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be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM vs Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap: Comparison
What is the difference between be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap?
Start with static pressure, because it is the widest measured gap between them: be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM 5.31 mmH2O against Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap 2.34 mmH2O, 56% in favour of be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM. Add airflow to that, 83.9 CFM on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 60.09 CFM on the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap, and the pattern holds. be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM also leads on max speed, 3000 RPM on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 2000 RPM on the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap. Add warranty to that, 5 years on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 6 years on the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap, and the pattern holds.
Who each one is for
The be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM suits 360mm and 280mm AIO radiators and restrictive front filters and dense meshes, though it is the wrong buy for open-air mesh cases where pressure is wasted and RGB lighting requirements. The Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap is the one to take for all-black or monochrome case builds and radiator or filtered-intake duty needing high static pressure, though it is not the pick for shoppers who want the newer G2 bearing improvements and budget multi-fan purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 36.9 dBA on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 22.6 dBA on the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap?
It is. Both are listed at 120 mm, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Fan Size
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 120 mm
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 120 mm
Brand
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- be quiet!
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Noctua
Model
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
Bearing Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Fluid Dynamic
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Fluid Dynamic
Lighting
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- No RGB
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- None
Fan Thickness
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 25 mm
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 25 mm
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 5.31 mmH2OBest
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 2.34 mmH2O-56%
Max Speed
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 3000 RPMBest
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 2000 RPM-33%
Airflow
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 83.9 CFMBest
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 60.09 CFM-28%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 36.9 dBA
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 22.6 dBABest
PWM Control
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Yes
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Yes
Rated Life
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 300000 hours
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 150000 hours
Anti Vibration Pads
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Yes
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Yes
Max Power Draw
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 3.6 W
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 1.68 WBest
Connector Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 4-Pin PWM
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 4-Pin PWM
Lighting Connector
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- None
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- None
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- No
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- No
Lighting Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- None
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- None
Colorway
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Black
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Black
Cable Length
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 500 mm
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 10 mm
Weight
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 227 g
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 205 gBest
Warranty
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 5 years-17%
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 6 yearsBest
Positioning
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Premium
- Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
- Premium
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM if you want the higher static pressure (5.31 mmH2O vs 2.34 mmH2O), the higher max speed (3000 RPM vs 2000 RPM) and the higher airflow (83.9 CFM vs 60.09 CFM).
Choose Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap if you want the lower noise level (22.6 dBA vs 36.9 dBA) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 5 years).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM | Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
9 / 10 Expert Rating
be quiet!'s best radiator fan, closing most of the gap to Noctua's A12x25 at a friendlier price.
Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap
9 / 10 Expert Rating
Same excellent A12x25 performance in a colorway that fits black-themed builds without a sticker or paint job.