The Noctua NF-S12A fans are the 3^rd generation fans in the S12 line up. They are more noise efficient and give an extra 8% of airflow to your PC over their predecessors. Noctua has released three different models for the fans which each offers different silence and speed setting, the ULN, FLX and PWN fans.

Noctua focus on making their fans provide maximum airflow whiles staying very quiet. Some people do complain about the colour scheme as it has a brown fan with a beige frame but Noctua have said the is it a colour scheme that can match with anything. They also take time to come up with new technology to put on their fans that you would not see anywhere else. This is why their S12A fans have received over 250 awards and recommendations since they have released.

Noctua have stuck to the original packaging for the fans with a velcro flap on the front and the back of the box. The front flap will reveal the fan itself through a window in the box with the flap at the back providing you with loads of information on the technology and the design of the fans.

Noctua have gone to many lengths to try and make the fans as silent as possible. They even include 4 rubber grommets to month the fans with which will minimise any vibration that is made between the fan and the PC case. There is also the option of using traditional screws but this is not the recommended option but is necessary for some cases.

There are many different cables and adapters that come with each of the 3 different models of the S12A fans (Which can be found below). There is no coloured cables to be seen as Noctua have chosen to sleeve them which makes them very resistant to damage and very good quality. There is also heat shrink that goes right to the end of the connectors which as stop any coloured cables being visible.

ULN

• Low-Noise Adaptor
• 3:4 Pin Adaptor
• 30cm Extension Cable

FLX

• Low-Noise Adaptor
• Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor
• 3:4 Pin Adaptor
• 30cm Extension Cable

PWN

• Low-Noise Adaptor
• 4 Pin Y-Cable
• 30cm Extension Cable

One of the main features on Noctua’s fans is the Anti-Stall knobs that are on the edge of each fan blade. The Anti-Stall knobs lower the chance of air stalling at the end of the blades which is caused by low air flow going over the blade. This low air flow reduces the performance of the fan as it causes flow separation. However the Anti-Stall knobs reduce the flow separation by making the air flow over the blade faster. This happens as the air particles on the bottom of the blade has to travel over a smaller surface area compared to the air particles on the top with results in all air particles getting to the end of the blade at the same time as they are traveling faster on the top.

The Stepped Inlet Design that Noctua uses helps with aerodynamics as it gives the air turbulence when it is going over the edge of the fans frame. This allows the fan to bring in more air as it stays closer to the frame of the fan, all of which improves the efficiency of the air flow.

The small dents that are found on the inside edge of the frame are the Inner Surface Microstructures which forms a turbulent boundary layer which the fans blades can pass by. This lowers the flow separation as the fan blades pass the boundary layer, which lowers the noise the fans makes and improves the performance of the airflow.

Noctua’s NF-S12A line of case fans also include Noctua’s version two of their Self-Stabilizing Oil bearings. The second generation version is a great improvement over their predecessors which have been in all of Noctua’s award winning fans. The SSO bearings consist of a magnet that supports the self-stabilization of the rotor axis and oil based hydrodynamic bearing system. The magnet in Noctua’s SSO bearings help the fans gain better precision as well as having increased longevity over standard sleeve, ball or hydrodynamic bearings.

The bearings that are on Noctua’s newest 120mm and 140mm fans are Computer Numerical Control which are made completely out of brass. The Metal Bearing Shell that the NF-S12A feature are used to achieve the best degree of manufacturing accuracy with tighter tolerances which provides long term stability.

Performance

Test System

• Motherboard – ASUS P8Z77-V
• CPU – Intel Core i5 3570K
• CPU Cooler – Corsair H80
• GPU – Gigabyte HD 6670 2GB GDDR3 1600MHz
• RAM – 8GB G.Skill DDR3 1333MHz
• PSU – Corsair 600W CX
• Storage – Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM
• Case – Coolermaster HAF XM

Testing Methodology

• Fans were mounted in a push/pull configuration
• Intel Burn Test Version 2.54 was used 10 times to put CPU under load
• CoreTemp is used to measure temperatures in degrees C
• Fan tested in room with sound floor level of 35db
• 12V power supply was used to run fans
• Sound level meter was 10cm away from fan frame

Software Used

• Intel Burn Test
• CoreTemp

The stock Corsair fans that came with the H80 were running at 1500RPM, they can run at 2500RPM but there was too much noise to deal with however if you could put up with that then it does perform significantly better. The NF-S12A’s were set up in a push/pull configuration at 1200RPM. The FLX and PWM did perform slightly better than the stock Corsair fans that came with the H80 with the temperatures at idle being very close and the NF-S12A’s performing slightly better under load.

Noctua’s NF-S12A fans were quite a bit quieter when they were running at higher speeds compared to other fans like the Fractal Design Silent Series. Also the Noctua fans were designed to be used as case fans and not for use with radiators like the pressure optimized Corsair fans.

Noctua’s NF-S12A fans are about £17.50 from range of online stores. They may be a bit on the pricy side compared to other fans on the market but they are really well built and preform very well as you would expect from fan in this price point. Noctua have put a lot of thought in to these fans and have made many improvements over there predecessors. The detail they go into while manufacturing really shows in the performance of the fans and Noctua stand by their fans by giving them a 6 year warranty which show they are built to last a long time which you don’t usually get from case fans.

There are not many fan manufactures that put the years of development into their fans that Noctua do. Some people might think the price is too high for a case fan but it is easily justified by how much money they put into the research and new technology they use in their fans.

PROS

• Silent
• 6 Year Warranty
• Good Quality Cables
• Loads of Accessories
• Strong Build Quality
• Great Cooling Performance

CONS

• Connectors are not Black
• Slightly Expensive

Special Thanks to Noctua for Providing the NF-S12A fans for Review

]]> http://theplayvault.com/wp/2013/05/16/noctua-s12a-case-fans-performance-at-a-premium/feed/ 0 http://theplayvault.com/wp/2013/05/15/assassin%e2%80%99s-creed-iv-black-flag-gameplay-trailer-released/ http://theplayvault.com/wp/2013/05/15/assassin%e2%80%99s-creed-iv-black-flag-gameplay-trailer-released/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 16:40:23 +0000 Kyle ]]> http://theplayvault.com/wp/?p=11652

Ubisoft has released a new gameplay trailer for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag with shows of many assassination and navel gameplay. Check out the trailer below.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will release on October 29th for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,Wii U in North America and November 1st in Europe. Also a PlayStation 4 version will release at a later date.

NIS America are known for the great JRPG’s and have released a new trailer for there upcoming game Time and Eternity. The trailer talks about the battle system in the game to some great detail shown of combos, special moves, finishers, disarms and a lot more. Check it out below.

Time and Eternity is coming to PlayStation 3 on July 16th in North America and July 28th in Europe.

Metro 2033 was released three years ago based on the self-published book also called Metro 2033 which was written by Dmitry Glukhovsky. The game had a small following but any one that was looking for a good third person shooter that was not military based was in for a treat. It had a very engaging story but the gameplay had quite a few problems which took away from the overall experience so hopefully Metro: Last Light fixes these issues to make a truly great game.

The following that Metro 2033 meant a sequel was to be made. This was Metro: Last Light which looks to fix the problems the previous game had and make the overall experience more engaging. Metro: Last Light did experience publisher problems in the middle of development when we saw the demise of THQ. However Deep Silver picked up the rights to Metro: Last Light which meant we would all get to see the continuation of Artyom’s story in post-apocalyptic Moscow.

4A Games look at where they could take the story for Metro: Last Light and saw that most people chose the ending in Metro 2033 which saw Artyom kill all the Dark Ones. There was also the ending where Artyom spared them but this was just not as popular as killing them all. Since then Artyom has been having nightmares as he knows the true story about how he stopped the Dark Ones by lunching nuclear bombs from a radio tower. Most people may think he is a hero as he saved the Metro system from getting over run by Dark Ones but he does not think the same. However Khan, who is Artyom friend and adviser, has found that there is one Dark One still alive. Artyom then hopes he can find this young Dark One and try to save his soul but the other faction have different plans for the young Dark One and Artyom.

Metro: Last Light has come a long way from Metro 2033. The story was great in the first game but the story in Metro: Last Light completely blow me away by how engaging and exciting it is. It is easy to tell Glukhovsky’s was involved in the development of the game as the chapters are broken down in to chapters just like the book and the pacing of the story is very well done. Every chapter starts off with a simple bit of narration by Artyom which really builds up character development and gives some good back story before going into the missions. 4A Games also included 43 collectable journals which provides even more character development and lets you no Artyom’s inner thoughts. As I have previously said the pacing of Metro: Last Light’s story is great as it is always moving forward. There are a few optional missions than you could miss but this would not take much away from the story and you probably would not notice you have missed them.

When you add the great atmospheric world of the Metro to the brilliantly written story you start to realize this is one of most immersive games you will play this generation. When you play Metro: Last Light you also start to wonder why there are not more games out there that do what 4A Games do in creating a greats atmospheric story. When I started to play Metro: Last Light I did not want to stop as I was so immersed in the story and this makes me realize that 4A Games have made a great game.

The graphics have also been dramatically improved as you would expect. There are loads of small details been added to the creatures, locations and weapons. You can see the shells coming out of the guns and see theflickers of the lights going across the environment. The Watchman and Demons have especially had a graphical upgrade from the last game. However not all the creatures look as impressive especially the new creatures that are mission specific as they don’t look like part of the same game.

The gameplay is the biggest improvement between Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. It is still a first person shooter but it has a unique weapon customization feature. Upgrading your weapons is not necessary to play the game as I managed to play through the game using very little of them however it would be a lot easier if you did upgrade them. There are many different types of useful upgrades like turning your pistol into a sniper, adding night vision to guns and there are also upgrades that can be done to shotguns which will help kill any enemy fast. There is also still the need to think about your survival like watching you don’t suffocate in toxic areas of the environment. You also have to watch the battery life in your headlamp as it can run out which would could leave you in the dark during fights. You also have to check that your gas mask does not crack which would mean toxic gases could get in. This all adds tension to the game and adds to the atmosphere that the story has already created.

Metro: Last Light is not your typical first person shooter as there are options to the way you play. You could go in guns blazing but the game is better played stealthy by figuring out the patterns the enemies take and killing enemies silently and making sure the bodies don’t get spotted by shooting out lights so the enemies can’t see.

Enemies will not go to greater lengths to try and find you if they think you are close to them. They will through grenades to try and get you to move out into the open and will even try and flank you. The AI has improved greatly since Metro 2033 but you can use simple stealth tricks to confuse the AI. It may have improved but a lot can still be improved to make the game on par with other stealth based games like Hitman. The stealth aspect of the game could easily be improved by allowing people to hide the bodies. This would really improve the gameplay greatly as this was the reason I got spotted most of the time when an enemy would stumble across a dead body.

Metro: Last Light may have a few problems but these can be easily overlooked as the atmosphere the story creates is just amazing. I would even go to say it is the most immersive games I have played to date.

PRO’S

• Great Atmosphere
• Great Story
• Looks Great
• Gameplay Improved

CON’S

• Stealth has Problems

A special thanks to Koch Media for providing a PlayStation 3 copy of Metro: Last Light

Metro: Last Light came out today and so has the Launch trailer which can be found below.

Metro: Last Light came out today in North America for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC and this Friday in Europe.

Ubisoft have released a new trailer for Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag where they are talking about the golden age of piracy as the name of the trailer suggests. The trailer will give a bunch on information on why pirates became pirates and how the game will explore the themes of these times. The trailer will also familiarise you with famous pirates like Benjamin Hornigold, Calico Jack, Charles Vane and Blackbeard which you will come across in the game.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will release on October 29th for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,Wii U in North America and November 1st in Europe. Also a PlayStation 4 version will release at a later date.

Ubisoft have just released a bunch on new screenshots for Watch Dogs which you can view below. The screenshots show Aiden Pearce using his phone for a variety of reasons, as you would expect and there is also a screenshot where he is with another character; Clara Lille.

Watch Dogs is coming to PlayStation 3,  Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, PlayStation 4 and other next gen consoles on November 19th.

Wolfenstein: The New Order was announced by Bethesda Softworks earlyer this week. There are a bunch of new screenshot now been released which can be found below.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and next generation consoles in Q4 2013.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag developers talk about how the PlayStation 4 will make the game more graphically better. They also talk about how there will be big differences between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions. Check out the video below.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will release on October 29th for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,Wii U in North America and November 1st in Europe. Also a PlayStation 4 version will release at a later date.

Drive Club is Evolution’s upcoming game for the PlayStation 4 that was announced back in February. Have a look at the four screenshots below and look out for more details on the game at E3.

Drive Club is expected to release at the launch of the PlayStation 4.