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Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

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Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#171

Post by ufocia »

biosboiii wrote: post #154
matsemann wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have we solved the yellowing? I guess many of us have memories of old and ugly yellow computers.

TIL: Generally all plastics exposed to UV start to photodegrade. If you google why old computers turn particularly yellow most sources point to bromine-based flame retardant agents in the plastic, but some people make a convincing case[1] that ABS just naturally turns yellow in UV light. Not much real research into that topic, interestingly. [1] https://medium.com/@pueojit/a-look-into-the-yellowing-and-de...

Not sure why all the fire retardants are needed. Besides, steel probably retards fire more effectively than most fire retarded resins and is probably far more recyclable.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#172

Post by ChoGGi »

jordanb wrote: post #161
malfist wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it? Not everything is a sign of deception. Even if it is the case, and not simple an omission to focus the narrative, does it matter? Case fans pull what 4 watts? 5 watts? Who cares if it pulls 200 milliwatts more than a competitor when it's cooling a GPU and CPU that consume more than a hundred times what it can consume

Tighter tolerance isn't universally a good thing. It might make the fan more susceptible to damage due to mishandling or dust. They might be selling a fan that has a shorter useful life for no real benefit.

I take it you've never dealt with Noctua for warranty issues (or any issues).

They go above and beyond.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#173

Post by xxs »

malfist wrote: post #156
maxerickson wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems a little revealing that they tout the clearance and not the difference in efficiency.

Does it? Not everything is a sign of deception. Even if it is the case, and not simple an omission to focus the narrative, does it matter? Case fans pull what 4 watts? 5 watts? Who cares if it pulls 200 milliwatts more than a competitor when it's cooling a GPU and CPU that consume more than a hundred times what it can consume

>Case fans pull what 4 watts? 5 watts?

That's really high. Like usually they are 100-150mA (so sub 2W) Lots of controllers would be 1A max.

The tolerances are for noise mostly. I'd consider the noise (and longevity) the single most important part of fans (else most fans can spin close to 3k rpm and cool)

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#174

Post by ChoGGi »

ufocia wrote: post #169
vladvasiliu wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that the precision is supposed to help with noise. Less turbulence, etc. FWIW, in my setup (10th gen i5, RTX 5070 Ti in an old Define R3 case), the 12 cm Noctua G2 fans run quieter and have a much less obnoxious noise than the old P/F series, which wipe the floor with the Arctic fan I bought for a computer that lives in the basement and sounds like it's about to take off.

You lead me to believe that they are targeting a niche "audiophile" market and probably not a commercial market. The concern in the commercial market would be energy savings vs. capital expenditure. Some commercial spaces actually introduce white noise into spaces to increase occupant density.

They target people that want quiet/silent cases, obviously not commerical, unless you're going after the long life/warranty service. Or you go for their industrial line.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#175

Post by ufocia »

wolvoleo wrote: post #52
petepete wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Me too. All my computers have Noctua fans and I don't care in the slightest that they're the same colour as my parents' sofa in the 1980s. I have a couple of their screwdrivers too. I'm with with brown.

This colour combo is more 1970s than 80s. 80s was more gaudy neon and transparent stuff. The 70s loved their murky browns. OK PC boxes of the 80s and 90s were all beige too but they didn't have any brown. It also fit in with manufacturing in those days: In the 70s a lot of wood was still used, whereas in the 80s everything shifted to plastics. But whether you love or hate (as I do) the brown Noctua colours, the one t…

At least some Apple ][ key caps from the 80's appear to have been brown.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#176

Post by devilbunny »

ufocia wrote: post #169
vladvasiliu wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that the precision is supposed to help with noise. Less turbulence, etc. FWIW, in my setup (10th gen i5, RTX 5070 Ti in an old Define R3 case), the 12 cm Noctua G2 fans run quieter and have a much less obnoxious noise than the old P/F series, which wipe the floor with the Arctic fan I bought for a computer that lives in the basement and sounds like it's about to take off.

You lead me to believe that they are targeting a niche "audiophile" market and probably not a commercial market. The concern in the commercial market would be energy savings vs. capital expenditure. Some commercial spaces actually introduce white noise into spaces to increase occupant density.

They are targeting people who want nearly-silent fans for computing devices and will pay considerably higher than average prices for them. I have several of them, and they are vastly quieter than the competition. Wouldn't be worth it in a commercial space, but I want my house to be quiet.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#177

Post by devilbunny »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #165
Zak wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine a white PC fan would look terrible if not cleaned daily or used in a room with very filtered air.

Well, I have a bunch of lower-end black fans, some of them quite old, from before transparent cases were a thing. They're actually pretty much gray if I don't wipe them off. Noctua's signature... brown-orange? Whatever that color is, it has the same issue. The blades are basically gray if I don't wipe them. Haven't seen anybody start a gray craze, though. Though I have a grayish motorbike that also shows dust and dir…

Silver is the ideal color for hiding dirt. I had a silver car once. Unless you drove it down a dirt road during a rainstorm, you basically never had to wash it.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#178

Post by cheschire »

randerson wrote: post #125

I love Noctua, and just wish they'd branch out from PCs and build more types of fans. Our lives are filled with so much irritating noise from noisy fans. Air conditioners, kitchen extractors, hair dryers, box fans, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, leaf blowers, car climate control & radiator fans, just to name a few. I'd happily pay a premium for quieter things.

I’m getting tired of the grayscale colors of the 2010’s too. I could use more brown and beige in my life.

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#179

Post by exitb »

herbst wrote: post #145
navane wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My fan broke after five? years of near 24/7 use. Customer support was very easy to reach. They sent me a new one after I sent some serial numbers as proof. They asked me then to break off a blade, and a picture of it so I didn't have to sent it back.

I get why. But that still seems wasteful

But would it be more wasteful than shipping a parcel with broken equipment?

Re: Why does it take so long to release black fan versions?

#180

Post by ThatMedicIsASpy »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #162
maxerickson wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Case fans pull what 4 watts? 5 watts? Who cares if it pulls 200 milliwatts more than a competitor when it's cooling a GPU and CPU that consume more than a hundred times what it can consume Yes, exactly. The high precision is marketing, not something needed in the product.

My understanding is that the precision is supposed to help with noise. Less turbulence, etc. FWIW, in my setup (10th gen i5, RTX 5070 Ti in an old Define R3 case), the 12 cm Noctua G2 fans run quieter and have a much less obnoxious noise than the old P/F series, which wipe the floor with the Arctic fan I bought for a computer that lives in the basement and sounds like it's about to take off.

A 5 pack of arctic pwm fans was 25€. I was considering noctua but the G2 fans were always delayed. But I doubt I would have paid 150-200€ for 5 fans.

They do have the most insane pricing. I could see myself buying some in the 15€ range but not 35€.

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