After all the huge tower fans we've looked at recently, it makes a refreshing change to be playing with something at the other end of the spectrum.

One look at the Austrian-designed Noctua and you know it means business. For a start, it's something of a giant, featuring two fin stacks and two fans. The quality of engineering is superb, right through to the colour instructions. Even the thermal paste is 'award-winning' thermal paste. It looks the business, in a no-nonsense way. Only the hospital beige-coloured fans spoil the party here. Compared to the design excesses of Fenrir, Yasya and Thor's Hammer it looks positively clinical.