Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile CPU Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Noctua NH-L12 Cooler4. Installing the Noctua NH-L125. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Noctua is considered by many in the enthusiast community as the finest manufacturer of high end air coolers.  We have tested a number of their products in the KitGuru labs, including the mammoth NH-D14, and have been very impressed with them all.  So we were very excited when they offered us a sample of their latest CPU cooler for review.

Today we are going to look at the latest addition to the Noctua range, the NH-L12, which is a low profile CPU cooler designed for use in an HTPC or small form factor PC.  It features two PWM controlled fans, one of which can be removed so the cooler can be used in the most space restricted environments.

Specification

• Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 2011, 1366, 1156, 1155, 775 and AMD AM2/2+/3/3+, FM1
• Height (with/without fan): 93/66 mm
• Width (with/without fan): 128/128 mm
• Depth (with/without fan): 150/150 mm
• Weight (with/without fan): 680/415 g
• Fan Compatibility: 1x 120x120x25 mm and 1x 92x92x25 mm
• Warranty: 6 Years

Noctua supply the NH-L12 within a compact cardboard box which is decorated in a rather plain brown and white livery.  The front of the box features a brief list of the cooler’s key features and little else.

Turning the box around reveals a more detailed breakdown of these features alongside some thumbnail diagrams for illustration.  The box itself is reasonably substantial in construction and there is plenty of inner packaging to prevent damage to the cooler during shipping.

There is a comprehensive bundle included with the cooler which includes separate installation guides for AMD and Intel systems and all the required installation accessories.  There are a number of other items supplied including a low noise adapter for the fans and a tube of NT-H1 thermal paste.

It’s quite obvious from a glance that the NH-L12 is the spawn of Noctua’s design team, especially when the uniquely styled ‘coffee and cream’ coloured fans are attached.

The NH-L12 features similar C-shaped heatpipe design as the Noctua NH-C14 and NH-C12 SE14.  There are four nickel plated copper heatpipes in total which pass through the CPU block at the bottom and then bend round and pass through the heatsink on top.  The heatsink fins are made from aluminium and the one on the end has a Noctua logo subtly pressed into it.

Noctua have also used nickel-plated copper for the CPU block which the four heatpipes pass through.  Unlike a lot of coolers on the market, the NH-L12 has a textured finish rather than a perfectly smooth finish.  Whether this improves heat dissipation is difficult to judge but we doubt Noctua’s engineers would have designed the cooler this way without good reason.

Despite the low profile design of the cooler, Noctua has made room for two fans in a push-pull configuration.  The fan that sits atop the heatsink is a 120mm NF-F12 PWM model and the one on the underside is an NF-B9 PWM.  You could replace these with alternative 120mm and 92mm models if you wish but we’d recommend against it as Noctua produce some of the finest fans on the market.

The Noctua NF-F12 PWM spins at a maximum speed of 1500 RPM or 1200 RPM with the low noise adapter attached.  It generates a maximum airflow and noise level of 93.4 m³h and 22.4 dBA or 74.3 m³h and 18.6 dBA with the low noise adapter.

The NF-B9 PWM spins at a maximum speed of 1600 RPM or 1300 RPM with the low noise adapter attached.  It generates a maximum airflow and noise level of 64.3 m³h and 17.6 dBA or 52.6 m³h and 13.1 dBA with the low noise adapter.

Noctua uses wire clips to secure the fans to the cooler which fit in grooves on either side.  The NF-F12 PWM fan on the top features built in rubber pads which prevent vibrations being transferred to the cooler but the NF-B9 PWM relies on two rubber strips which are attached with adhesive to the underside of the cooler.

Noctua use the SecuFirm 2 mounting mechanism for the NH-L12 which is used on all of their current CPU coolers.  It’s the best mounting mechanism we’ve ever used and it makes installation a doddle.  Noctua provide excellent installation guides for both AMD and Intel sockets which are very easy to follow should there be an issue.

First of all the retention brackets need to be attached to the motherboard. With AMD based systems these can be attached to the motherboard’s backplate but with Intel systems the Noctua backplate is required.  There are two slight indentations in the backplate which fit around protruding bolts on Intel sockets so it has to be orientated correctly.  If not, the cooler may not make proper contact with the CPU.

Once the retention brackets are in place, the thermal compound can be applied to the CPU and then the cooler can be screwed down on top.  The fans need to be removed from the cooler before installation.

Noctua has included two small holes in the heatsink to allow access the screws underneath using the provided screwdriver.  The two rubber strips on the underside of the heatsink intersect these holes and could be damaged if care isn’t taken.

Finally the two fans can be reattached to the cooler using the wire clips and can be connected to the CPU fan header using the Y-splitter provided.

As you can see, there is room for RAM with tall heatspreaders in the outer three slots.  In the remaining slot there is only room for low profile memory.

In this review we are using an Intel Core i7-2700K based system to test the thermal and acoustic performance of the Noctua NH-L12.  We will be testing the CPU at reference speeds and then when overclocked to 4.7 GHz using a voltage of 1.35V.  We will be using a Phanteks PH-TC14CS cooler for comparison purposes.

Test System

• Processor: Intel Core i7-2700K
• Motherboard: Biostar TZ77XE4
• Thermal Paste: Arctic Cooling MX-3
• Memory: 4 GB (2x 2 GB) Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD 6670
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower XT 750W
• System Drive: Crucial M4 256 GB SSD
• Monitor: Viewsonic VX2260WM
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Software

• CPUID Hardware Monitor
• Prime 95 64-bit

To test the thermal performance of the Cubitek ATX ICE we loaded our test system for 10 minutes using Prime 95 and Furmark and recorded the maximum temperatures reached using CPUID Hardware Monitor.  We then restarted the system and left it for 15 minutes before recording idle temperatures.  Room temperatures were maintained at 20 degrees C for the duration of our tests.

We were quite impressed with the performance of the NH-L12 both at stock settings and when overclocked.  The temperature differences between the NH-L12 and Phanteks PH-TC14CS aren’t massive and the Noctua NH-L12 is much more compact.

To test the noise performance of the case we placed our digital dBA meter 1m from the front of the cooler and replaced the Radeon HD 6950 with a HD 5550 Silence.

The noise level generated by the cooler was below the 30 dBA minimum sensitivity of our Noise Level Meter and is very quiet indeed.  We tested the cooler on our open test bench and it was audible but, when installed within a case, it’s completely inaudible.

Noctua have been able to create a steady stream of high grade coolers over the years, and the NH-L12 is no exception to the rule.

We managed to maintain a substantial 4.7 GHz overclock via the NH-L12 without experiencing high temperatures that could affect the longevity of the CPU.  This is quite remarkable for a compact, low-profile CPU cooler especially as compromises normally have to be made.

The impressive thermal performance of the cooler is rivaled by the excellent acoustic performance.  Even with the fans running at full speed, the cooler is inaudible when it’s installed in a case. That said, both of the fans are PWM models, so most of the time they will be spinning much slower, emitting low levels of noise.

Noctua offer a 6 year warranty as standard which gives us peace of mind that the cooler will last a very long time indeed.

At a price of about £50 from Scan, we feel that the Noctua NH-L12 offers reasonable value for money.  There aren’t many low profile coolers out there that offer this level of performance.  So if you want to build an overclocked HTPC or small form factor PC, you need look no further.

Pros:

• Good cooling capability.
• Quiet fans.
• Generous bundle.
• Very compact.

Cons:

• Can block RAM slots.

KitGuru says: Another excellent product from Noctua!

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