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be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed vs Noctua NF-S12A PWM: Comparison
be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed vs Noctua NF-S12A PWM static pressure compared
Start with static pressure, because it is the widest measured gap between them: be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed 2.3 mmH2O against Noctua NF-S12A PWM 1.19 mmH2O, 48% in favour of be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed. Add airflow to that, 71.7 CFM on the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed versus 63.27 CFM on the Noctua NF-S12A PWM, and the pattern holds. Add warranty to that, 3 years on the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed versus 6 years on the Noctua NF-S12A PWM, and the pattern holds. be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed also leads on max speed, 2200 RPM on the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed versus 1200 RPM on the Noctua NF-S12A PWM.
Which should you buy, be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed or Noctua NF-S12A PWM?
The be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed suits ARGB case intake/exhaust wanting real airflow and 140mm front-panel installs, though it is the wrong buy for pure silence at max speed (use the standard, non-high-speed variant) and radiator duty needing high static pressure. It is equally the pick for builders loyal to be quiet!'s acoustic tuning who still want lighting. The Noctua NF-S12A PWM is the one to take for mesh-front cases with unobstructed airflow paths and builds where near-silent operation matters more than raw CFM, though it is not the pick for radiator or filtered-intake use where pressure matters more and budget multi-fan builds needing 6+ fans.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed and Noctua NF-S12A PWM differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 31 dBA on the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed versus 17.8 dBA on the Noctua NF-S12A PWM.
Is the Connector Type the same on the be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed and Noctua NF-S12A PWM?
It is. Both are listed at 4-Pin PWM, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Fan Size
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 140 mm
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 120 mm
Brand
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- be quiet!
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- Noctua
Model
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- NF-S12A PWM
Bearing Type
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Rifle
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- Fluid Dynamic
Lighting
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- ARGB
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- None
Fan Thickness
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 25 mm
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 25 mm
Pack Quantity
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 1
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 1
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 2.3 mmH2OBest
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 1.19 mmH2O-48%
Max Speed
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 2200 RPMBest
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 1200 RPM-45%
Airflow
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 71.7 CFMBest
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 63.27 CFM-12%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 31 dBA
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 17.8 dBABest
PWM Control
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Yes
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- Yes
Rated Life
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 60000 hours
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 150000 hours
Max Power Draw
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 4.7 W
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 1.44 WBest
Connector Type
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 4-Pin PWM
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 4-Pin PWM
Lighting Connector
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 3-Pin 5V ARGB
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- None
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Yes
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- No
Lighting Type
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- ARGB 5V
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- None
Colorway
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Black
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- Brown And Beige
Cable Length
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 500 mm
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 200 mm
Weight
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 251 g
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 140 gBest
Warranty
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- 6 yearsBest
Positioning
- be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
- Mainstream
- Noctua NF-S12A PWM
- Premium
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed if you want the higher static pressure (2.3 mmH2O vs 1.19 mmH2O), the higher max speed (2200 RPM vs 1200 RPM) and the higher airflow (71.7 CFM vs 63.27 CFM).
Choose Noctua NF-S12A PWM if you want the lower noise level (17.8 dBA vs 31 dBA) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 3 years).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed | Noctua NF-S12A PWM |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
be quiet! Light Wings 140mm PWM high-speed
8 / 10 Expert Rating
The rare ARGB fan that keeps be quiet!'s acoustic discipline intact.
Noctua NF-S12A PWM
8 / 10 Expert Rating
An excellent quiet airflow fan for open cases, but expensive per-fan for how little static pressure it offers.