Noctua NF-A12x25 Chromax bad plastic quality?

[Alex_F1304]

Hello, guys! Recently I purchased 3x Noctua NF A12x25 Chromax for my NZXT H440. I have a question about installing the fans with the screws that come with the fans. Are the included screws really suitable for the fans? They twisted, but when I tightened the screws around the holes for the fans, there were cracks. These screws seem to damage the fan holes (each of them), you can see the plastic peeling off. Is this normal? Such cracks remained literally on every hole, but one hole is the strongest. Here the photos:

https://ibb.co/DYtfLKJ
https://ibb.co/71NNmSF
https://ibb.co/XLgBsz7
https://ibb.co/KxbpVCH (the worst crack)
https://ibb.co/j8Dq7F4

I spent over 100$ on these fans it's a really good thing but I'm very worried about it. I've used a lot of cheap 2-5$ fans, but I've never seen anything like it on them. Are there guys here who dealt with the original screws of these fans? Do they really leave such cracks? The plastic began to crack literally at the moment when I started to tighten the screws. Do you think it is worth worrying about this and replacing the fans?

 

[ThaiTaffy]

I use them, sure the screws are correct and normally need to self tap into the plastic the first try but I've never had them crack the plastic. Are you in a cold country? I like to warm plastics if I'm putting strain on them when it's winter in Wales.

Just remember if you need to take the fans out, when you refit them if you turn the screw anticlockwise first till it drops into the thread it originally made then tighten it

 

[Alex_F1304]

I use them, sure the screws are correct and normally need to self tap into the plastic the first try but I've never had them crack the plastic. Are you in a cold country? I like to warm plastics if I'm putting strain on them when it's winter in Wales.

Just remember if you need to take the fans out, when you refit them if you turn the screw anticlockwise first till it drops into the thread it originally made then tighten it

Like I said, I’ve never seen this on other fans, before that i had a lot of Zalman, Noiseblockers, Corsair AF and SP series, NZXT. Plastic has never cracked from tightening! My NZXT H440 fans were very tight, so it took me a while to get them out. I tightened these Noctua many times weaker, but the cracks began to appear from the very beginning, they just became more visible with each screwed turn. Yes, I live in a cold country, but in my house +25

 

[Dr_b_]

dont like these self tap screws, use machine screws that go all the way through and secure with nut, avoids damage to fan and won't stress or crack plastic

 

[Alex_F1304]

dont like these self tap screws, use machine screws that go all the way through and secure with nut, avoids damage to fan and won't stress or crack plastic

I didn't even think about it, as the easiest way to attach the fans is with self-tapping screws, the plastic hasn't cracked on any of the fans I've used before. This was news to me, so maybe someone had experience with Noctua and self-tapping screws that comes with the fans?

 

[Dr_b_]

f

I didn't even think about it, as the easiest way to attach the fans is with self-tapping screws, the plastic hasn't cracked on any of the fans I've used before. This was news to me, so maybe someone had experience with Noctua and self-tapping screws that comes with the fans?

find it easier to use machine screws/nuts, really easy to remove, doesn't damage fan or put threads into it, looks nice. personal preference, gave up on those self tappers, and never looked back

 

[Alex_F1304]

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find it easier to use machine screws/nuts, really easy to remove, doesn't damage fan or put threads into it, looks nice. personal preference, gave up on those self tappers, and never looked back

Most likely, it is already too late to change something, because the screws are already screwed into the plastic. For the future, what is the best size of screws and nuts to use? And where can i buy it?

 

[Dr_b_]

I use M4 machine screws and nuts, black oxide. Will need at least 30mm length to clear the noctua fan 25mm thickness
should be able to search for "M4 machine screws" and find a local online retailer. For the type of screw head, you can go with hex head, pan head, or normal, depending on your preferences. Dont know where you are but in the US the place to go is McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Alex_F1304]

I use M4 machine screws and nuts, black oxide. Will need at least 30mm length to clear the noctua fan 25mm thickness
should be able to search for "M4 machine screws" and find a local online retailer. For the type of screw head, you can go with hex head, pan head, or normal, depending on your preferences. Dont know where you are but in the US the place to go is McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

Do I need to use some kind of rubber rings between the screw and the case? What dimensions? To be honest, the choice is very large, I'm not sure what might fit. Do you have any links to what you are using?

 

[Ruru]

Do I need to use some kind of rubber rings between the screw and the case? What dimensions?

Those are more for absorbing vibration, they're not neccessary.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I have used lots of Noc fans and never had them crack. Remember you are not tightening a wheel nut, and the rubber on these will squish against the metal of the case, so no need to tighten them overly. The quality of Noc fans is pretty good.

 

[Assimilator]

Looks like you've overtightened those self-tapping screws by a significant factor. You have a steel screw and a steel chassis against a plastic fan, guess which one of those will fail first under too much torque?

The screws should be tight enough to prevent the fan from moving, not so tight that you need a hammer drill to loosen them.

 

[Alex_F1304]

Looks like you've overtightened those self-tapping screws by a significant factor. You have a steel screw and a steel chassis against a plastic fan, guess which one of those will fail first under too much torque?

The screws should be tight enough to prevent the fan from moving, not so tight that you need a hammer drill to loosen them.

First of all, I want to remind you that the crack on the first hole (link below) started immediately after I started tightening the screw into the fan, the screw wasn't even close to the case, so there was no pressure on the plastic. Stunned by this crunch, after the first screwdriver half turn, I removed the rubber band so that I could see it better and took a photo:

https://ibb.co/XLgBsz7

In the photo you can see the line, which is the crack. You can also see that the thread is not completely tapped, the bottom of the hole looks intact.

I want to say that cracks appear simply from tightening the screws, not from the pressure of the case on the plastic.

And what it means to overtighten?

In my understanding, this means stripping the thread, applying excessive force. I tightened each screw exactly until it stops tightening freely. If the screw stops - I'm stop. I tightened it tightly, but no more. Maybe, the screws don’t need to be tightened to the end, they should rotate in both directions freely?
The NZXT guys tightened their screws so that I couldn’t quickly unscrew them (definitely much tighter than mine), but for some reason their fans didn’t crack the plastic

 

[Space Lynx]

I have used lots of Noc fans and never had them crack. Remember you are not tightening a wheel nut, and the rubber on these will squish against the metal of the case, so no need to tighten them overly. The quality of Noc fans is pretty good.

glad you mentioned this, I think a lot of people make this mistake with all of PC parts. its hard to judge torque if this is your only hobby that requires it, etc

 

[OneMoar]

likely a bad batch either oversized screws or undersized holes (due to mold shrinkage)
contact noctua they should happily replace them

 

[ThaiTaffy]

First of all, I want to remind you that the crack on the first hole (link below) started immediately after I started tightening the screw into the fan, the screw wasn't even close to the case, so there was no pressure on the plastic. Stunned by this crunch, after the first screwdriver half turn, I removed the rubber band so that I could see it better and took a photo:

https://ibb.co/XLgBsz7

In the photo you can see the line, which is the crack. You can also see that the thread is not completely tapped, the bottom of the hole looks intact.

I want to say that cracks appear simply from tightening the screws, not from the pressure of the case on the plastic.

And what it means to overtighten?

In my understanding, this means stripping the thread, applying excessive force. I tightened each screw exactly until it stops tightening freely. If the screw stops - I'm stop. I tightened it tightly, but no more. Maybe, the screws don’t need to be tightened to the end, they should rotate in both directions freely?
The NZXT guys tightened their screws so that I couldn’t quickly unscrew them (definitely much tighter than mine), but for some reason their fans didn’t crack the plastic

The fact you took the screws out immediately then probably didn't relocate into the original thread when you re-tightened the screw( always undo a screw till I'd drops into the original thred before tightening it again) probably exasperated the damage.

Also when I thread a new fan I tend to put alot of pressure on the screw to force it's way through the first time.

 

[tabascosauz]

First of all, I want to remind you that the crack on the first hole (link below) started immediately after I started tightening the screw into the fan, the screw wasn't even close to the case, so there was no pressure on the plastic. Stunned by this crunch, after the first screwdriver half turn, I removed the rubber band so that I could see it better and took a photo:

https://ibb.co/XLgBsz7

In the photo you can see the line, which is the crack. You can also see that the thread is not completely tapped, the bottom of the hole looks intact.

I want to say that cracks appear simply from tightening the screws, not from the pressure of the case on the plastic.

And what it means to overtighten?

In my understanding, this means stripping the thread, applying excessive force. I tightened each screw exactly until it stops tightening freely. If the screw stops - I'm stop. I tightened it tightly, but no more. Maybe, the screws don’t need to be tightened to the end, they should rotate in both directions freely?
The NZXT guys tightened their screws so that I couldn’t quickly unscrew them (definitely much tighter than mine), but for some reason their fans didn’t crack the plastic

It's a self-tapping fan screw. You should never tighten until it won't go any further......the screws are designed to be snug into the fan material. All you need is to tighten it enough so that the fan is secure, and does not move or rattle in any direction when installed into the case.

When you install any fan with screws whether to a case or radiator, the screw doesn't just stop because it's tight. The more you tighten, it'll just keep compressing that corner of the fan, and it'll visually start bending the fan long before the screw stops.

Also, it's a Noctua fan - you really shouldn't be installing with anything other than rubber vibration grommets, when used as case fans:

NA-SAV2 chromax.black

The NA-SAV2 chromax.black is a fan accessory set consisting of 20 black NA-AV2 anti-vibration mounts for up to 5 fans. Replacing standard fan screws, the NA-AV2 mounts enable the convenient, quick and vibration-free installation of fans in standard mounting holes for case fans. At the same time...

noctua.at

I have never managed to crack a Noctua fan with self tapping screws. Not their original beige (B9), not their new beige (A12x25), not their redux grey (R8), not their chromax black (A14), and certainly not their industrial (A14). I can't say I've seen this on any other brand of fan either...

...but definitely reach out to Noctua's customer service to see what they say. They are usually prompt with their responses and happy to replace defective items. Their QC hasn't been top notch in the last year - I had 3 severely bent coolers in a row last year, but Noctua happily and quickly sent me a replacement L12 from Austria when I emailed.

 

[HTC]

...but definitely reach out to Noctua's customer service to see what they say. They are usually prompt with their responses and happy to replace defective items. Their QC hasn't been top notch in the last year - I had 3 severely bent coolers in a row last year, but Noctua happily and quickly sent me a replacement L12 from Austria when I emailed.

Noctua's costumer service has always been "top notch", as far as i'm aware: definitely contact them and see what they say.

Really? That's unusual from Noctua.

Yup: as expected, their costumer service is "in another realm" when compared to most out there.

 

[Alex_F1304]

Noctua's costumer service has always been "top notch", as far as i'm aware: definitely contact them and see what they say.

Really? That's unusual from Noctua.

Yup: as expected, their costumer service is "in another realm" when compared to most out there.

Thanks a lot, I contacted Noctua and they said that they will replace one fan for me (where the biggest crack is), the rest look normal in their opinion, although they also have little cracks. In their opinion, I could overtightened the screws, because of this, cracks appeared. If the crack hadn't appeared after the first contact with the fan hole, then I'd also think so and even believe in it. To be honest, it seems to me that the supplied screws are too thick (it looks definitely too thick) for these holes, so this damages the plastic surface of the holes

I have never managed to crack a Noctua fan with self tapping screws. Not their original beige (B9), not their new beige (A12x25), not their redux grey (R8), not their chromax black (A14), and certainly not their industrial (A14). I can't say I've seen this on any other brand of fan either

You most likely didn't use their supplied screws, which look thick enough for the fan holes

 

[tabascosauz]

Thanks a lot, I contacted Noctua and they said that they will replace one fan for me (where the biggest crack is), the rest look normal in their opinion, although they also have little cracks. In their opinion, I could overtightened the screws, because of this, cracks appeared. If the crack hadn't appeared after the first contact with the fan hole, then I'd also think so and even believe in it. To be honest, it seems to me that the supplied screws are too thick (it looks definitely too thick) for these holes, so this damages the plastic surface of the holes

You most likely didn't use their supplied screws, which look thick enough for the fan holes

I've been using Noctua fans for 8 years, I'm well aware of what they include. It's just the usual self tapping screw you'll see bundled with just about any case fan on the market, some are just painted. They always look too big for the holes they're going into, that's the point......they make their own threads. It's much easier if you tap the fans once with just the screws before you install them, that way they go in much easier.

Again, SAV2 vibration grommets exist and save you all the potential trouble.

 

[Alex_F1304]

Again, SAV2 vibration grommets exist and save you all the potential trouble.

"Silicone nails" are the way to go, yes, but there is a dust filter in my case, it can potentially interfere with installation

 

[tabascosauz]

"Silicone nails" are the way to go, yes, but there is a dust filter in my case, it can potentially interfere with installation

If you dont plan on constantly changing fans, you can snip off all the excess so it's pretty much flush at one end, and don't protrude past the fan at the other end. Just use a pair of flush cutters. I have an old H440 sitting in the basement - the magnetic dust filter isn't right up against the fans, it's fine. If a regular fan screw will fit, so will the grommet.

After snipping:

 

[Dr_b_]

Do I need to use some kind of rubber rings between the screw and the case? What dimensions? To be honest, the choice is very large, I'm not sure what might fit. Do you have any links to what you are using?

The dimensions are M4 30mm. 30mm is enough to get the M4 nut, also available from mcmaster, to thread plenty to secure the screw. If you want more thread exposed, 35mm is also an option, but its not necessary unless your case metal is very thick. I use M4 30mm hex head, black oxide, and m4 black oxide nuts. Very easy to install and remove, and convenient for those who frequently swap out fans, and doesn't in any way cause damage to the fans

 

[Alex_F1304]

The dimensions are M4 30mm. 30mm is enough to get the M4 nut, also available from mcmaster, to thread plenty to secure the screw. If you want more thread exposed, 35mm is also an option, but its not necessary unless your case metal is very thick. I use M4 30mm hex head, black oxide, and m4 black oxide nuts. Very easy to install and remove, and convenient for those who frequently swap out fans, and doesn't in any way cause damage to the fans

It turned out to be more difficult than I thought, I can’t find anything suitable. Can you suggest something from the Aliexpress?

 

[ThaiTaffy]

Google M4 30mm