In brief: Austrian PC cooling specialist Noctua is looking to maximize its collaboration with Framework Computer and if you've got a 3D printer, you can take advantage of their latest design free of charge.
As you may know, Noctua partnered with Framework on its mini desktop PC project. The machine, which is powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Max APU, ships with Noctua's NF-A12x25 cooling fan and fan duct to keep noise levels down while maintaining a safe operating temperature. It works well, but the team at Noctua wondered if they could push the envelope even further.
To find out, they took the signature fan grill that debuted on the Seasonic Prime TX-1600 Noctua Edition power supply and modified it for use on the Framework mini-PC.
It is worth noting that safety standards mandate that ventilation openings on case side panels be no less than 5mm in diameter, so Noctua had to modify the grill design with a smaller opening. The team also created a new funnel-shaped fan duct to better direct airflow inside the case.
In the end, the modifications made a pretty big difference. According to Noctua, the new side panel and duct combo are roughly seven dBA quieter at around 50 percent fan speed and up to five dBA lower at higher fan speeds when compared at the same APU operating temperature.
Noctua has published the 3D printable fan grill and fan duct files over on Printables.com for those interested in giving them a try. They are free to download and use.
I used to value performance above all else but as I have gotten older, my priorities have shifted. Nowadays, I am all about having a rock stable computer that is as quiet as possible. In fact, when it comes to cooling fans, I don't use fan grills at all as I want maximum airflow without any disruption in performance or acoustics. No fan grills mean no restrictions, just be sure to keep pets and small children at bay.
Make your Framework Desktop run even quieter with these 3D-printed Noctua parts
