Some people, when they have an idea in mind, they don’t have it anywhere else. Indeed, the videographer who created the 15-blade dome fan is at it again. This time, it’s not a 120 mm fan, but a massive dome replacing a complete side panel. The latter incorporates fifteen Noctua NF-A12x25 fans, enabling a drastic reduction in CPU temperatures… Even though it’s cooled by a custom loop!
A 3D-printed mega-dome with 15 NF-A12x25 fans!
20°C reduction in CPU temperature despite custom watercooling!
In layman’s terms, the dome’s frame has been 3D printed in the same color as Noctua’s beige, while reproductions of silent blocs are present in all four corners of the frame. But what’s interesting here is that he’s installing fifteen original NF-A12x25s that Noctua agreed to send him. Of course, for a project like this, a certain amount of planning is required, especially for the positioning of the fans. Behind the scenes, it’s the same battle: you have to manage the cabling, since there are about fifteen PWM cables to plug in somewhere… But we trust the videographer.
Once the dome is ready, the comparative tests can begin. So he launches an initial test phase with the side glass of his housing in place. Despite the custom watercooling installed, he measured 86.34°C on his Ryzen 9 5950X with Ryzen Master. With the dome in place, temperatures drop drastically as the CPU stabilizes at 66.9°C.
An expensive solution!
If you ever get the idea of reproducing this solution, be aware that it’s still expensive. Fans alone cost around €500, based on Amazon prices, which are Noctua’s official prices. This bill can be reduced to around a hundred euros with three packs of five Arctic P12 Pro fans. Otherwise, you’ll need to factor in the cost of the filament for printing, as well as the printing time.
In short, it’s not a project you’d launch into on a whim, but the temperature reduction is noticeable and the solution, though cumbersome, remains original and effective. Note that these 20°C were obtained with fans operating at low speed.
