NH-U12

Product discontinued. Successor model:NH-U12F

Thanks to the 4 Dual-Heat-Pipes, 38 aluminium cooling fins with a total surface area of more than 5000cm² and soldered joints for optimal heat-transfer, the Noctua NH-U12 achieves superior cooling performance with a 120mm fan of your choice - no matter whether used for super-silent or ultra-high-performance cooling!

4 Dual-Heatpipes for optimal heat absorption
The 4 u-shaped Dual-Heat-Pipes have a huge contact area with the copper base to efficiently absorb the CPU's heat. They form 8 risers to spread the heat throughout the fins.

38 aluminium cooling fins for optimal heat dissipation
Thanks to a surface area of more than 5000cm², the cooling fins dissipate the heat extremely fast. Both the choice of aluminium and the fins' shape and spacing allow for outstanding cooling performance even with silent fans.

Soldered joints for optimal heat-transfer
Unlike many other coolers, whose heatpipes are stuck to the base and the fins, the Noctua NH-U12 possesses high-grade soldered joints to ensure optimal heat transfer.

Screwless fan-mount including anti-vibration strips
The choice of fan is all yours: 120mm fans provide excellent results regardless of whether silence or performance is your primary concern. Attaching the fan with the steel clips is a child's play and doesn't even require a screwdriver. The supplied anti-vibration strips minimize vibrations transmitted to the cooler and hence allows for extra quietness.

Universal fit for socket 478, LGA, K8, easy installation, thermal paste
The NH-U12 fits Intel socket 478 and LGA 775 as well as AMD K8. The mounting mechanism using a backplate and spring-loaded screws is as easy as it is secure thanks to the detailed step-by-step installation guide. In addition to the mounting hardware, the package contains a syringe of high-grade thermal paste.

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Cooler Specification

Socket compatibility

Intel Socket 478 & LGA 775, AMD K8

Height (without fan)

155 mm

Width (without fan)

124 mm

Depth (without fan)

70 mm

Height (with fan)

155 mm

Width (with fan)

124 mm

Depth (with fan)

95 mm

Material

Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints

Application

P4 all frequencies, AMD all frequencies

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION SHEETS (PDF)

FAQs

Motherboard Compatibility

Case Compatibility

CPU Compatibility

Installation Manual (PDF)

Information Sheet (PDF)

Disclaimer:
We create and update our compatibility lists with the utmost care. Unfortunately, mainboard manufacturers tend to change certain components and heatsinks without pointing it out by using corresponding revision names. If you run into problems while installing our coolers on one of the mainboards listed as being compatible, please don't hesitate to contact our support team at support@noctua.at.

Please also keep in mind that other components such as narrow or small cases as well as memory modules with special (higher) heat-spreaders can cause compatibility-issues.

For use in systems from Dell, HP or Lenovo, please note this FAQ.

Can't find the motherboard you're looking for? Please don't hesitate to contact our support team at support@noctua.at in order to obtain compatibility information for motherboards that aren't listed below.

Our case compatibility list helps you to quickly identify which PC cases offer sufficient clearance for which Noctua CPU coolers. The compatibility indication is based on the height of the coolers (including fans) as well as the maximum CPU cooler height specification given by the chassis manufacturer.

Caution: Please note that the fans of some tower coolers (especially larger models with 140mm fans, e.g. NH-D15 or NH-U14S TR4-SP3) may overhang the RAM slots and that this can cause compatibility issues if RAM modules taller than 32mm are used. While the fans can be moved upwards to increase RAM clearance, this will increase the total height of the cooler and thus requires additional clearance inside the chassis. As a rule of thumb, if the fan overhangs the RAM, the maximum CPU cooler height specification of the case must be at least the size of the fan plus the height of the RAM minus 7mm (accounting for the height of the socket and CPU). For example, if a cooler uses a 140mm fan that overhangs the RAM and 46mm tall RAM modules are used, the max. CPU cooler height specification should be at least 179mm (140+46-7=179). For further information and instructions on how to move up the fan for each cooler model, please click the height specification link.

Disclaimer: We create and update our compatibility lists with utmost care. However, case manufacturers sometimes change parts or details of their products without prior notice or explicitly indicating a revision. Therefore, Noctua cannot accept any liability, nor in any other way be held responsible, for the following compatibility information.

Can't find the case you're looking for? Please don't hesitate to contact our support team at support@noctua.at in order to obtain compatibility information for cases that aren't listed above.

When modern CPUs use their turbo modes, they can (depending on the configuration of the UEFI BIOS) dissipate much more heat than indicated by the manufacturer’s TDP (Thermal Design Power) specification. Just like manual overclocking, this puts higher demands on the cooling solution. Our CPU compatibility list helps you to choose the cooler model that is best suited for a given CPU and your individual requirements as far as turbo and overclocking headroom are concerned. We classify our coolers according to the following categories:

best turbo/overclocking headroom

medium turbo/overclocking headroom

low turbo/overclocking headroom

compatible without turbo/overclocking headroom

compatible with certain restrictions (see comment)

incompatible (see comment)

For further information on CPUs exceeding their TDP ratings and how to configure the UEFI BIOS in order to avoid excessively high temperatures, please see this FAQ.

Please also see our general buying guide, motherboard compatibility list and FAQs for further help on how to select the best cooler for your configuration.

Can't find the CPU you're looking for? Please don't hesitate to contact our support team at support@noctua.at in order to obtain compatibility information for CPUs that aren't listed here.