CoolingReviews

Noctua NH-L12S CPU Cooler Review

Specifications and Features

 

Noctua NH-L12S Cooler Specification:

Socket compatibility :  Intel LGA2066, LGA2011-0 & LGA2011-3 (Square ILM), LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, FM1, FM2, FM2+ (backplate required)
Height (without fan):   70 mm
Width (without fan):   128 mm
Depth (without fan):   146 mm
Height (with fan):   70 mm
Width (with fan):   128 mm
Depth (with fan):   146 mm
Weight (without fan):   390 g
Weight (with fan/s):   520 g
Material:   Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Max. TDP:  see TDP guide
Fan compatibility:  120x120x15 & 120x120x25
Scope of delivery
  • 1x NF-A12x15 PWM premium fan
  • Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
  • NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound
  • SecuFirm2™ mounting kit
  • Noctua metal case-badge
Warranty:  6 Years

 

FAN Specification:

Bearing:   SSO2
Max. Rotational Speed (+/- 10%):   1850 RPM
Max. Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%):   1400 RPM
Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%):   450 RPM
Max. Acoustical Noise:   23,9 dB(A)
Max. Acoustical Noise with L.N.A.:   16,8 dB(A)
Input Power:   1,56 W
Voltage Range:   12 V
MTTF:   > 150.000 h

 

In the package we will find everything we need to install our new cooler on the AMD or Intel platform. In our case it will be AMD Ryzen for which there is also AM4 mounting kit.

Package is similar to what we could see in reviews of previous products. Brownish boxes are hiding all components of the cooler but everything is well described so even less advanced users will be able to handle installation.

Here is a video which is showing how easy is cooler installation. In the same way you can install any cooler with Noctua SecuFirm2 mounting kit.

 

 

Even though cooler comes as you can see on the below photos, we had to install the fan on top as on our small motherboard it was impossible to install memory modules. Once we moved the fan, even tall modules can be installed without problems. For tests has been used Ballistix Elite DDR4-3466 memory kit which is quite tall.

The cooler itself looks great. Everything fits perfectly and you just feel high quality of the product. I guess we are used to see that in every single Noctua cooler so we are not really surprised. It’s just Noctua standard to deliver the best quality products regardless if it’s the most expensive model or small, compact cooler.

 

Noctua used NF-A12x15 PWM fan which is providing high performance and silent work at the same time. This fan was covered by a separated article so I won’t say much more about it except it’s the best fan you can find in CPU coolers. It’s also slim what helps in small PC cases. If you wish to replace the fan then the NH-L12S lets to install 15mm and 25mm thick fans but unless you want to install something really flashy with RGB LEDs then I see no point of changing fan which comes with the cooler.

There is also one more thing which some users are pointing out. It’s the brownish colour of the fans. When you mention brown fans then all know you are talking about Noctua. On the other hand many users wish to see different colours without need of purchasing additional fans. For me it’s not an issue but I guess that Noctua could release something like classic version and one more in different color scheme.

As you can see on above photos, we had no issues with the NH-L12S installation on the BIOSTAR X370GTN motherboard which together with the 1700X processor is our test platform. On the next page of this review are test results and additional comments. So let’s move to the next page.

 

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