This is a translation of a foreign article, so there may be mistranslations.
https://hothardware.com/news/15-fan-noctua-superdome-slashes-gaming-temps-20c
This Massive 15-Fan Noctua Superdome Slashes Gaming Temps by 20 Degrees
The operator of the YouTube channel 'Major Hardware' showcased a 'Superdome' cooling modification device made by combining a whopping 15 Noctua fans, and it demonstrated impressively superior performance. How superior? Compared to using the existing tempered glass side panel, the Superdome modification device equipped with over 12 fans lowered the temperature by approximately 20°C. Truly impressive!
In the video description, channel operator James said, "What started as a small gadget-style fan project has now become the 'Superdome.' This is a massive custom PC side panel made with 15 Noctua A12x25 120mm fans."
James added, "To test how impressive this build has become, I installed it directly on my gaming PC, contrasted it with a standard 120mm fan for size comparison, and even advanced this concept further to create a result that looks like it came from the year 2505."
This project started on a much smaller scale. Four weeks before unveiling the Superdome, James replaced the standard 120mm PC fan with a custom design in which 15 mini fans mimicking Noctua's NF-A12x25 blade design fit in the same space. His experiment effectively reduced the fan size to about 30mm, and he packed 15 small fans densely into a custom fan frame with 15 individual ducts.
It was a cool experiment, and when he requested feedback, there was a suggestion to create one massive fan array that could be mounted to a PC case using 15 actual fans instead of 15 mini models. That's how the Superdome concept was born.
One of the initial challenges was addressing the cost issue. Noctua's premium NF-A12x25 PWM fans sell for $34.90 each on Amazon, so the total cost comes to $523.50 before taxes. This approaches the MSRP of the GeForce RTX 5070 (actual market price is higher), and is more expensive than purchasing a GeForce RTX 5060 Ti. For reference, PNY's OC dual-fan model is currently selling for $399.99 on Amazon.
Instead of bearing the enormous cost directly for the Superdome project, James contacted Noctua, and fortunately the team decided to support the project by providing 15 fans. Once James had secured the fans, he began 3D printing a side panel with a massive fan frame theme, designing it so that 15 fans arranged in a dome shape could be mounted on the PC case.
There was a minor issue with the fan cable touching the blades, but after solving the problem, the Superdome proved to be remarkably quiet. According to James, the entire massive device sounds like a single fan running, and it's quieter than his PC.
As for power consumption, while a single fan consumes 8.1 watts, the entire device measured approximately 27.6 watts. Considering all circumstances, it's not a bad level. He then tested the cooling performance with Battlefield 6, and the Superdome lowered the CPU temperature from 86.34°C to 66.91°C, recording a drop of approximately 20°C.
Besides the enormous cost to replicate this at home, this project has more volume compared to a flat panel design. However, one thing is for certain. It's really... (stay tuned)... cool!
▶ Original Source: https://hothardware.com/news/15-fan-noctua-superdome-slashes-gaming-temps-20c
