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be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM vs Noctua NF-F12 PWM: Comparison
What is the difference between be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-F12 PWM?
The gap that matters here is static pressure: be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM 5.31 mmH2O against Noctua NF-F12 PWM 2.61 mmH2O, which puts be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM 51% ahead. be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM also leads on airflow, 83.9 CFM on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 54.97 CFM on the Noctua NF-F12 PWM. Add max speed to that, 3000 RPM on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 1500 RPM on the Noctua NF-F12 PWM, and the pattern holds. Add warranty to that, 5 years on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 6 years on the Noctua NF-F12 PWM, and the pattern holds.
be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM vs Noctua NF-F12 PWM: which one fits your build
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 not the pick for open-air mesh cases where pressure is wasted and RGB lighting requirements. Buy the Noctua NF-F12 PWM for CPU tower cooler fans and thin 120mm AIO radiators, though it is the wrong buy for budget multi-fan case builds and RGB-focused builds.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, fan size, bearing type, connector type, lighting connector and fan thickness included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 5 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-F12 PWM differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 36.9 dBA on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM versus 22.4 dBA on the Noctua NF-F12 PWM.
Is the PWM Control the same on the be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM and Noctua NF-F12 PWM?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, 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-F12 PWM
- 120 mm
Brand
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- be quiet!
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- Noctua
Model
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- NF-F12 PWM
Bearing Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Fluid Dynamic
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- Fluid Dynamic
Lighting
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- No RGB
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- None
Fan Thickness
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 25 mm
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 25 mm
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 5.31 mmH2OBest
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 2.61 mmH2O-51%
Max Speed
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 3000 RPMBest
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 1500 RPM-50%
Airflow
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 83.9 CFMBest
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 54.97 CFM-34%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 36.9 dBA
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 22.4 dBABest
PWM Control
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Yes
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- Yes
Rated Life
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 300000 hours
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 150000 hours
Anti Vibration Pads
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Yes
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- Yes
Max Power Draw
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 3.6 W
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 0.6 WBest
Connector Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 4-Pin PWM
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 4-Pin PWM
Lighting Connector
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- None
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- None
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- No
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- No
Lighting Type
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- None
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- None
Colorway
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Black
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- Brown And Beige
Cable Length
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 500 mm
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 200 mm
Weight
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 227 g
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 165 gBest
Warranty
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- 5 years-17%
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 6 yearsBest
Positioning
- be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM
- Premium
- Noctua NF-F12 PWM
- 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 2.61 mmH2O), the higher max speed (3000 RPM vs 1500 RPM) and the higher airflow (83.9 CFM vs 54.97 CFM).
Choose Noctua NF-F12 PWM if you want the lower noise level (22.4 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-F12 PWM |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Noctua | View on Noctua |
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-F12 PWM
9 / 10 Expert Rating
The benchmark focused-flow 120mm fan for CPU coolers, still worth the premium for the one or two fans that actually sit on a heatsink.