Premium cooling fan manufacturer Noctua says that it presently remains focused on prioritizing performance, quietness, and quality over adding trendy features. The PC enthusiast community has seen an ongoing tsunami of RGB being added to virtually every nook, cranny, and crevice of just about every device used, and yes, they are still finding places to add it, but in more recent years, LCD has become the new fad being added. From GPUs to PSUs, various peripherals and components, and of course, AIO cold plates, LCD is popping up everywhere and, much like RGB, is the new trend within the industry. Noctua Chief Engineer Jakob Dellinger chatted with Club386 and shared the company’s current stance on these popular trends.
Now, before getting into Jakob’s answers regarding the topic of RGB+LCD, folks should be aware that Noctua’s products currently are offered in one of two color variations, either black or its traditional beige/brown combination. As a reminder from the manufacturer, this is primarily due to the complex manufacturing process, in which Noctua involves injecting custom-designed Sterrow liquid-crystal polymer (ironically, whose acronym is LCD) into a steel mold, and a change of pigment could result in minute changes causing issues with fan tip clearances. Such a seemingly simple irregularity can greatly affect the very performance goals to which Noctua adheres with its products, and that’s a quick explanation of why, so far, we haven’t seen a more diverse range of colors with its products.
Now on to the topic at hand, which is: will Noctua ever implement adding RGB to its wide range of cooling products? Well, the quick answer is: never say never. “We like catering to a specific audience who value quietness, performance, and quality, rather than those who might put their priority on visuals,” says Dellinger, who adds, “that’s not to say we’re above anything like that [RGB].”
“what we want to do is drive thermal efficiency, improve the quietness of operation, and ensure the best possible quality.”
– Jakob Dellinger, Noctua Chief Engineer
Dellinger does say that Noctua isn’t completely against adding decorative technology to its products but that currently it’s just not the focus for the company. Fans of Noctua’s products can breathe a sigh of relief that, for now, the manufacturer remains committed to the core values which have kept it at the top of many builders’ lists for decades and, despite premium prices, are often reviewed earning top-notch scores.
Discussion (9 replies)
Join Discussion →Thank you Noctua.
I am all for this in spite of all my fans being rgb.
Exactly the kind of statement I'd expect from a company that makes some of the ugliest fans on the market.
Ideally I see the fans in my PC twice: When I first built it, and when I'm retiring it. But who am I kidding, my current PC, it will probably be my last, so I'll never see those ugly fans again.
Honestly if I could get Non RGB link fans.. (like from Corsair) and it was a price difference that wasn't worse than the availability chase... then I would have bought them. But when I was building it was pre AI destruction of all prices for everything... and availability for the corsair link fans was in the crapper... so I have the RGB... on all 10 of my link fans... oof.
And that's why I love them.
Fuck a bunch of iCUE, but I get your point.
I think my noctua fans are the most valuable parts of my old pc hehe
I've been using the black versions for around five years or so now and while I don't like the premium price, they do what they're stated to do and I just move on with my life after installing. I've tried some cheaper brands here and there and some can come really close but others not so much. I read a lot of reviews, ours and others, but after a bit just want to get what I need and be done with it. Occasionally with some added searching on Amazon I've found kits at lower prices which are nice.