Paris / Vienna, December 10th 2008 – Leading external storage manufacturer LaCie and renowned quiet cooling specialist Noctua today announced their cooperation on the development of acoustically optimized storage solutions. The recently announced LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network, designed by Neil Poulton, are the first LaCie four and five-bay RAID external storage solutions to feature Noctua cooling technology. Thanks to the use of Noctua’s NF-P12 fan, their noise emission is reduced, on average, by 40% compared to their predecessors.

“LaCie always seeks to combine class-leading performance with design and ergonomics”, said Olivier Mirloup, LaCie Hard Disk Solutions Business Unit Manager. “Offering capacities up to 6TB and 7.5TB respectively and a versatile hot-swap feature, LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network support seven RAID modes for optimal performance and data protection. Furthermore, we wanted our products to become the reference in terms of quietness for professional storage. That’s why we’ve chosen Noctua’s award-winning NF-P12 fan for cooling, and we are very proud of the result. It’s a vast improvement.”

Designed to enhance working environments, LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network are up to 15dB quieter than their predecessors. Thanks to the psycho-acoustically optimised Noctua NF-P12 fan (with Vortex-Control Notches), the LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network also feature an acoustic profile that’s much more pleasant to the ear, making them ideal for AV workstations and SMB offices that value the comfort of quiet working environments.

“Our NF-P12 fan is tailor-made for high-impedance applications like storage solutions and we’re proud to count LaCie among our industrial partners who make use of our technologies and know-how in order to improve the acoustics of their products”, says Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. “Both LaCie and Noctua stand for premium quality products and we’re confident that LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network mark the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation that pushes the envelope in quiet, first class storage solutions.”

LaCie 4big Quadra and LaCie 5big Network are available via LaCie’s specialized dealer network at suggested retail prices starting at USD 849.