By: Hai Wang
January 10, 2025
Imagine this: You are in your garage, surrounded by tools, wires, and a stack of high-performance cooling fans known for their exceptional cooling capabilities. But today, you are not installing them in a PC case. Instead, you're embarking on a far more unconventional experiment. What if these fans could take flight? The challenge is simple yet tantalizing: Use four of these 140mm fans to create a drone capable of lifting itself off the ground. Forget about batteries for now, this experiment is about tethered power and controlled flight, with a Raspberry Pi orchestrating the fans’ performance. The first step in this daring project is to determine the power supply settings. For example, each fan is rated for 12V and up to 0.14A, translating to a modest power draw of about 1.68W per fan. Multiply that by four, and you are looking at less than 7W of total power for the fans alone. But thrust does not come easily, as these fans will need to generate enough lift to overcome their combined weight, the lightweight drone frame, and the wiring. You will need a lab power supply that delivers more than just 12V, as stable current at that voltage is essential. Dialing in these settings and measuring the resulting thrust is a critical step in the process, perhaps using a digital scale to quantify the force exerted by the fans. As you fine-tune the setup, more questions arise: How can you optimize the airflow for maximum thrust? Will the fans’ static pressure perform well enough in this unconventional application? The only way to answer these questions is to build the test bench and put the real fans to work. But before we dive into the possibility of using them for this drone project, let us first take a closer look at today’s review units: the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 series fans, and see if they are a worthy option for PC cooling. Read on to find out more!
The Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 series fans arrived in a medium sized brown corrugated box featuring the company logo prominently printed on the surface. Shipped all the way from Austria via UPS Saver, the package arrived in remarkably good condition considering the long journey. As expected, the corners and edges of the box showed minor wear, but nothing concerning or out of the ordinary. After a quick inspection of the shipping box to ensure there was no significant damage, I eagerly opened it up to examine its contents.
Those familiar with Noctua's latest products will immediately recognize the signature retail packaging of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 series fans. Noctua maintains brand consistency with a uniform design across its product lineup, featuring a predominantly brownish-red color scheme. The front of each box prominently showcases an image of the fans inside, making it easy to identify the contents at a glance. Noctua’s logo is neatly placed in the lower right corner, while the model name is clearly displayed at the top right. As seen in the photo, there are three distinct packages for the three models of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 series fans. The smaller box on the left contains the G2 LS-PWM model, the one on the right holds the G2 PWM model, and the larger box with the designation "G2 PWM Sx2-PP" includes two fans. The size of each box provides a clear indication of the number of fans included.
Before digging into the rest of the review, let us take a look at the specifications of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM and Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 LS-PWM fans, as borrowed from the manufacturer's website:
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM
Size: 140x140x25 mm
Mounting hole spacing: 124.5x124.5 mm
Connector & pin-configuration: 4-pin PWM
Cable length: 20cm + 30cm NA-EC1 extension cable
Bearing: SSO2
Blade geometry: A-Series with Flow Acceleration Channels
Frame technology: AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation)
Material: Sterrox® LCP
Rotational speed (+/- 10%): 1500 RPM
Rotational speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%): 1250 RPM
Airflow: 155.6 m³/h
Airflow with L.N.A.: 127.1 m³/h
Acoustical noise: 24.8 dB(A)
Acoustical noise with L.N.A.: 19.7 dB(A)
Static pressure: 2.56 mm H₂O
Static pressure with L.N.A.: 1.3 mm H₂O
Input power (max.): 2.28 W
Max. input current: 0.19 A
Operating voltage: 12 V
MTTF: > 150,000 h
Scope of delivery:
-NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
-NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable
-NA-EC1 30cm extension cable
-4x NA-AV2 anti-vibration mounts
-NA-AVG2-LR anti-vibration gasket
-4x NA-AVP1-LR load-relief anti-vibration pads
-Fan screws
Warranty: 6 years
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM Sx2-PP
Size: 140x140x25 mm
Mounting hole spacing: 124.5x124.5 mm
Connector & pin-configuration: 4-pin PWM
Cable length: 20cm + 30cm NA-EC1 extension cable
Bearing: SSO2
Blade geometry: A-Series with Flow Acceleration Channels
Frame technology" AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation)
Material: Sterrox® LCP
Rotational speed (+/- 10%): 1500 RPM
Rotational speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%): 1250 RPM
Airflow: 155.6 m³/h
Airflow with L.N.A.: 127.1 m³/h
Acoustical noise: 24.8 dB(A)
Acoustical noise with L.N.A.: 19.7 dB(A)
Static pressure: 2.56 mm H₂O
Static pressure with L.N.A.: 1.3 mm H₂O
Input power (max.): 2.28 W
Max. input current: 0.19 A
Operating voltage: 12 V
MTTF: > 150,000 h
Scope of delivery:
-NF-A14x25 G2 PWM PPA
-NF-A14x25 G2 PWM PPB
-2x NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
-NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable
-2x NA-EC1 30cm extension cable
-8x NA-AV2 anti-vibration mounts
-2x NA-AVG2-LR anti-vibration gasket for water cooling radiators
-8x NA-AVP1-LR load-relief anti-vibration pads
-Fan screws
Warranty: 6 years
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 LS-PWM
Size: 140x140x25 mm
Mounting hole spacing: 124.5x124.5 mm
Connector & pin-configuration: 4-pin PWM
Cable length: 20cm + 30cm NA-EC1 extension cable
Bearing: SSO2
Blade geometry: A-Series with Flow Acceleration Channels
Frame technology: AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation)
Material: Sterrox® LCP
Rotational speed: (+/- 10%) 800 RPM
Rotational speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%): 600 RPM
Airflow: 81.6 m³/h
Airflow with L.N.A.: 67.5 m³/h
Acoustical noise: 11.4 dB(A)
Acoustical noise with L.N.A.: 8.6 dB(A)
Static pressure: 0.71 mm H₂O
Static pressure with L.N.A.: 0.43 mm H₂O
Input power (max.): 0.48 W
Max. input current: 0.04 A
Operating voltage: 12 V
MTTF: > 150,000 h
Scope of delivery:
-NA-RC8 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
-NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable
-NA-EC1 30cm extension cable
-4x NA-AV2 anti-vibration mounts
-NA-AVG2-LR anti-vibration gasket
-4x NA-AVP1-LR load-relief anti-vibration pads
-Fan screws
Warranty: 6 years
Upon opening the box, you will find that the fans come with a variety of thoughtfully included accessories designed to make installation as seamless as possible. For the G2 LS-PWM and G2 PWM models, each package contains one 140mm fan, while the G2 PWM Sx2-PP includes two 140mm fans. In addition to the fans, the box includes a well-organized selection of installation essentials, such as screws, mounting hardware, and extension cables. Notably, the smaller accessories are neatly stored in a theme-colored cardboard box, which is a practical and visually appealing choice that also serves as a protective holder, ensuring the fans remain secure during transit. Noctua has also included an essential information card that provides guidance on which gaskets or pads to use on specific sides of the fan, along with a clear warning to avoid overtightening screws during installation.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
