A truly silent CPU cooler from Noctua
Published: 17th May 2021 | Source: Noctua | Author:
Noctua confirms that its Passive CPU Cooler is "Coming Very Soon"
Need to keep your system as quiet as possible? Want to replace your fans, pumps and other cooling devices with something a little quieter? Don't worry, because Noctua is working on a passive/fanless heatsink.
Noctua's planned "Passive CPU Cooler" is due to launch this quarter, with Noctua confirming on Twitter to @FanlessTech that the heatsink is " Coming Very Soon ".
The beauty of passive CPU cooler designs is they have no points of failure. If installed correctly, there are no parts to fail. A fanless heatsink cannot have its fans stop working, and neither can a passive heatsink produce additional noise as fan rotors wear out or get compromised by dust. Simply put, it just works.
Noctua's Passive heatsink will be an all-new design from the company, and it will be released into an unproven market. This heatsink requires different design considerations than forced-air/fan-driven heatsinks, new manufacturing techniques, and a lot of R&D effort. Noctua needs to make this heatsink cost-effective and thermally efficient, neither of which is an easy task.
Noctua will likely showcase their latest heatsinks around Computex 2021, possibly as part of a digital event. This timeframe satisfies the company's "coming very soon" statement and sits in line with Noctua's typical product reveal schedule.
At this time, it is unknown how effective Noctua's Passive CPU heatsink will be, as high-end processors have only gotten larger and more power-hungry since Noctua first showcased this cooler. Could this heatsink be enough to cool a high-end Rocket Lake or Zen 3 CPU?
Noctua's planned "Passive CPU Cooler" is due to launch this quarter, with Noctua confirming on Twitter to @FanlessTech that the heatsink is " Coming Very Soon ".
The beauty of passive CPU cooler designs is they have no points of failure. If installed correctly, there are no parts to fail. A fanless heatsink cannot have its fans stop working, and neither can a passive heatsink produce additional noise as fan rotors wear out or get compromised by dust. Simply put, it just works.
Noctua's Passive heatsink will be an all-new design from the company, and it will be released into an unproven market. This heatsink requires different design considerations than forced-air/fan-driven heatsinks, new manufacturing techniques, and a lot of R&D effort. Noctua needs to make this heatsink cost-effective and thermally efficient, neither of which is an easy task.
Noctua will likely showcase their latest heatsinks around Computex 2021, possibly as part of a digital event. This timeframe satisfies the company's "coming very soon" statement and sits in line with Noctua's typical product reveal schedule.
At this time, it is unknown how effective Noctua's Passive CPU heatsink will be, as high-end processors have only gotten larger and more power-hungry since Noctua first showcased this cooler. Could this heatsink be enough to cool a high-end Rocket Lake or Zen 3 CPU?
You can join the discussion on Noctua's planned passive CPU cooler on the OC3D Forums .
Most Recent Comments
17-05-2021, 11:16:28
PendragonWell, that's the CPU sorted but what of the GPU?
This is going to be great for workstations with no requirement for GPU acceleration. Maybe attach one of these to a vertical mounted GPU? I have seen Noctua tower coolers fitted to GPU's. The case will have to be chosen carefully. Even so I don't think anyone will be building a gaming rig around one of these. Workstation for those that are super sensitive to noise, audio work? Quote
This is going to be great for workstations with no requirement for GPU acceleration. Maybe attach one of these to a vertical mounted GPU? I have seen Noctua tower coolers fitted to GPU's. The case will have to be chosen carefully. Even so I don't think anyone will be building a gaming rig around one of these. Workstation for those that are super sensitive to noise, audio work? Quote
17-05-2021, 11:35:21
Peace ÐQuote:
Originally Posted by Pendragon  Well, that's the CPU sorted but what of the GPU? This is going to be great for workstations with no requirement for GPU acceleration. Maybe attach one of these to a vertical mounted GPU? I have seen Noctua tower coolers fitted to GPU's. The case will have to be chosen carefully. Even so I don't think anyone will be building a gaming rig around one of these. Workstation for those that are super sensitive to noise, audio work? |
I'm wondering how the case has to be designed to not only accomodate such a monstrous block, but to still have sufficient airflow. I mean, the hot air still has to go somewhere, so it might be a double edged sword of some sorts with its own tradeoffs. To keep it silent, I can imagine needing 200mm fans in the front and rear? Quote