How do the NH-U12A, NH-U12S, NH-U12S redux and NH-D12L compare? Which one to choose.
How do the NH-U12A, NH-U12S, NH-U12S redux and NH-D12L compare? Which one to choose?
Offering a perfect combination of strong cooling performance, outstanding quietness of operation as well as excellent case, RAM and PCIe compatibility, the NH-U12S has been among Noctua’s most popular CPU cooler models for many years. It’s a great default choice for customers who are looking for a well-rounded, signature Noctua solution and don’t require the extra performance headroom of the NH-U12A or the lower height of the NH-D12L. The NH-U12S chromax.black is identical to the regular version except for its black colour.
The NH-U12S redux is a streamlined, more affordable version of the NH-U12S. As such, it is perfect for users who are looking for a highly compatible, no-frills 120mm cooler that doesn’t break the bank. Its raw cooling performance is on the same level as the regular NH-U12S with both models scoring a Noctua Standardised Performance Rating (NSPR) of 129 points. However, the NF-F12 fan of the regular NH-U12S is 2.7dB(A) quieter than the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan of the NH-U12S redux (22.4 vs. 25.1 dB(A)).
Users who want the absolute best performance/noise efficiency in the 120mm class and don’t mind investing a bit more should go with the premium class NH-U12A: With an NSPR of 169 points and its dual state-of-the-art NF-A12x25 PWM fans running around 2.5dB(A) quieter than the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan of the NH-U12S redux, the NH-U12A provides a significantly higher level of performance/noise efficiency that can rival many 140mm coolers.
Unlike the NH-U12S redux, the NH-D12L, NH-U12A and regular NH-U12S feature Noctua’s premium grade soldered interface between the heatpipes and the fins. They also include Low-Noise Adaptors a tube of NT-H1 thermal paste for several applications whereas the NH-U12S redux comes with NT-H1 pre-applied. While the NH-U12A is shipped with two fans and the regular NH-U12S as well as the NH-D12L includes clips for installing a second fan, the NH-U12S redux can only be upgraded using the optional NA-FK1.
| NH-U12A / NH-U12A chromax.black | NH-U12S / NH-U12S chromax.black | NH-U12S redux | NH-D12L | |
| NSPR | 169 | 129 | 129 | 148 |
| Height | 158mm | 158mm | 158mm | 145mm |
| Number of heatpipes | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Soldered interface of heatpipes and cooling fins |  |
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| Fan(s) | 2x NF-A12x25 PWM / 2x NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black |
1x NF-F12 PWM / 1x NF-F12 PWM chromax.black |
1x NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM | NF-A12x25r PWM |
| Acoustical noise rating | 22,6 dB(A) | 22,4 dB(A) | 25,1 dB(A) | 22,6 dB(A) |
| Low-Noise Adaptor | |
|
(optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit) | |
| Fan clips for second fan | |
|
(optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit) | |
| Thermal paste | NT-H1, tube (~5 applications) | NT-H1, tube (~5 applications) | NT-H1, pre-applied (1 application) | NT-H1, tube (~5 applications) |
| Mounting ecosystem compatibility | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ | SecuFirm2™ |
| Included mounting parts | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 | SecuFirm2™ for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1700, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM5 |
| Free of charge mounting upgrades (if technically possible) | |
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| Warranty | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
| MSRP | 119.90 EUR / 109.90 USD 129.90 EUR / 119.90 USD |
79.90 EUR / 69.90 USD 89.90 EUR / 79.90 USD |
54.90 EUR / 49.90 USD | 99.90 EUR / 89.90 USD |
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