By: Aaron Lai and Hai Wang
April 24, 2026
Another season is gone in the NHL, and it was another non-playoff year for the Calgary Flames. I do not think anyone expected them to be in the post-season, whether the press or any informed fan. Despite the result, there were encouraging signs for the Flames. For one, it was the first time more youth played consistently in the lineup. This included newcomers like Matvei Gridin, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Zayne Parekh. They had growing pains, but each game felt like they were progressing in the right direction. The Flames also saw the emergence of a solid goalie in Devin Cooley. Most of all, I was happy the team traded pieces like Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar, because it showed a dedication to rebuilding the team rather than just applying quick fixes. This was especially true as both Kadri and Weegar had long-term contracts and not just expiring ones. Overall, I like this version, or color, of Flames that we are seeing with a commitment to the future. On the other hand, Noctua has often produced premium cooling, and unlike the Flames, they have always shown a commitment to their secondary colors with the chromax.black lineup. Whenever a new product comes out, most people will assume an all-black variant will appear after. Today, we have the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 chromax.black series of fans. We saw and lauded the original Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 Series, so what does this version bring? Does it continue Noctua's commitment to the lineup? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review units of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 chromax.black fans arrived from Noctua's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Traveling with UPS and their Saver service, this Noctua branded box arrived at our APH Networks location in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in good condition with only a few bumps or bruises on the edges. Thankfully, this folding envelope has a thicker surrounding frame and thus any damage here does not translate to internal issues. This time, Noctua sent us an NF-A14x25 G2 PWM chromax.black and a set of NF-A14x25 G2 PWM Sx2-PP chromax.black fans. We will explore these differences in our review.
Like the vanilla version of these fans, the chromax.black edition of the Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 fans are similarly packaged, except in blacked-out retail boxes. The single PWM fan is in a smaller box with a picture of the fan on full display, while the Sx2-PP fans are shown in a pair. Both have the product name on the top-right corner. The tagline for the PWM fan is "Next-Gen 140mm Premium Fan", while the tagline for the Sx2-PP fans is "Push-Pull Set of Next-Gen 140mm Premium Fans". Both boxes emphasize the features of the Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer compound construction of their impellers, a highly optimized P/Q curve, and further optimizations that come with their second generation of fans. I like that Noctua has continued their "Chromax" branding we have seen across all their products, as it creates a sub-brand for those who want Noctua quality without their traditional colors.
Before we continue, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your reading pleasure:
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM chromax.black
Size (Form factor): 140 x 140 x 25 mm (square)
Speed range: 0 – 1500 rpm
Airflow (max.): 155.6 m³/h (91.58 CFM)
Acoustical noise (max.): 24.8 dB(A)
Static pressure (max.): 2.56 mm H₂O
Rated voltage: 12 V
Connector: 4-pin
Colour: Black
Warranty: 6 years
Scope of delivery:
- NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
- NA-YC1 chromax.black 4-pin PWM splitter cable
- NA-EC1 chromax.black 30cm extension cable
- 4x NA-AV2 chromax.black anti-vibration mounts
- NA-AVG2-LR chromax.black anti-vibration gasket
- 4x NA-AVP1-LR chromax.black load-relief anti-vibration pads
- Black fan screws
Noctua NF-A14x25 G2 PWM Sx2-PP chromax.black
Size (Form factor): 140 x 140 x 25 mm (square)
Speed range: 0 – 1500 rpm
Airflow (max.): 155.6 m³/h (91.58 CFM)
Acoustical noise (max.): 24.8 dB(A)
Static pressure (max.): 2.56 mm H₂O
Rated voltage: 12 V
Connector: 4-pin
Colour: Black
Warranty: 6 years
Scope of delivery:
- NF-A14x25 G2 PWM PPA chromax.black
- NF-A14x25 G2 PWM PPB chromax.black
- 2x NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
- NA-YC1 chromax.black 4-pin PWM splitter cable
- 2x NA-EC1 chromax.black 30cm extension cable
- 8x NA-AV2 chromax.black anti-vibration mounts
- 2x NA-AVG2-LR chromax.black anti-vibration gasket for water cooling radiators
- 8x NA-AVP1-LR chromax.black load-relief anti-vibration pads
- Black fan screws
After opening the two boxes, you will notice Noctua has organized everything in a very neat and organized way, but I have taken everything out of their packaging for you to see. All the accessories and cables can be found in their own bags within a single box. Each fan comes with a respective set of NA-AVP1-LR chromax.black rubber paddings, NA-AV2 chromax.black rubber anti-vibration mounts, mounting screws, NA-RC16 low noise adapter, and 30cm NA-EC1 chromax.black extension cable. Each package comes with an NA-YC1 chromax.black 4-pin PWM splitter cable too. Each fan has a paper ring between the fan blade and the frame for protection while in transit, so be sure to remove this before you use the fan.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
