Noctua’s next-generation NF-A14 fans will use liquid crystal polymer impellers

Last month, the esteemed Austrian cooler manufacturer Noctua updated its product roadmap for the remainder of 2023, providing insights into its product update plans for the dawn of 2024 and beyond. Noctua anticipates ushering in a new generation of 140mm fans during the first quarter of 2024, followed by the release of an all-black “chromax.black” variant.

As reported by TechPowerup, Noctua is gearing up for a significant design overhaul of its NF-A series fans, with the 140mm fan outlined in the product roadmap likely being the corresponding product. Noctua is set to employ the novel Sterrox liquid crystal polymer material in its next generation of products. This offers exemplary structural stability to the blades even at high rotational speeds, ensuring they maintain their precise contour while optimizing airflow and noise characteristics to the maximum extent.

The new material also boasts an exceptionally high strength-to-weight ratio, a characteristic that has led to the common material Kevlar becoming the preferred choice in certain domains. For casing fans, having an impeller with a robust structural strength that can retain its shape is crucial. Noctua has minimized the gap between the impeller and the inner frame to less than one millimeter, which will assist in directing the fan’s airflow.

Noctua has incorporated additional innovative designs into the impeller, including channels to accelerate the airflow towards the fan blade edges, and a stepped near-hub structure facing the impeller hub to create a pressure difference. This design enhances the guidance of airflow towards the impeller blades. The fan hub has been reinforced with metal and uses SSO2 fan bearings, while the fan frame incorporates integrated anti-vibration pads.