tech

etaPERF™ motor

etaPERF™ motor

Noctua’s new etaPERF™ motor sets new standards in energy efficiency thanks to its extremely low electric impedance and the latest NE-FD6 drive system with its integrated, ultra-sensitive Hall effect sensor that provides super-precise commutation performance. This not only enables it to convert a minimal electric input into a maximum power-output with hardly any losses, but also works in tandem with Noctua’s proven Smooth Commutation Drive 2 technology to make the etaPERF™ motor run near-inaudible.

Derived from the Greek letter η (“eta”) that is used as a symbol for efficiency in engineering (η = power input / power output), etaPERF™ stands for a combination of unprecedented energy efficiency with state-of-the-art performance. Compared to Noctua’s previous single-phase fan motors that are driven by the NE-FD1 IC, the new etaPERF™ class motors with NE-FD6 can achieve significantly higher torque at the same power draw or, conversely, require less electrical energy to achieve the same torque values.

While the exact efficiency gains between NE-FD1 based motors and NE-FD6 based etaPERF™ vary based on aspects such as fan model, fan speed and flow resistance, the average improvements are in the range of 10-15%. For example, an NF-A14 fan running at 2000rpm is around 13% more energy efficient using the new etaPERF™ motor:

Line graph comparing fan power consumption over time: etaPERF™ motor consistently uses less power than previous-gen motor.

The key to the superior efficiency of the etaPERF™ motors is the ultra-precise integrated Hall effect sensor of the NE-FD6 IC. The increased accuracy in sensing the fan’s rotor position enables the NE-FD6 to apply torque impulses with unprecedented precision, thereby reducing switching losses to an absolute minimum and ensuring super-smooth, non-cogging commutation behaviour. Combined with the proven Smooth Commutation Drive 2 technology, this enables etaPERF™ motors to set new standards both in energy efficiency (torque per Watt) and quietness of operation.