Noctua knows how to convince again and again with very good quality. This is shown not only by our latest tests, but also by the consistently good recessions in various online shops and comparison portals. Until now, Noctua fans were only available in the brand-typical colours beige or brown or simply plain black. To attract modders even more, the manufacturer now launches the Chromax series on the market. We would like to introduce the Chromax.black.swap fans and the Chromax cables. More about the two products can be found below.
Chromax Cable NA-SEC1 and NA-SYC1
With the Chromax cables you get the possibility to match the colour of your cable management to your whole interior. the NA-SEC1 and NA-SYC1 are available in six different colour variations: Black, white, red, blue, green and yellow.
The NA-SEC1 are extensions for fan cables. Fans with a 4-pin connector can be supplied with power via the 30 cm long cable. Of course you can also connect 3-pin fans with the cable. As usual for Noctua, no plastic fabric is used for the cable, but a rubberized heat shrink tube. However, the coating of the cables does not only have a positive effect. It is not necessarily easy to draw a bow with the cables, because they bend directly. Otherwise, the cables make a very solid impression, the colors are very strong and are directly noticeable.
The NA-SYC1 is a Y-adapter to operate two fans at one connection. Again, fans can be operated with 4 or 3 pins. To ensure trouble-free operation, however, the speed signal is only supplied via a socket. Of course, the Noctua Y-adapter is especially suitable for your own CPU coolers with two fans, because with a length of 15 cm they have exactly the right length. There are no limits to the number of adapters you can use, but you should pay attention to the maximum performance of the connector on the motherboard.
Chromax black.swap Fan
Beside the two cable variants there are also the Chromax black.swap fans mentioned. As the name suggests, the fans themselves are kept in plain black. The highlight of these fans, however, are the various vibration dampers and rubber corners that are included in the scope of delivery. There are also four screws in the case for Monday. Again the colors are very bright, Noctua definitely wants the fans to stand out.
The black.swap fans are available in four different versions. The fans do not differ technically from their “normal” versions. In the table with the technical details you can still see all the specifications. But the biggest advantage of the fans is the short fan cable. It is obvious that they are designed for the Chromax cables and these are also used directly. You can adjust the colour of the accents on the fan to match the colour of the cable.
| NF-A15 PWM | NF-A14 PWM | NF-F12 PWM | NF-S12A PWM | |
| Dimensions | 140 x 140 x 25 mm | 140 x 140 x 25 mm | 120 x 120 x 25 mm | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| RPM | 1200 RPM | 1500 RPM | 1500 RPM | 1200 RPM |
| m³/h | 115.5 | 140.2 | 93.4 | 107.5 |
| mm H2O | 1.51 | 2.08 | 2.61 | 1.19 |
| Connection | 4-pin PWM | 4-pin PWM | 4-pin PWM | 4-pin PWM |
Nevertheless, there is a small point of criticism. The S12, F12 and A14 fans have only four corners in each colour. A bilateral adjustment is therefore not possible. If you wish, you can also buy the decouplers as a set.
With the Chromax cables and black.swap fans Noctua delivers the usual quality again. In order to set color accents in your setup or to adjust the cables in good quality color, you should definitely keep an eye on the Noctua Chromax series!
