Breaking News

Samsung announces Galaxy XR headset Leica M EV1 – the first M-Camera with an integrated electronic viewfinder Micron Delivers Industry’s Highest Capacity SOCAMM2 for Low-Power DRAM in the AI Data Center KIOXIA launches EXCERIA PLUS G3 and EXCERIA G3 microSD cards for exceptional photography and video performance CORSAIR Adds Rugged Performance and Mobile Convenience to Its Storage Portfolio

logo

  • Share Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
  • Home
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Essays
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map

Search form

Noctua NH-L12 review

Sep 17,2012 0

4. Closing thoughts

 

Review Pages

1. basic features, specifications
2. A closer look, installation
3. Thermal and noise tests
4. Closing thoughts

 

Although it is recommended to be mounted on CPUs with less than 95W TDP, the Noctua NH-L12 is surpassingly efficient and could easily cover the CPU cooling requirements of your HTPC or a mid-range rig. Packed with twin fans, the cooler could be also mounted on more demanding CPUs, as long as you have not overclocked them. Its low height will help it fit inside a small-form-factor chassis or a slim HTPC enclosure, but have in mind that it could also leave a little room for the memory around. It's short but it's also quite wide.

Installation is fast and easy, despite the fact you'll have several pieces to assemble. Don't forget that this cooler supports all currently sold sockets and several from the past.

Silence and performance are what we expect from Noctua. The NH-L12 met our expectations and it was able to offer a more than 20 per cent improvement in performance when compared to a reference Intel heatsink. In addition, it proves that sometimes size does not matter, as its cooling performance matches bigger coolers, while its fans remain quiet.

The $72 price tag seems a hefty amount for a relatively-small cooler that isn't designed for use on overclocked chips. But still, the cooler worth it, considering the performance for the size, how quiet it is, build quality and Noctua's class-leading six-year warranty.

 

Pros:

+ Complete retail package
+ Supports all currently available CPUs
+ Includes thermal paste and noise reduction adapters
+ Includes 2 fans (120mm & 92mm)
+ Great external design and aesthetics

+ Very low height with the 92mm fan
+ Easy installation
+ Very good performance even with a single (92mm) fan installed
+ Very low noise levels

Cons:

- Low profile heatsink could mess up with your memory modules, check compatibility at Noctua's website
- High price despite great bundle
- Form factor limits performance with demanding CPUs

 

Review Pages

1. basic features, specifications
2. A closer look, installation
3. Thermal and noise tests
4. Closing thoughts

 

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

Noctua

Tags: Noctua
Previous Post
Crucial Adrenaline 50GB SSD review
Next Post
Noctua NF-F12 review

Related Posts

  • Noctua celebrates 20-year anniversary with new website and desk mat

  • Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans

  • ASUS and Noctua announce ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua Edition graphics card

  • Noctua introduces NF-A12x25 G2 next-generation 120mm fan

  • Noctua at Computex 2025

  • Noctua releases NH-D15 G2 specific offset LGA1851 mounting bars for improved cooling performance

  • Noctua and Seasonic introduce ultra-quiet 1600W power supply

  • Noctua presents NF-A6x15 60mm fans and NA-SC1 Sx2 splitter cable set

Latest Reviews

be quiet! Light Base 500 LX
Cooling Systems

be quiet! Light Base 500 LX

be quiet! Pure Loop 3 280mm
Cooling Systems

be quiet! Pure Loop 3 280mm

Dragon Touch Digital Calendar
Consumer Electronics

Dragon Touch Digital Calendar

Soft2bet and the unseen hardware that makes instant play possible
Enterprise & IT

Soft2bet and the unseen hardware that makes instant play possible

Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans
Cooling Systems

Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 fans

Popular News

COLORFUL Introduces CVN B850I GAMING FROZEN Motherboard

COLORFUL Introduces CVN B850I GAMING FROZEN Motherboard

COLORFUL Presents CVN X870 ARK FROZEN Motherboard for AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs

COLORFUL Presents CVN X870 ARK FROZEN Motherboard for AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs

COLORFUL Presents the B860 Series Motherboards

COLORFUL Presents the B860 Series Motherboards

Intel-AMD new motherboards announced

Intel-AMD new motherboards announced

TEAMGROUP Launches EXPERT P34F Find My External SSD

TEAMGROUP Launches EXPERT P34F Find My External SSD

ASRock AM5 Motherboards Now Fully Support AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D Processors

ASRock AM5 Motherboards Now Fully Support AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D Processors

Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy S25 FE series

Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy S25 FE series

Viltrox Showcases Upcoming Lens Lineup and New TTL Flash at IBC 2025

Viltrox Showcases Upcoming Lens Lineup and New TTL Flash at IBC 2025

Main menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Essays
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Promotional Opportunities @ CdrInfo.com
  • Advertise on out site
  • Submit your News to our site
  • RSS Feed