Noctua NF-A14 ULN, NF-A14 FLX and NF-A15 PWM Fan Review
3. Noctua NF-A15 PWM
The Noctua NF-A15 PWM also retails for about $23 and is backed by a 6-year warranty. Below you see the fans' package, which includes all the product features printed at the front and back sides of it.
Opening the box unveils the contents
- 1x Noctua NH-A15 PWM product
- 1x Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
- 1x 4-Pin Y-Cable
- 1x 30cm Extension Cable
- 4x Vibration-Compensators
- 4x Fan Screws
The Noctua NF-A15 PWM has a 150mm wide round frame and has been designed for use on today’s high-end CPU coolers. While its 150mm width matches those of most high-end heatsinks, its 140mm height doesn’t make it extend on top, ensuring case compatibility.
The NF-A15’s standard 120mm mounting holes (105mm spacing) also make it an ideal performance upgrade for 120mm case or CPU fans. The NF-A15 supports the automatic PWM speed control, meaning that the fan will control its rotating speed according to the feedback it gets from motherboard's temperature sensors.
In addition, Noctua’s NE-FD1 PWM IC integrates Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology. By providing smoother torque impulses, SCD suppresses PWM switching noises and thus makes the fan quieter at low speeds.
The NF-A15 PWM also takes advantage of all those technologies and features found on the NF-A14 series, including the side Flow Acceleration Channels, Noctua’s AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimization) frames with integrated anti-vibration pads as well as Noctua’s proprietary Stepped Inlet Design and Inner Surface Microstructures, Noctua’s Stepped Inlet Design and SSO2 bearing.
Last but not least, the NF-A15 PWM is also supplied with a Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.) that reduces the maximum fan speed from 1200 to 900rpm. The L.N.A can be used either to run the fan at a fixed speed of 900rpm or to cap the maximum speed when using automatic PWM control.