Noctua NH-U12F: Quiet Air Cooling from Austria
by Wesley Fink on April 25, 2007 4:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Noctua NH-U12F
Unless you are an enthusiast of silence in computer builds and modifications you probably haven't heard of Noctua. CPU coolers from Noctua are not generally sold by the large US etailers like Newegg, ZipZoomFly, or mWave. However, Noctua products are readily available at specialty computer enthusiast shops like Frozen CPU or Xoxide. The Noctua NH-U12F kit retails for around $65, but we have seen it selling for lower prices at a few etailers. The kit includes the Noctua NF-S12 fan which retails for $20 by itself.
The Noctua NH-U12F is packaged in a sleeved box with the Noctua trademark brown and blue packaging. It seems that everything Noctua comes in packaging with variations on this corporate color scheme.
The Noctua kit starts with a heatpipe tower that is very reminiscent of the Thermalright Ultra 120 design. We wouldn't dare touch the "which came first" question, but we do know that Noctua has been refining the basic design of this 120mm heatpipe tower for some time. Since the two Thermalright Ultra 120 models now sit at the top of our comparative cooler reviews, this design similarity certainly raises our Noctua performance expectations. There are also fan wire channels that allow mounting of both front and rear fans on the Noctua if you choose that configuration.
Inside the dark brown box you will find an exceptionally well-protected heatsink, along with everything you need to mount the NH-U12F on socket 775, AM2, or 754/939/940.
The $20 retail S12 fan is also included, as mentioned earlier, and the U.L.N.A. adapter that fits between the fan plug and the board is included for those who want to run slower speeds with the lowest noise possible.
The included accessories abound with thoughtful little touches. Noctua includes a screwdriver that actually fits in the holes of the cooler fins to allow cooler mounting in some of the mount variations. There are even two pairs of fan wire clips included that practically invite the buyer to try a push-pull fan setup. A clearly written multi-language installation manual is also in the package. Overall, the clear parts identification, abundance of mount options, and included extras make the Noctua one of the best coolers we have worked with right out of the box.
Specifications
Our test system is socket 775, but the Noctua NH-U12F will also mount on any AM2/754/939/940 CPU with included adapters.
| Noctua NF-U12F Specifications | |
| Heatsink | |
| Dimensions | 70(L) X 126W) X 155(H)mm (excluding fan) |
| Weight | 640g (excluding fan); 790g with fan |
| Heatpipes | Four U-Shaped Copper Heatpipes |
| Material | Copper and Aluminum with soldered joints |
| Fan Configuration | Supports up to two 120mm fans of any thickness with open mounting posts |
| Included Fan | |
| Model | Noctua NF-S12-1200 (included, but also sold separately) |
| Fan Size | 120mm x 120mm x 25mm |
| Bearing Type | SSO (Self Stabilizing Oil-Pressure)Bearing |
| Noise Level | 17dbA (8dbA with U.L.N.A.) |
| Speed | 1200 rpm |
| Air Flow | 81 cubic meters/hour (59 with U.L.N.A.); 47.7cfm (30.0cfm with U.L.N.A.) |
| Fan Bearing | SSO Bearing |
| Blade Geometry | Straight-Blade Design |
| Input Power | 1.44W at 0.12A Input Current |
| Voltage Range | 4-13V |
| Fan Life | >150,000 hrs (vs. 50,000 hrs for ball bearing) |
| Weight | 180g (fan only) |
Any 120mm fan without posts will fit the Noctua, regardless of the fan thickness. The Scythe SFLEX fans and SilenX IEXTREMA high-output/low-noise fans will all fit the Noctua since they do not use mounting posts.
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tk11 - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
Enough with the heat sink reviews. They make something hot, cool... big deal... they're all virtually identical. Please review an interesting or useful technology before we all loose interest in the site.poohbear - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
lol they're all virtually identical eh? u obviously do NOT overclock.tk11 - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
Actually I do overclock... by identical I was referring to the lack of innovation. The main differences between these coolers are size and styling, neither of which require technical analysis. Being a long time reader I was simply expressing my lack of interest in the latest series of reviews in hopes that anandtech will return to covering some of the more interesting technologies.LoneWolf15 - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
Speak for thyself, not others. Plenty of people read these; if you don't, feel free to move on.Jesse3G - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
I'm amused that you freely speak for others, but presume to restrict the privlege from another? Your post flirts with hypocrisy and the person you addressed brought up a valid opinion.Personally I'm surprised at the management decision on this cooling coverage. Why handle one at a time when this topic can clearly be consolidated into a comprehensive discussion of cooling??? A true "round-up" would compile all of these reviews into an inclusive article for each major cooling system category, with Anantech's enclosed suggestions of the best setups available.
SurJector - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
That would be nice to have those noise ratings: how does the stock fan compares with the SilenX and how much more noise the push-pull configuration makes ?Thanks for the reviews.
Wesley Fink - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
We did try SilenX with push pull and the noise ratings were still below the system noise floor set by the power supply. Cooling performance was roughly the same as the stock Noctua fans in push-pull and the overclock was not extended, so we saw no reason to pursue it further. The Noctua ultra low noise fan appears to push a lot of air and apparently generates high air pressure compared to some other low noise solutions.puffpio - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
So then..the ultimate review would probably be these Noctua 120mm fans on an Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme in a push pull?poohbear - Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - link
well can u guys bug thermalright for an advance review of their IFX-14? u guys managed to review the TR ultra 120+ early, maybe u can do the same w/ the monstrous IFX-14?Wesley Fink - Friday, April 27, 2007 - link
Thermalright has just advised us that the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme is in full production. The problem with the mounting plate has been corrected in the release cooler."The 775 bracket issue has been addressed and Ultra-120 eXtreme is now in full production. We think it’s even better than the engineering piece you received back then. Would you be able to verify that if we were to send you the “production” sample with its own packaging and all? I think you’ll be pleased to see the results and the improvements."
We have a final production sample with improvements on the way. We also have requested an IFX-14 for review.