paired with NF-F12 120mm (500 RPM)Under load:GPU temps never rise above 68*C. The key difference between the NF-A12 and the ARCTIC P12 is that the NF-A12 never lets the hot air stay in the case long enough to get hot. It truly moves air extremely well. And that's with just one NF-A12 intake fan.Next experiment:I will be adding an other NF-A12 as an exhaust fan to see if it improves temperatures even more.I do not know if older iterations had complete sets of 4 bumpers for each color, but the current version has four bumpers for all of the colors available, including black. There is also a sound dampener, I think? Please see photo.Important note: Reviews stating that there are only gray bumpers must be older versions. If you purchase it as of February 25, 2024, rest assured you will receive four black bumpers. It also comes with hardware - four screws. Be aware that the threading is very tight. If the fan is in a position that is hard to tighten the screws, please have patience. I dropped the screws at least four times. This is good, though. That means the material is not low quality.My only caveat is that the length of the cable that comes with the fan is a little too short. I was barely able to reach the SysFan header at the bottom of the motherboard. Please see photo. The cable has a sleeve so it makes for a bad bend when you insert the 4-pin connector to the SysFan pins. Be careful not to force it or else you could damage the pins and the motherboard. Most motherboards were not designed to accommodate enough space for 4-pin cable and sleeves like this. Usually, case fans or fans in general come with 4-pin wires that have no sleeves so it is much easier to cable manage and maneuver around small openings.I would have preferred a longer cable as most cases these days have good cable management. You can loop it to the back of the case and get rid of cables hanging over your motherboard. Noctua made it too short and not long enough. The cable does not know whether to be short or long. It is a bad length. I have a slightly larger than usual, mid-tower case - NZXT H7 Flow. It is larger than the NZXT H500. For smaller mid-towers, you should be okay. And if you have the NZXT H7 Flow, it should be okay as well, as I had about 1-2 inches of cable to pull on.At 1300-1400, it becomes quite audible. But the idea with this fan is to keep it at around 500-900 RPM because that's where it's most quiet and moves a lot of air. Even at 1400 RPM, I cannot hear it from where I am sitting, although there is a slight hum. I have my PC case underneath my desk, so please keep that in mind. With NZXT case fans, I can clearly hear them. And with ARCTIC P12s, I can barely hear them, if at all.Compared to the ARCTIC P12, they both have different sound or noise signatures. The NF-A12 has a much more rounded sound. Not nearly as grating as the ARCTIC P12. If I had to choose, I would go with the A12x25. I am very sensitive to noise and I have excellent hearing. If you are sensitive to sound and you have high sensory, then please keep this in mind.I think for those reasons, some people are buying The Noctua NF-A12x25 as case fans. I am using it as case fans. I wanted a quiet fan that outperforms other case fans in terms of air flow and getting rid of hot air from inside the case while remaining quiet/silent.Even then, I think I hear a slight hum from the NF-A12x25, where as the ARCTIC P12 does not have a hum at all. Arguably, the P12 is quieter and more silent than the A12x25. It is only when you put your ear directly next to the P12, you can hear its sound or noise signature.Ultimately, the NF-A12 is not significantly better than the ARCTIC P12. It is more like a sideways upgrade. It depends on what you prefer. As far as temperatures, The NF-A12 slightly edges out the P12 by a couple of degrees (Celsius). Nothing to write home about.If you already have the P12 and you are not bothered by its sound and noise levels, then stick with them. The value of the P12 is difficult to beat. A 5-pack of ARCTIC P12 is about $24, but one NF-A12 is about $35. The extra accessories such as the bumpers stay in the box because I purchased it to match the black and white theme for my case.Again, there are four black bumpers despite what other reviews have stated. But not eight bumpers to cover all corners. I think that is what other reviewers were alluding to, but it isn't the biggest deal. I would have preferred eight black bumpers and no other colors, and an extra cable that is longer. If you are planning to use the NF-A12 as an exhaust fan, I do not think it will reach one of the top 4-pins on the motherboard. If it does, it will probably droop over the motherboard.When it comes to NF-A12 as an intake fan, I cannot confirm with absolute certainty that it has improved my GPU hot spot temps, but it has dropped from 42*C (with ARCTIC P12) to 38*C (with NF-A12), so far. For the first time, my GPU temp and Hot Spot temps, according to HWMonitor, is within 8*C of one another while idle. This is considered excellent.Ultimately, the NF-A12 is difficult to recommend over excellent value propositions such as the ARCTIC P12. The NF-A12 moves significantly more air, but idle temps are only slightly better by 2-3*C. The more rounded noise or sound signature is preference, as the ARCTIC P12 is nearly inaudible unless you put your ear next to it. The NF-A12 has a humming sound that I can hear even though my PC is underneath my desk. That is about 3 feet away from my ears. Where as with the ARCTIC P12, I was unable to hear any humming noise.With that said, if you have the ARCTIC P12, you may want to consider hanging onto them and save your money. The value proposition just isn't there for me. I do not plan to return it, though. I like experimenting with different case fans to get the lowest probable temps while idle or under load. The humming noise kind of bothers me even with headphones on, listening to music. The NF-A12 @ 1300-1400 RPM isn't as quiet as some reviewers make it out to be and it can be misleading due to biases and echochambers.Update:While my previous assessment noted that the NF-A12 is more of a side upgrade, I have changed my conclusion to it being a superior case fan than the ARCTIC P12. The main reason being because it has effcient airflow. It moves hot air out of the case far better than the P12.Temperatures in every category have improved and it doesn't let the ambient temperature climb. It gets rid of the heat and doesn't let temperatures become too hot. This is the key factor and difference the A12 does far better than the P12 and other generic case fans.

Most people would balk at the idea of spending $35 for a 120mm fan, when there are literally hundreds of other options in the $5 to $10 range. However, if you are looking for the pinnacle of quality, reliability and as close to completely silent operation as possible, then this fan is worth the entry price. Another key point about the NF-A12 is that it provides enough static pressure to work with any heatsink or radiator out there. The cheaper fans can move air just fine when used as a case fan, but put an impedance in front of them and they will quickly lose up to 100% of their efficiency. For my build, I put this fan on a Thermalright SI-100 heatsink over a Ryzen 5 7600X. With de-volting, I am happily sitting at 60c under load and a computer you cannot hear at all. This fan is fantastic and I am glad I bought it.

You can't go wrong with this fans. Extremely quiet (running three at the moment). These are well built and you can tell by the quality compared to cheaper fans. Easy install, and works great.

I have 5 of these in my PC case. I wanted quiet and reliable fans without any lights in them. The rubber corners are just an added bonus. Very nice fans!

You know the old saying, 'You get what you pay for'? Well, in this case, every penny is worth it. Some might hesitate at the price, but unless Noctua starts getting outrageous, I won’t think twice. I’ve replaced all my PC fans with Noctua, and once again, the NF-A12x25 PWM proves why. It’s whisper-quiet while delivering impressive airflow. With proper placement and a well-tuned fan curve, you’ll hardly even notice it’s there—except for the superior cooling performance.

These fit the color scheme of my build and keep it nice and cool. I have them set up as intake fans and they're great. They come with different colored spacers for however you want to customize them too. I've had the brown ones in the past but I like these more.