Noctua NF-A4X10 – 5V PWM 40x10mm Quiet Cooling Fan

Featuring advanced aerodynamic design measures such as Flow Acceleration Channels and Noctua’s AAO frame, the Noctua NF-A4x10 is an award-winning, premium-quality quiet fan in size 40x10mm.

This PWM version sports Noctua’s custom-designed NE-FD1 IC for fully automatic speed control via 4-pin fan headers and comes with a Low-Noise Adaptor as well as an OmniJoin Adaptor Set for easy connection to proprietary fan headers. Its superb running smoothness, reference-class SSO2 bearing and Noctua’s trusted premium quality make it an elite choice for the highest demands.

PLEASE NOTE: Being a 5V fan, the NF-A4x10 5V PWM cannot be run at 12V and will be damaged when used with typical 12V power sources such as PC motherboard fan headers.

Popular with Raspberry Pi users!

As it’s a 5V PWM fan, the NF-A4x10 has become a popular choice for Raspberry Pi users hacking custom cooling setups for their projects! For example, Mark here on Medium.com hooked one up to a Raspberry Pi 4 with GPIO hardware PWM control using pi-gpio (have a Google though, there are many ways to achieve the same thing). We found a few 3D prints to use these fans with a Raspberry Pi too!

5V PWM version

Many devices such as network or storage solutions use 5-volt 40mm fans with PWM speed control. With the same operating voltage, PWM support and the included OmniJoin adaptor set that makes it compatible with proprietary fan headers, the NF-A4x10 5V PWM is ideal for replacing noisy or broken 5V 40mm fans with PWM.

Reduced motor hub size

Thanks to its streamlined, compact motor design, the NF-A4x10’s motor hub is smaller than with conventional 4cm fans. This allows for more blade surface area and thus contributes to the NF-A4x10’s superior airflow and pressure performance.

Flow Acceleration Channels

The NF-A4x10 impeller features suction side Flow Acceleration Channels. By speeding up the airflow at the crucial outer blade regions, this measure reduces suction side flow separation and thus leads to better efficiency and lower vortex noise.

AAO frame

Noctua’s AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames feature integrated anti-vibration pads as well as Noctua’s proprietary Stepped Inlet Design and Inner Surface Microstructures, both of which further refine the fan’s performance/noise efficiency.

Stepped Inlet Design

Noctua’s Stepped Inlet Design adds turbulence to the influx in order to facilitate the transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow, which reduces tonal intake noise, improves flow attachment and increases suction capacity, especially in space-restricted environments.

Inner Surface Microstructures

With the tips of the fan blades ploughing through the boundary layer created by the Inner Surface Microstructures, flow separation from the suction side of the blades is significantly suppressed, which results in reduced blade passing noise and improved airflow and pressure efficiency.

Integrated Anti-Vibration Pads

Integrated Anti-Vibration Pads made from extra-soft silicone minimise the transmission of minute vibrations while maintaining full compatibility with all standard mounting systems and fan clips used on heatsinks.

Custom-designed PWM IC with SCD

Supporting fully automatic PWM speed control, the NF-A4x10 5V PWM uses Noctua’s custom-designed NE-FD3 PWM IC that integrates Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology. By providing smoother torque impulses, SCD suppresses PWM switching noises and thus makes the fan quieter at low speeds.

Polarity protection

As many devices using 5V fans feature proprietary connectors, and documentation of the pin alignment may not be available, the fan features an integrated diode for polarity protection. This way, you’re on the safe side if you accidentally connect it with reverse polarity.

SSO2 Bearing

The NF-A4x10 features the further optimised second generation of Noctua’s renowned, time-tested SSO bearing. With SSO2, the rear magnet is placed closer to the axis to provide even better stabilisation, precision and durability.

OmniJoin Adaptor Set

Many devices featuring 40mm fans use proprietary fan headers, so the NF-A4x10 comes with Noctua’s OmniJoin adaptor set. Just cut the original fan’s cable, fix it to the adaptor using the supplied 3M Scotchlok connectors and you can plug the NF-A4x10 to proprietary fan headers!

USB power adaptor cable

The fan includes a USB power adaptor cable that allows it to run on power banks, devices with USB host ports or USB power supplies such as those used for smartphones, giving you near endless possibilities for using the fan in your home, in your car or wherever a need for cooling occurs!

Extensive cabling options

The fan’s short 20cm primary cable minimises cable clutter in typical applications while the supplied 30cm extension provides extended reach when necessary. Both cables are fully sleeved.

6-year manufacturer’s warranty

Noctua fans are renowned for their impeccable quality and outstanding longevity. Like all Noctua fans, the NF-A4x10 features an MTTF of more than 150.000 hours rating and comes with a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Specifications

Size	40x40x10 mm
Screw hole spacings	32 mm
Connector	4-pin PWM
Bearing	SSO2
Blade Geometry	A-Series with Flow Acceleration Channels
Frame Technology	AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation)
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%)	5000 RPM
Airflow	5.2 CFM
Min. rotational speed	1000 RPM (PWM, ±20%)
Acoustical Noise	19.6 dB(A)
Static Pressure	1.95 mm H2O
Max. Input Power	0.35 W
Max. Input Current	0.07 A
Voltage	5 V
MTBF	150,000 h
EAN barcode	9010018100327

Resources

• Installation Manual
• Information Sheet

Package Contents

• NF-A4x10 PWM 5V fan
• 30cm extension cable
• NA-AV3 anti-vibration mounts
• USB power adaptor cable
• OmniJoin adaptor set
• Fan screws