Noctua NL-LC1 360mm and 420mm CPU liquid cooler Review

Up Close with Noctua’s NL-LC1 series coolers

Up close with the Noctua NL-LC1

For up-close images, we will mostly be looking at the NL-LC1-36. Since both coolers are almost identical (aside from their fan and radiator sizes), there is little reason to waste your time showing both models in detail. I think you can all understand the concept of “The NL-LC1-42 is an NL-LC1-36 but bigger”.

Both coolers come with an accessories box that contains Intel and AMD CPU mounts, a CPU cleaning wipe, Noctua thermal paste, fan splitter cables, and an AMD NA-TPG1 AM5 thermal paste guard. Note that the included Noctua screwdriver isn’t a normal Phillips head screwdriver. This screwdriver uses a hex bit!

Noctua’s CPU cooler uses a simple but elegant pump-top design. It includes a metal Noctua Logo, but users can easily replace this with their own logo if they wish. The cooler has a simple circular top where the metal logo sits, letting users spin it to face the way they want.

Both coolers ship with NF-A G2 series fans. These fans aren’t pre-attached to Noctua’s liquid cooler, so users can place them where they prefer (push or pull).

Unlike most liquid coolers, Noctua uses hex bits for fan and radiator installation. This makes fan screws much harder to drop during installation and prevents the driver from slipping. Honestly, more PC parts should use hex bits. This change made installation a breeze.

Note that Noctua’s included fans and mounting kit use hex-bit bolts.