Pricing
The prices range from $22-$25 for the models reviewed. Noctua also sell their Redux line which is much cheaper where the main trade offs are top end performance and the included accessories.
If silence is critical to your build, the Premium series from Noctua is worth the price and a safe option.
Final Thoughts
Small form factor builds typically end up in a bedroom or lounge room and normally need to be quiet. Variable (PWM) fans are great for increasing the airflow when you need it but sometimes a low constant movement of air will do the trick.
For a small form factor gaming rig, a variable PWM fan is probably the best option because it will spin up when gaming and remain basically silent at all other times. For a media PC or home server with relatively constant loading, a FLX or ULN type fan may suffice for near silent running – you won’t hear the fans going but you might still hear the hard drives.
If you are cooling a chipset, it’s hard to go past the A4x10 and in most cases, the 12v FLX option is going to be what you are looking for. The 5v is there for specific applications but make sure you don’t get it by mistake. If you need to cool some MOFSETs or RAM modules the 40mm with a now noise adaptor could be the trick to get some focused airflow going.
Whilst you might not need all the accessories, it doesn’t hurt to have them handy. Remember that fan splitters can be a life saver on a mini-ITX motherboard where they only typically have 2 fan headers, one for the CPU and one for the chassis. Both the Fractal Design Node 304 and the Thermaltake Core v1 mini ITX cases have 3 case fans so these accessories can make a difference.
