Noctua NH-U12A, Premium CPU Cooler with High-Performance Quiet NF-A12x25 PWM Fans (120mm, Brown)
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J. Wong
> 3 dayAlthough this CPU cooler isnt as pretty as some AIO or other water coolers, its cooling performance and silent operation surpasses just about all of them. Just search for videos online comparing CPU coolers and youll find good information before you commit to a CPU cooler. For me personally, the aesthetics of a CPU cooler wasnt a big factor. More important to me are the cooling performance and loudness factors. The Noctua NH-U12A is the best of the top CPU coolers for these two factors. Before I watched the videos, I always thought water based CPU coolers were the most quiet and was very surprised to learn that Noctua NH-U12A outperformed some of them in quietness. The only thing that bothered me a bit about the Noctua NH-U12A was that the clips that holds the fans to the heat sinks are not very effective. They dont hold the fans very tightly. I had to use some twist ties to tie the two fans clips together to make sure the clips didnt pop off accidentally. Despite this small annoyance, I still highly recommend the Noctua NH-U12A CPU cooler for those who want great cooling performance along with low noise.
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Alex
> 3 dayReplaced a Corsair H105 water cooler with this. Previous noise level was ~30db. With this cooler noise was reduced to ~15db. Noticeable difference. Measured using some app on my phone from Google Play Store.
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Lunderson
> 3 dayWhat a awesome cooler. Easy to install and deffinatly drops cpu temps without having be a large cooler and moving my gpu.
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Dissez Yannick
Greater than one weekVoilà je sors dun vieux modèle BeQuiet (qui fonctionne toujours niquel pour pas un bruit même après 5 ans) mais voulant un systeme plus performant dans ma nouvelle config et étant limité en termes de place dans le boitier jai opté pour ce NOCTUA. Bah rien à redire cest de la qualité Noctua ... juste au top. Fait clairement le taff pour un niveau sonore limite nul même en plein jeu, et en traitement 3D je monte pas à plus de 60-70° a 100% de GPU donc ça va carrément ! Pour conclure génial.
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Cel
> 3 daySuper quite!!! The best product! Keeps my i9 processor cool while playing high end games (modern warfare, destiny 2) while on YouTube, Spotify, or even watching Netflix.
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M. Dillon
Greater than one weekOver the many years Ive gone through a lot of fans and its come to the point these days where I really just go for quality, even at an expense, because frankly cheap fans tend to get noisy fairly quickly. So even though the Noctua gear is not the cheapest or best-value in the world, that is what I buy these days. These fans dont disappoint!
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Cherie F.
> 3 dayComputer
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Daniel
> 3 dayNoctua will always earn my dollar with their products. Easy to install with tons of compatibility for multiple sockets (though make sure you get the right kind). Their heat dispersion from the heat sink alone is top notch and the fan is dead silent while keeping temps low. I though water cooling / AIO was the way to go, but Noctua has slapped me around 180 degrees to go fully heat sink + fan. Love their stuff (hate the brown, lol).
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YorchM
> 3 dayEsta increíble!! Lo uso para un 10400 he visto que llega 23ºC con los ventiladores al máximo, el precio se puede considerar alto pero es un disipador premium para toda la vida.
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Anonymous
> 3 dayThe fans are quiet, and they move some air. PWM control works well, and the kit comes with y-adapters, extensions, and LNAs. The heatsink is a manageable size, and didnt have any scrapes/dents/bent fins etc. Well packaged. Bundled NT-H1 thermal paste does the job. All together it keeps a Ryzen 7 3700X with XFR enabled cool.
The NH-U12A is the latest, 5th generation of Noctua’s NH-U12 series of 120mm size premium-quality quiet CPU coolers. Conceived to push the envelope of the 120mm form factor, it combines two of Noctua’s flagship model NF-A12x25 PWM 120mm fans with a completely redesigned heatsink featuring 7 heatpipes and an increased fin surface area for superior heat dissipation. This way, the NH-U12A can rival the performance of many 140mm size coolers while offering 120mm class case and PCIe compatibility. Topped off with the trusted, pro-grade SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system and Noctua’s proven NT-H1 thermal compound, the NH-U12A is a deluxe choice that combines top-tier performance with excellent compatibility and outstanding quietness of operation.
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Classic 120mm tower size for excellent overall compatibilityStanding 158mm tall, the NH-U12A is short enough to fit most modern mid- or high-end tower cases. Measuring 125mm wide (including fan and fan clips), the cooler stays clear of the top PCIe slot on most standard ATX or Micro-ATX motherboards, ensuring optimum compatibility with multi-GPU setups. |
100% RAM compatibility on LGA1700/1200 and AM4/AM5Due to its asymmetric design, the NH-U12A does not overhang the RAM slots on Intel LGA1700 (LGA17xx family)/LGA1200/LGA115x and AMD AM4/AM5 based motherboards, which ensures easy access to the modules and 100% compatibility with tall heat-spreaders. On LGA2066, the rear fan will overhang the RAM slots on the left-hand side of the socket, so RAM modules should not exceed 42mm in height.* |
Dual NF-A12 120mm fansThe NF-A12x25 is a highly optimised next-generation 120mm fan that integrates Noctua’s latest innovations in aerodynamic engineering in order to achieve an unprecedented level of quiet cooling performance. Using this elite-class fan in a push/pull dual fan configuration is one of the cornerstones of the NH-U12A’s commanding performance and acoustic efficiency. |
NT-H1 thermal compoundNoctua’s much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding reliability. Chosen again and again by overclockers and enthusiast users worldwide, it has established itself as a benchmark for premium-quality thermal compounds. |
Measurements
- Height (without fan): 158 mm
- Width (without fan): 125 mm
- Depth (without fan): 58 mm
- Height (with fan): 158 mm
- Width (with fan): 125 mm
- Depth (with fan): 112 mm
- Weight (without fan): 760 g
- Weight (with fan): 1220 g
Materials
Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Cooler Specifications
Scope of delivery
- 2x NF-A12x25 PWM premium fan
- 2x NA-RC14 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A)
- NA-YC1 4-pin PWM y-cable
- SecuFirm2 mounting kit
- NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound
- Noctua Metal Case-Badge
* In cases with more than 158mm CPU cooler clearance, the rear fan can be moved upwards to make room for memory modules taller than 42mm.
140mm performance in 120mm size
Thanks to its completely revised 7 heatpipe layout, 37% more fin surface area and a dual fan push/pull configuration that uses the new, state-of-the-art NF-A12x25 fans, the NH-U12A can actually match or even outperform many 140mm sized coolers.
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| NH-U12S | NH-U12S TR4-SP3 | NH-U12S redux | NH-U12S chromax.black | NH-U12A | NH-U12A chromax.black | |
| LGA2066, LGA2011-0 & LGA2011-3 | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LGA1700 | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LGA1200, LGA115x (LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156) | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LGA775 & LGA1366 | with NM-I3 | X | with NM-I3 | with NM-I3 | with NM-I3 | with NM-I3 |
| Xeon LGA2011 Narrow ILM / Xeon LGA1366 & LGA1356 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Xeon LGA3647 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Xeon LGA4189 | X | with NM-i4189 | X | X | X | X |
| AM5 | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AM4 | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| sTRx4, sWRX8, TR4, SP3 | X | ✓ | X | X | X | X |
