• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

noctua enters the aio market

pendragon1

pendragon1

Cat Can't Scratch It
2FA
Joined
Oct 7, 2000
Messages
77,301
still ugly but...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OACfk1qNlCY

1781644786833.png
 
Last edited:
It's tech news. Weird thing to be banned from. But anyway ... that is one ugly AIO. The only builds I've seen that look decent with those are wood grain or steam punk.


500222-bcc34e06ffd0580d0eb49225d0efd2f9-1600.jpg


They really need other color options.
 
yup, they do. at least they came around on black ones, they should offer this in both.
 
yeah, it doesnt have ram or an ssd in so it should be like 150-180(their fans are expensive).
 
Mad Maxx said:
NGL, if the Noc had black fans...

Wonder if I could replace the Noc fans with my spare Phanteks D30-120 fans?

If it looks like I'm just trying for an excuse to spend some $$, you're probably right. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
The Chromax Black version will be available the end of the year if Noctua is to believed. I know Noctua are engineering perfectionists but there should be no excuse for any delays since the Chromax Black G2 fans are already available for sale and it's just a matter of including them in the box instead of the brown ones. I'm getting the feeling that if they sold the black versions now, almost nobody would buy the version with their signature colors.
 
Captain Newmackwa said:
The Chromax Black version will be available the end of the year if Noctua is to believed. I know Noctua are engineering perfectionists but there should be no excuse for any delays since the Chromax Black G2 fans are already available for sale and it's just a matter of including them in the box instead of the brown ones. I'm getting the feeling that if they sold the black versions now, almost nobody would buy the version with their signature colors.
Click to expand...
They say their boxed fans and cpu/cooler fans are tuned differently since one goes on a high fin density radiator and the others typically a more or less unrestricted case vent...but I don't know how true that is.
 
Nobu said:
They say their boxed fans and cpu/cooler fans are tuned differently since one goes on a high fin density radiator and the others typically a more or less unrestricted case vent...but I don't know how true that is.
Click to expand...
They sell boxed pressure fans intended for use on CPU coolers & rads. Or at least they did last time I bought from them.
 
zandor said:
They sell boxed pressure fans intended for use on CPU coolers & rads. Or at least they did last time I bought from them.
Click to expand...
They do, but supposedly the ones included with coolers are tuned for those coolers...supposedly.
 
Nobu said:
They say their boxed fans and cpu/cooler fans are tuned differently since one goes on a high fin density radiator and the others typically a more or less unrestricted case vent...but I don't know how true that is.
Click to expand...
I think they're just the same as the standalone G2 fans because by design, they should work well with most applications. The only tuning that I'm aware of is the +/- 50rpm speed offset on one of the fans to mitigate unwanted acoustical interactions and that is already available with the 2-pack G2s where the fans are marked A and B where B is the one with the speed offset, so for the 360 AIO, the fan mounting should be A-B-A or something like that.
 
I found this customer review on Amazon comparing the Noctua AIO to Arctic LF3 Pro 360 for AMD 9950X3D.

3 out of 5 stars

High quality and quiet, overall mid performance​


Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2026
Verified Purchase
This review is comparing Noctua's NL-LC1-36 to my existing Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro, also running triple Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans. Case is Antec Flux SE and CPU is Ryzen 9950x3D running -25/-20 per CCD Curve Optimizer. Motherboard is MSI X870e Ace Max.

Idle (both are silent):

Arctic: 43C (Fan Speed: 750rpm, Pump speed: 1800rpm)
Noctua NL-LC1: 48C (Fan Speed: 1000rpm, Pump speed: 1900rpm)

100% Load using OCCT (noise is still pretty tame for both - more air noise than fan noise):

Arctic: 80C (Fan speed: 100%, pump speed: 80%)
Noctua NL-LC1: 87C (Fan speed: 100%, pump speed: 80% - online reviews state going higher doesn't really make a difference here)

Conclusion:

Noctua's build quality is top notch here, but there's no defying physics. The Arctic has much thicker rad and has more raw cooling performance. The Noctua is also limited by the fact it's essentially an Asetek unit and not the latest version either (gen 8 v2 vs. their latest gen 9). Both pumps are essentially inaudible if you run reasonable pwm curves on them.

The stand out feature is the fans - they are second to none in terms of performance/noise, so they can make the LFIII Pro just as quiet as the Noctua AIO.

The Arctic can regularly be had for ~$85, and even if you add in the additional cost of 3 NF-A12x25 G2's (not to mention you can get the black versions if you want), it'll still come out to less than the current cost of the Noctua AIO. Plus the Arctic also comes with a VRM fan in the package vs. the Noctua that you have to buy separately.

I'll also add I really don't like either AIO's mounting mechanism as they use two sided (left/right) leaf springs screws that make it hard to get good even mounting pressure. I really wish they went with the much better four corner/cross pattern mounting mechanism other coolers use.

I ultimately returned the Noctua AIO and went back the the LFIII Pro. I'd say wait for the price of the Noctua AIO to come down if you really want it or wait for Noctua to come out with their own custom AIO which I expect should perform better to their standards.

** Most of the other reviews are 5 stars, FWIW.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Mad Maxx said:
I found this customer review on Amazon comparing the Noctua AIO to Arctic LF3 Pro 360 for AMD 9950X3D.

3 out of 5 stars

High quality and quiet, overall mid performance​


Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2026
Verified Purchase
This review is comparing Noctua's NL-LC1-36 to my existing Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro, also running triple Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans. Case is Antec Flux SE and CPU is Ryzen 9950x3D running -25/-20 per CCD Curve Optimizer. Motherboard is MSI X870e Ace Max.

Idle (both are silent):

Arctic: 43C (Fan Speed: 750rpm, Pump speed: 1800rpm)
Noctua NL-LC1: 48C (Fan Speed: 1000rpm, Pump speed: 1900rpm)

100% Load using OCCT (noise is still pretty tame for both - more air noise than fan noise):

Arctic: 80C (Fan speed: 100%, pump speed: 80%)
Noctua NL-LC1: 87C (Fan speed: 100%, pump speed: 80% - online reviews state going higher doesn't really make a difference here)

Conclusion:

Noctua's build quality is top notch here, but there's no defying physics. The Arctic has much thicker rad and has more raw cooling performance. The Noctua is also limited by the fact it's essentially an Asetek unit and not the latest version either (gen 8 v2 vs. their latest gen 9). Both pumps are essentially inaudible if you run reasonable pwm curves on them.

The stand out feature is the fans - they are second to none in terms of performance/noise, so they can make the LFIII Pro just as quiet as the Noctua AIO.

The Arctic can regularly be had for ~$85, and even if you add in the additional cost of 3 NF-A12x25 G2's (not to mention you can get the black versions if you want), it'll still come out to less than the current cost of the Noctua AIO. Plus the Arctic also comes with a VRM fan in the package vs. the Noctua that you have to buy separately.

I'll also add I really don't like either AIO's mounting mechanism as they use two sided (left/right) leaf springs screws that make it hard to get good even mounting pressure. I really wish they went with the much better four corner/cross pattern mounting mechanism other coolers use.

I ultimately returned the Noctua AIO and went back the the LFIII Pro. I'd say wait for the price of the Noctua AIO to come down if you really want it or wait for Noctua to come out with their own custom AIO which I expect should perform better to their standards.

** Most of the other reviews are 5 stars, FWIW.
Click to expand...
pendragon1 said:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWswaq2f7Q
Click to expand...

this shows the opposite 🤷‍♂️
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Been considering getting one of these for my secondary, but will probably wait for the black fan edition. Probably gets within a few degrees of my current setup in my secondary (just a medium thickness 360) and without the PITA of the res limiting GPU length. Currently running a midi tower on my secondary, but would prefer it to be smaller and lighter as it gets moved around quite a bit. An AIO would probably save 1-2 KG of weight and remove GPU clearance issues.

They have insulated the pump so the noise is less noticeable on the Noctua, which has always been a problem with AIOs when you want almost inaudible at low power usage. Every AIO I ever had came with a weak pump that was noisy at medium or higher speeds. If the pump is virtually silent at speeds that give some flowrate, then it should work very well for silent computing at lightweight desktop use. I did try the old NF-A12x25 PWM fans on an AIO before completing my main build and they absolutely stomped the original fans.
 
As an Small Form Factor enthusiast, I am disappointed that Noctua's "solution" to AIO pump noise, is a really tall foam cap on top of the pump. Rather than giving us a better pump. The price is also grossly expensive. And once again......they delay the release of the 'black' version.

IMO, the best overall AIO's right now, are Cooler Master's Atmos series. The pumps are truly quiet. Even at full speed, I have to get my ear really close, to hear it a little bit.
And they are consistent. I have done builds with 3 of them (1 Atmos RGB and 2 Atmos Stealth). There have been some slight variance, but their pumps have all been similarly quiet. And all 3 of them had essentially zero gurgling sounds. The quietest AIO's I have ever used.
And the Pump blocks are really low height. The Atmos II's pump cap is even lower still, than the original.

The Atmos "Stealth" also comes with legit good fans for noise/performance. And is my overall recommendation. The fans aren't as good as Noctua's G2. But, they are good enough you won't feel an immediate need to get something better.
 
chameleoneel said:
I am disappointed that Noctua's "solution" to AIO pump noise, is a really tall foam cap on top of the pump. Rather than giving us a better pump.
Click to expand...
its an asetek... yes could have dev'd their own and then maybe $300CAN+ would be "reasonable"....
the difference is the rad and fans.
 
pendragon1 said:
its an asetek... yes could have dev'd their own and then maybe $300CAN+ would be "reasonable"....
the difference is the rad and fans.
Click to expand...
They didn't do anything special for the rad design. Its the same typical design as any AIO.

According to Noctua's videos, the only design optimization they made for temps, was to use their own mounting hardware. Compared to the generic Asetek mounting hardware, it saved them about 1 degree.

Additionally, Noctua's mount offers 'offset' mounting, which can potentially improve Zen 4/5 and Arrowlake temps 0 - 4-ish degrees. But, as noted in Noctua's own video, offset mounting is YMMV. And some other brands do offer offset mounting.

Most of the temperature performance here, are Noctua's fans. Which definitely are extremely good at both airflow and noise.


When it comes down to it, this is a very ordinary AIO, with a tall block of acoustic foam, and some excellent, very expensive fans.

I can buy an Cooler Master Atmos Stealth, add some Noctua G2 fans. With that, I save about $40 and enjoy a much lower profile pump block. With a pump design that is inherently quiet.
 
pendragon1 said:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27l8MqNvBRQ
Click to expand...

Would have been interesting to see performance in real world closed case setups as being able to draw fresh air at will vs being constrained in a case, with low to moderate case fan speeds, will influence the results.

His review makes a good argument for the Corsair Titan, even if that pump is probably a bit noisy. It would have been interesting to see a 35dbA limit though, as my experience with NF-A12x25 PWM fans is that their sweet spot for low noise running is 800-1100 RPM on fat (54mm and 60mm) class radiators.

Never had an AIO where I could both have near silent on desktop and pump at a reasonable speed, which is why the Noctua is tempting. I try to keep my D5s at around 50% for that same reason, but at 50% they have a flow rate that most AIOs can only dream of.

I am in the process of moving my secondary to a new case and considering going with a 360 AIO to simplify the build and setup. Kind of leaning towards getting a Corsair Titan, when it is that close to the Noctua, even if it might fall behind at lower noise settings. The RAD and fans will be pretty much on open display as I am moving to a Corsair 5400 Air and a white Titan RGB would look much better on display than the brown and beige Noctuas. The alternative would be to wait for the black edition of the Noctua, but Noctua saying "End of the year" usually means "Sometime in next year, if you are lucky". Secondary is more of a "pet project" where I build for looks, with decent thermals, unlike my main where very low noise with good thermals is everything.
 
pendragon1 said:
thats about a different aio...


watch the HC one.
Click to expand...
Yes and no. He tested this one against the noctua, but he forgot he swapped the fans on this one. He says it should have performed better (and includes results later). I haven't looked at the results yet to see if it made any real difference.
 
For some reason Noctua decided not to offer access to a coolant temp probe, which is just strange. Usually you would want to run your fans on a liquid cooler of the coolant temp as the CPU temp is in many ways a random thing.

I always run my fans based on either coolant temps or exhaust temps as they show if there is a need for higher fan speed. Running off of CPU temps often causes your fans to spin up and down and has never worked well for anything other than air CPU coolers IMO. Running all fans off a controller with multiple temp probes lets me keep my systems low noise for the CPU at all times and barely raise it when air cooled GPU needs more airflow.

Some examples of why having only CPU temp is an issue:
  • You max out 2 cores and your CPU temp spikes, but the heat that needs to be offloaded is fairly low. The fans don't really need to spin up, but they do, because you only have CPU temps to set the fans speed.
  • The opposite would be gaming where you often have low constant load with maybe 80-100 watts. Over time the coolant temp will rise a lot, but your fans barely spins up because the CPU might start at 45 degrees and rise to 55 degrees once the coolant heats up, but the CPU temp is still too low for you to want the excess noise of ramping up the fans.
  • Some desktop operations will cause shorter spikes where the CPU temp is 70 degrees for maybe 30 seconds. Your fans don't need to change speed because the coolant will absorb the short term heat and barely raise the temp for a short while. With CPU temp only, you need to really spin up the fans for 70 degrees since you don't know if it is short term or long term

I am a bit torn about which AIO would make sense to get. The system that I am considering downgrading to an AIO already has the necessary controller with temp sensors and fan ports so I could try tuning the fans off exhaust temp from the AIO. At the same time the Corsair Titan is much cheaper and should offer good enough performance as it is a secondary system that gets run now and then. A third option is to buy a new and smaller res + pump and redo the loop in that system as the res causing GPU incompatibilities is the main issue.
 
i aint reading all that...
ive owned 6 aios, none had a water temp.
 
pendragon1 said:
i aint reading all that...
ive owned 6 aios, none had a water temp.
Click to expand...
Every AIO I've owned, except one, has had coolant temp and run the fans off of that. Even AIOs from 15 years ago used coolant temp for the fans, which is the ideal way to control custom loops and AIOs. Controlling the coolant temp is the main factor in controlling the cooling potential in liquid cooling systems.
 
evhvis said:
Would have been interesting to see performance in real world closed case setups as being able to draw fresh air at will vs being constrained in a case, with low to moderate case fan speeds, will influence the results.

His review makes a good argument for the Corsair Titan, even if that pump is probably a bit noisy. It would have been interesting to see a 35dbA limit though, as my experience with NF-A12x25 PWM fans is that their sweet spot for low noise running is 800-1100 RPM on fat (54mm and 60mm) class radiators.

Never had an AIO where I could both have near silent on desktop and pump at a reasonable speed, which is why the Noctua is tempting. I try to keep my D5s at around 50% for that same reason, but at 50% they have a flow rate that most AIOs can only dream of.

I am in the process of moving my secondary to a new case and considering going with a 360 AIO to simplify the build and setup. Kind of leaning towards getting a Corsair Titan, when it is that close to the Noctua, even if it might fall behind at lower noise settings. The RAD and fans will be pretty much on open display as I am moving to a Corsair 5400 Air and a white Titan RGB would look much better on display than the brown and beige Noctuas. The alternative would be to wait for the black edition of the Noctua, but Noctua saying "End of the year" usually means "Sometime in next year, if you are lucky". Secondary is more of a "pet project" where I build for looks, with decent thermals, unlike my main where very low noise with good thermals is everything.
Click to expand...
If you want a truly Quiet pump, get a Cooler Master Atmos Stealth/Atmos II/Atmos II Stealth.
At max pump speed in the BIOS with no major fan noise: you gotta get your ears just a few inches away, to sort of hear it.

The fans included with the Stealth are good, too.

You could also buy Noctua G2 black fans to swap, and still save a chunk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top