Forget nitrogen: a dome with embedded Noctua fans and CPU temperature drops

We have reported many peculiar experiments on our pages, especially when it comes to cooling processors. Generally, these involve liquid systems, of course with various liquids and improbable methods, but liquid is a constant in these experiments.

This does not apply, however, to Major Hardware, a YouTuber who wanted to achieve extreme cooling performance but using air instead. So, what better solution than to create a mega dome filled with Noctua fans to install in place of the side panel?

Thus, Major Hardware designed a configuration based on a 3D-printed dome capable of housing 15 Noctua NF-A12 fans, models known and widely appreciated for their efficiency and quietness at the top of the industry. The goal was to maximize airflow inside the case through a uniform and concentrated distribution.

The system immediately exhibited interesting characteristics also from an energy perspective. The overall consumption remains below 30W in standard mode, a relatively low value considering the number of fans in operation and even lower than a traditional AIO cooler with an LCD display, just to have a point of comparison.

However, the test bench already uses a custom liquid cooling system as a baseline, thus with superior performance compared to classic air and AIO coolers. With the original side panel installed, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor recorded temperatures ranging from 86°C to 87°C under full load.

The situation changed dramatically when the partition was replaced with the so-called "Superdome". In gaming tests, the CPU drops to 66°C-67°C, an improvement of about 20°C. A gap of this kind represents a rare result even among enthusiasts.

In addition to the temperatures, another relevant datum emerges: the noise level remains contained. For the experiment, the high-performance mode of the fans was not even used, which could further lower the thermal values. However, in that case, the experiment's second goal would not be met.

Naturally, this is a solution that is far from practical or economical – the cost of a single fan varies between 30 and 35 euros, for a total amount ranging between 450 and 525 euros. However, unlike other unconventional solutions, the Superdome is perfectly sustainable for everyday use (as long as there is enough space). Additionally, it shows how further optimizations to airflow can be applied without resorting to exotic solutions to achieve tangible benefits.