NH-L12S

70mm height low-profile cooler

Compact low-profile design

70mm height for small form factor systems

Slim NF-A12x15 120mm fan

With PWM support and Low-Noise Adaptor

SecuFirm2™ mounting system

Synonymous with quality, safety and easy installation

Not suitable for CPUs that create high heat loads. Check CPU compatibility before purchase!

Successor to the award-winning NH-L12, the NH-L12S is a compact low-profile CPU cooler that combines excellent compatibility, surprising efficiency and remarkable flexibility. Thanks to its NF-A12x15 PWM, slim 120mm fan, the NH-L12S provides even better quiet cooling performance than the previous model with its 92mm fan. At the same time, the NH-L12S is highly versatile: with the fan installed on top of the fins, the cooler is compatible with RAM modules of up to 48mm in height. With the fan installed underneath the fins, the total height of the cooler is only 70mm, making it suitable for use in many HTPC and Small Form Factor cases. Topped off with the trusted, pro-grade SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, Noctua’s proven NT-H1 thermal compound and a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-L12S is a premium-quality low-profile solution for the highest demands.

$Tom\'s Hardware logo$

Tom's Hardware•Albert Thomas

“While you can’t expect cooling performance comparable to full-size desktops, Noctua has an SFF cooler that will fit your PC form factor no matter how small of a space you’re working with. And despite encountering compatibility issues with multiple SF...”

LanOC.org•Wes Compton

“in their specific size requirements, both have great performance in both cooling and noise.”

HardwareField.com•Ahmed Mohamed Elsayed

“NH-L12s متوافق مع جميع المنصات و المعالجات و يقدم اداء متميز ”

modding.fr•Bertrand Curras

“70 mm : tel est le principal argument du Noctua NH-L12S.Avec une telle hauteur, il pourra se glisser dans une très grande majorité des boîtiers HTPC ou mini boîtiers SFF, dont notamment certains où le bloc d’alimentation est positionné juste au-dessu...”

PC Ekspert•Krešimir Matanović

“Oba su hladnjaka vrlo kvalitetno napravljena, oba imaju sve što je potrebno za instalaciju i korištenje i oba su zadovoljavajuće tiha u radu.”

Hardwareluxx.de•Philipp Moosdorf

“Wer einen platzsparenden und hochwertigen Top-Blow-Kühler mit vergleichsweise guter Kühlleistung sucht, der ist beim Noctua NH-L12S genau richtig. Weil wir zudem kaum Kritikpunkte haben, verdient er sich auch unseren Excellent-Hardware-Award.”

TweakTown.com•Chad Sebring

“The NH-L12S is a terrific option for those with limited space! Our testing went beyond the TDP limit and still passed with flying colors! With a minimal investment, this secure, easy to install cooler can be yours, and with all the latest motherboard...”

Vortez.net•Matthew Hodgson

“If you require a small, compact cooler from a reputable, well-known manufacturer, with performance to boot, the Noctua NH-L12S will not disappoint. Guaranteed.”

PC Gamer•Jacob Ridley

“A top-notch air cooler that can happily deal with a low-wattage gaming processor with low noise and low temperatures.”

Key features

Low-profile mode

Run with the NF-A12x15 fan installed underneath the fin stack, the NH-L12S stands only 70mm tall. The fan can be installed blowing upwards or blowing downwards in order to match the airflow direction inside the case.

High-clearance mode

Run with the NF-A12x15 fan installed on top, the NH-L12S provides extended clearance underneath the fin stack. This way, it is fully compatible with chipset coolers and RAM modules with heat-spreaders of up to 48mm in height (vs. 35mm in low-profile mode).

NF-A12x15 slim 120mm premium fan

Featuring sophisticated aerodynamic optimisations such as Flow Acceleration Channels, the NF-A12x15 is a premium-grade slim 120mm fan. Its outstanding efficiency allows the NH-L12S to provide even better performance than the previous model with its 92mm fan.

NT-H1 thermal compound

Noctua’s much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding reliability. Chosen again and again by overclockers and enthusiast users worldwide, it has established itself as a benchmark for premium-quality thermal compounds.

FAQs

All FAQs

Trusted by customers

4.62

2064 verified ratings for this product

What are people saying?

See all customer reviews

In my ITX build since 2018. You can mount the fan on top or under the fins, I did on top because of my RAM. Not for an overclocked CPU, but for what I do it's enough.

João S.Portugal

Swapped the stock cooler on my 5600G for this, completely different world in noise

Austin C.United States of America

Living room PC under the TV, you never hear it. Good choice for a low profile.

Daan V.Netherlands

The fan operates quietly and its design allows it to be placed in a relatively small case.

Sviatoslav N.

i am a pc building enthusiast since 2005. And since i moved to noctua never thought about or felt the need to move to another cooler. bult like tank.

Manu V.

i am a pc building enthusiast since 2005. And since i moved to noctua never thought about or felt the need to move to another cooler. bult like tank.

Manu V.

I have been using the NH‑L12S for 4 years now and am very impressed with its build quality and cooling efficiency. I also have other products that have been serving me for 10 years, and I am confident that they will last even longer.

Jura K.

Share your experience, help others make the right choice.

It only takes a few minutes.