Noctua NH-U12S Review
The Build
The Noctua NH-U12S utilises the same SecuFirm2 mounting system as the 14S we reviewed earlier, and as such is one of the easiest coolers to fit that we’ve come across. As Noctua distinguish Intel parts from AMD pats by putting them in separate boxes is very easy to isolate those parts you require. Whichever CPU you’re touting the effect is much the same as they say. Having first threaded double ended bolts into the motherboard (backplates are supplied if they are required), brackets are then bolted down and screwed tight using the included screwdriver.
With the Brackets in place the cooler, minus the fan is placed over the CPU not forgetting to apply the included NT-H1 thermal compouind by whichever means you swear by. A cross bracket which is hard mounted to the heat sink is then screwed down in place. The mounting screws have springs to determine the correct tension for you
Noctua boast 100% RAM compatability, with the caveat that certain AMD boards breach the ATX exclusion zone around the CPU, and even then all you have to do is stick to RAM under 40mm
As the Cooler is just 125mm wide it also steers clear of covering up the first PCI slot, which as we know can sometimes be the the only 16x slot on a board. We can see below that even with two fans there’s plenty of room around the coole
Fitted into our test case, the Cooler Master “Test Trooper” the diminutive NH-U12S does look a little at sea. Good job the trademark colour scheme helps it stand out. Although it might look a little lost here, at just 158mm in height it should fit into most ATX cases and a good few mATX to boot.
