- Review -

11.06.2013 DragonSteelMods.com

Installation of the NH-U12S posed no problems for me or my system, there was plenty of room around the socket area and ram slots, the cooler easily cleared the larger than average chipset heatsinks my motherboard has and didn’t cover the ram slots even with the fan installed. The SecuFirm2 mounting system is easy to use and allows for a quick installation while holding the cooler firmly in place. Noctua has provided re-designed fan clips that are easier to use and seem to hold the fan in place more securely. The cooling ability of the NH-U12S is excellent, the cooler ships with just one fan and in that configuration it performed very well, only a couple degrees higher than a liquid cooling system; that right there says a lot about the ability of this little cooler. You can install an optional second fan for even more cooling ability, but just one fan should work fine for most people I would think. Using one or two fans the NH-U12S didn’t add any more noise to my system, overall it’s a very quiet cooler even under load. If you’re looking for a cooler that’s quiet, performs well, and one that should fit in any situation, then you should seriously consider the NH-U12S from Noctua.

"Noctua is a company that never ceases to amaze me, they’ve committed themselves to making quality and good performing products and the NH-U12S is a testament to that fact, it’s very well made cooler with a excellent cooling performance." (Kristofer Brozio, DragonSteelMods.com)