Introduction and Technical Specifications
We take a detailed look at Noctua’s NH-U12S cooler, designed for performance and compatibility…
Introduction
Courtesy of Noctua
Noctua is well known among enthusiasts for their high performance and sonically tolerable processor cooling solutions. Their U-series coolers combine unrivaled cooling performance with an innovative design to ensure quiet operation and motherboard compatibility. The NH-U12S is composed of a single aluminum-finned radiator with five nickel-plated copper heat pipes seamlessly integrated into the copper base plate. For performance testing of the NH-U12S cooler, we put it up against other high-performance liquid and air-based coolers. With a retail MSRP of $69.99, the NH-U12S CPU cooler is an affordable solution offering superior cooling potential.
Courtesy of Noctua
Courtesy of Noctua
Noctua construct the NH-U12S cooler for optimal heat transfer between the processor and its 125mm wide aluminum radiator. The NH-U12S contains a total of five heat pipes directly integrated into the copper base plate, terminating on each side of the aluminum-finned radiator. The use of copper heat pipes allows for optimal heat transfer of heat from the processor to the aluminum radiator fins and ultimately the air medium. To facilitate this transfer, Noctua paired the NH-U12S with their NF-F12 120mm, 1500RPM fan. The fan features rubber cover plates on all four corners to minimize fan vibration and vibration transfer to the radiator, further reducing fan noise. The CPU base plate is seamless and polished to a mirror finish, ensuring an optimal mating surface.
SecureFirm2™ LGA115x mount kit
Courtesy of Noctua
Noctua bundles their SecureFirm2™ mounting kits for using the NH-U12S with any current AMD or Intel socket motherboard. Also included are the Noctua-branded NF-F12 120mm 1500RPM fan, NT-H1 thermal paste, a PWM power splitter cable, and two sets of fan mounts (four mounts total) for use with up to two fans with the unit.
Technical Specifications (taken from the Noctua website)
| NH-U12S Cooler Specifications | |
| Socket compatibility | Intel LGA2011 (Square ILM), LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+ (backplate required) |
| Height (without fan) | 158 mm |
| Width (without fan) | 125 mm |
| Depth (without fan) | 45 mm |
| Height (with fan) | 158 mm |
| Width (with fan) | 125 mm |
| Depth (with fan) | 71 mm |
| Weight (without fan) | 580 g |
| Weight (with fan) | 755 g |
| Material | Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating |
| Fan compatibility | 120x120x25 |
| Scope of Delivery | NF-F12 PWM premium fan Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.) NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kit Anti-vibration pads and fan-clips for second NF-F12 Noctua Metal Case-Badge |
| Warranty | 6 Years |
| Fan specifications | |
| Model | Noctua NF-F12 PWM |
| Bearing | SSO2 |
| Max. Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) | 1500 RPM |
| Max. Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%) | 1200 RPM |
| Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%) | 300 RPM |
| Max. Airflow | 93.4 m³/h |
| Max. Airflow with L.N.A. | 74.3 m³/h |
| Max. Acoustical Noise | 22.4 dB(A) |
| Max. Acoustical Noise with L.N.A. | 18.6 dB(A) |
| Input Power | 0.6 W |
| Voltage Range | 12 V |
| MTBF | > 150,000 h |
why not spend $10-15 dollars
why not spend $10-15 dollars more and buy a nice closed loop water cooler and get better performance, better looking and save space. Not to mention this monstrosity is butt ugly.
Huh? It’s quieter, cheaper
Huh? It’s quieter, cheaper and performs nearly as well. I would actually buy this over a H100i.
then your a straight up tart.
then your a straight up tart. nothing is quite about the Noct. and any closed loop if you actually own or have used one is silent.
AIOs are loud, overpriced,
AIOs are loud, overpriced, poorly built, and risk leaks. If you want the ultimate performance shy of custom water cooling, the D15 is really the only choice.
Ugly? It’s a classic tower
Ugly? It’s a classic tower design as stated early in the review. Not everyone is ready to try liquid cooling. For several years now Noctua has pushed the development of quiet fans for PCs, doing original research and design in Austria. Look, I don’t like the colours either, but there’s no mistaking a Noctua fan for any other brand. Plus, they just announced two new lines that are more muted in colour.
Is this much better than 35€
Is this much better than 35€ Raijintek Ereboss? In Serbia this Noctua is 60€.
I have not tested that unit,
I have not tested that unit, but based on the specs and build of the Ereboss, I would expect similar or better performance. The only odd thing with teh Ereboss that *may* work against it is the included fan. With the thickness of the Ereboss' radiator tower, a thin fan may not cut it well if you plan to o/c because the fan does not have the power to push air with enough force though the radiator to effectively cool it.
Again though, the above is only based on looking over the specs of the Erebus in combination with my knowledge of how both air and water coolers function…
I would check out the
I would check out the Raijintek Themis. From what I hear it actually does a better job at cooler due to the larger fan and is a bit cheaper.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Themis/9.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Ereboss/9.html
Why Haswell has lower/better
Why Haswell has lower/better temps when being cooled by an watercooler?
I assume you referring to the
I assume you referring to the differences between the Silver Arrow air cooler and the XSPC DIY water cooler and the Corsair H100i all in one water cooler. Haswell CPUs tend to produce quite a bit of heat and a water-based cooling system will tend to be able to keep up better with dispensing the heat because of the liquid medium's heat carrying capacity. While the heat is dispersed via radiator in both water and air coolers, the water cooler radiator has a lot more surface areas within the radiator to transfer the heat out to so the the fans can dissipate the heat from the radiator.
oh this must be where all the
oh this must be where all the nay saying air cooled people rally. Afraid people of water cooling.
Custom water cooling is
Custom water cooling is great, no premade solution (air or water) can match the performance, but closed loop coolers only really offer less obstruction compared to air coolers, which are better in almost every other way.
Closed loop coolers combine all the disadvantages of custom water cooling (price, noise, risk of leaks) without actually performing better than a good air cooler.