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Continuing the legacy of Noctua’s classic NH-U-series, which has received more than a thousand awards and recommendations from international hardware websites and magazines, the NH-U12S has become a benchmark for slim, highly compatible 120mm single tower coolers. The TR4-SP3 version is a tailored custom model for AMD’s sTRX4/TR4/SP3 platform (Ryzen Threadripper / Epyc) and features a larger contact surface as well as the latest SecuFirm2™ mounting system for socket sTRX4/TR4/SP3. Topped off with the renowned quiet NF-F12 PWM 120mm fan, Noctua’s proven NT-H1 thermal compound and a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-U12S TR4-SP3 forms a complete premium-quality solution that combines outstanding performance, superb acoustics and excellent compatibility for high-end sTRX4/TR4/SP3 systems.
| Please note that the NH-U12S TR4-SP3 is a dedicated version for the AMD sTRX4/TR4/SP3 socket. Due to its customised larger base, it cannot be used on any other sockets and is incompatible with Noctua’s standard mounting kits. |
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Award-winning NH-U12S cooler
Tens of thousands of enthusiast users all over the world swear by the NH-U12S’s quality and performance. Recommended by more than 200 international hardware websites and magazines, it is renowned as being one of the best 120mm coolers on the market.
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Tailored custom version for sTRX4/TR4/SP3 (Ryzen Threadripper / Epyc)
At 70x56mm, the copper contact surface of the TR4-SP3 version is more than double the size of the standard model. Tailored to fit the enormous integrated heat-spreaders (IHS) of AMD’s sTRX4/TR4/SP3-based processors, this customised design allows for an optimal heat flow from the CPU over the base to the heatpipes and on to the cooling fins.
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120mm size for excellent performance and compatibility
With five heatpipes and the powerful NF-F12 120mm fan, the NH-U12S achieves outstanding cooling performance while maintaining excellent compatibility: At 158mm height and 125mm width, it is short enough to fit most modern tower cases and stays clear of the top PCIe slot on most motherboards.
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NF-F12 120mm Focused Flow™ fan
Recommended by more than 150 hardware publications and thousands of enthusiasts world-wide, the Noctua's premium quality NF-F12 Focused Flow™ 120mm fan is renowned to combine superb static pressure, excellent heatsink performance and surprising quietness of operation.
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Anti-vibration pads and fan-clips for second NF-F12 (optional)
For users who want to achieve even better performance by adding a second, optional NF-F12 fan to create a push/pull setup, the NH-U12S includes fan clips and an extra set of custom-designed anti-vibration pads that allow to off-set the rear fan by 5mm to improve acoustics in dual-fan mode.
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SecuFirm2™ mounting system for sTRX4/TR4/SP3
Noctua’s SecuFirm2™ mounting systems have become synonymous with quality, safety and ease of use. The TR4-SP3 variant has been completely custom-designed for the new socket and is particularly easy to install: Put on the heatsink, fix the four spring-loaded screws and you’re done!
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Offset mounting options for better PCIe clearance
In order to assure optimal compatibility with SLI and CrossFire multi-GPU setups, the SecuFirm2™ mounting for sTRX4/TR4/SP3 makes it possible to offset the cooler by 3 or 6mm towards the upper edge of the motherboard, thereby increasing clearance of the top PCIe slot.
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NT-H1 thermal compound
Having received more than 100 awards and recommendations from hardware journalists around the world, Noctua's NT-H1 is a proven professional grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding reliability.
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Notes and warnings
Please note that the NH-U12S TR4-SP3 is a dedicated version for the AMD sTRX4/TR4/SP3 socket. Due to its customised larger base, it cannot be used on any other sockets and is incompatible with Noctua’s standard mounting kits.
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AMD sTRX4, TR4, SP3
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Height (without fan)
158 mm
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Width (without fan)
125 mm
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Depth (without fan)
45 mm
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Weight (without fan)
695 g
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Height (with fan)
158 mm
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Width (with fan)
125 mm
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Depth (with fan)
71 mm
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Weight (with fan)
870 g
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Material
Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
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Max. TDP
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Fan compatibility
120x120x25
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Scope of delivery
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6 Years
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Model
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Bearing
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Max. rotational speed (+/- 10%)
1500 RPM
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Max. rotational speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%)
1200 RPM
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Min. rotational speed (PWM, +/-20%)
300 RPM
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93,4 m³/h
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Max. acoustical noise
22,4 dB(A)
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Max. acoustical noise with L.N.A.
18,6 dB(A)
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Input power
0,6 W
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Voltage range
12 V
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MTTF
> 150.000 h
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Noctua has long been widely heralded for its NH-U12S CPU cooler, and we now have the opportunity to deploy the solution to AMD Threadripper and benefit from great thermal performance. A simple, elegant installation platform and professional-grade cooling ability lands the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 placement on any performance-oriented Threadripper PC build.
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Test verdict: "Just like the original NH-U12S, the Threadripper-ready Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 is poised as a long-term, benchmark CPU cooler for AMD enthusiasts." (Garrett Carver, Tom's Hardware)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Inutile de régler votre poste, ceci n'est pas une hallucination. La grosse surprise nous vient d'un système de refroidissement par air de chez Noctua, qui se positionne comme l'un des plus endurant sur notre Threadripper 1920X. Le NH-U14S TR4-SP3 survole le débat en aircooling et enterre quasiment tout le panel de kits AIO. [...] Le candidat à disposer du meilleur ratio performances/bruit est le NH-U14S TR4-SP3 de Noctua, encore lui. Il se fera largement entendre lorsqu'il sera sollicité au maximum de ses capacités, mais reste toutefois dans une tranche raisonnable.
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Test verdict: "Le NH-U14S TR4-SP3 remporte notre coup de coeur, offrant le meilleur ratio performances/nuisances/prix du panel. Si l'overclocking ne vous intéresse pas, le NH-U12S TR4-SP3 est parfaitement adapté à l'usage." (Thierry Comtesse, Le Comptoir du Hardware)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
The results from this benchmark were rather shocking as the Thermaltake Floe Triple Riing RGB 360 TT Premium Edition ($199.99 shipped) AIO CPU liquid cooler didn’t blow the Noctua coolers out of the water. The Thermaltake Floe Triple Riing RGB 360 had the lowest idle temperature by 1C, but the load temps were nearly 2C higher than the Noctua NH-U14S. These Noctua air coolers do a pretty good job!
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Test verdict: "It is shocking how well these three high-end heatsinks from Noctua handle AMD’s TR4 and SP3 sockets for their latest Ryzen Threadripper (X399) and EPYC platforms." (Nathan Kirsch, LegitReviews.com)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Bei dem Temperaturen zeigt sich die All-in-One-Wasserkühlung nur für wenige Minuten überlegen, denn das Wasser zu erhitzen braucht seine Zeit. Nach 30 Minuten Last mit Prime95 steht ein Patt mit dem NH-U14S zu Papier. So lange die AiO braucht um auf Touren zu kommen, so lange braucht sie im Anschluss auch wieder um ruhiger zu werden: Ein Luftkühler hat nach wenigen Sekunden im Leerlauf die Drehzahl bereits wieder abgesenkt, weil die CPU nur noch minimale Abwärme erzeugt, bei der AiO dauert das länger.
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Test verdict: "Als potentiell erste erhältliche Luftkühler für AMDs neuer Threadripper-Plattform machen Noctua NH-U14S, -U12S und -U9 für Sockel TR4 eine sehr gute Figur. Das Topmodell NH-U14S schlägt bei der Temperatur sogar eine 200 US-Dollar teure AiO-Wasserkühlung von Thermaltake mit großem 360er-Radiator." (Volker Rißka, ComputerBase.de)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
So why would you get anything other than the NH-U14S for performance or Wraith Ripper for looks? Well the NH-U9 is just there to give an option to small form factor builds and it makes me very happy that they provide that option. It’s the NH-U12S that ends up being the odd man out. The NH-U14S isn’t much larger but the performance difference between the two in both cooling and noise levels is impressive. I love the NH-U12S normally as a real-world “standard” size tower cooler. But if you are going Threadripper, you might as well go with the NH-U14S assuming you can fit the additional height.
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Test verdict: "The end result was that you have options even if you don’t want to water-cool your Threadripper build... with one of these coolers you get exactly what you expect for as long as the fan works, and if that happens it is an easy fix... all three of the Noctua coolers have an impressive 6-year warranty. " (Wes Compton, LanOC.org)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Jak vidíte, uchladit moderní multijádrové procesory dá docela práci a klasické vzduchové chladiče zde už ukazují své limity. A to RYZEN 2950X není zdaleka nejvýhřevnější procesor na trhu, to Core i9 dokáže topit ještě mnohem více. Takže ano, všechny chladiče včetně malé 92mm NOCTUA U9 jsou běžně použitelné i pro tenhle čip a uchladí ho tiše i v maximální zátěži!
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Test verdict: "Pokud tedy máte z nějakého důvodu málo místa tam, kam se snažíte X399 a ThreadRipper nacpat a U14S se vám nevejde, jsou U12S a U9 určitě možnosti. Zejména U9 se vejde do klasických racků a vzhledem k rozměrům docela překvapí, že je vůbec schopna tohle uchladit a stále ještě s přijatelnou nízkou hlučností." (Jan Stach, DDWorld.cz)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Chłodzenie zapewnia dobre temperatury podczas pracy Threadrippera a także prezentuje dobrą kulturę pracy. Umożliwia ono też OC procesora. Warto też zwrócić uwagę na świetną jakość wykonania. Według mnie spokojnie możecie je kupować – nie będziecie tego żałowali.
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Test verdict: "Według mnie spokojnie możecie je kupować – nie będziecie tego żałowali."
(Michał Andruszkiewicz, WhatNext.pl)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
The NH-U12S TR4-SP3 cooler is an alternative to the NH-U9 TR4-SP3. If we have more space in the PC case then it can be a bit better option. It’s quiet, performs well and is the top quality product so we don’t have to worry about any compatibility issues or anything else.
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Test verdict: "Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 is a great cooler for the most demanding processors." (Bartosz Waluk, FunkyKit.com)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
You probably will already have noticed it, but the U12S and U14S managed to cool better than the Kraken X40 LCS cooler, especially the U14S crunches down the cooling numbers. That's impressive, but also wasn't a very likely thing to happen. Here's my thought on that, it's the full cover heat block on the Noctua coolers that draw every Watt of heat they can deal with until they run out of capacity. Even tweaked with 16 cores at 100% stress / 1.38V the U14S managed to stay four degrees cooler compared to that Kraken X40 LCS unit, which is a lot in the cooling arena. Now of course, once you go pro with liquid cooling and bigger radiators, the dynamics will shift. But none-the-less this was very impressive to see.
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Test verdict: "So there you have it, overall we feel the Noctua U12S and NH-U14S coolers are very nice, the looks are a matter of taste, the performance winner, however, is the NH-U14S TR4/SP3." (Hilbert Hagedoorn, Guru3D.com)
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NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Review
Wie man anhand der Messungen klar erkennen kann ist Fläche Trumpf und dementsprechend reihen sich die Kühler auch ein. Während bei unserer getesteten Mindestdrehzahl von 600 Umdrehungen alle Kühler in das Limit laufen, sehen die Werte ab 900 Umdrehungen zumindest schon einmal für den Noctua NH-U14S sehr gut aus.
Ab 1200 Umdrehungen kommt auch der NH-U12S in Fahrt und kühlt den Prozessor adäquat ohne in das Limit zu laufen. Der Noctua NH-U9 konnte bei unserem Testsetup erst auf maximaler Drehzahl den Threadripper auf Temperatur halten.
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Test verdict: "Der Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 konnte aufgrund seiner größeren Kühlfläche auch den leicht übertakteten Threadripper auf 3750Mhz adäquat kühlen. Im Standardbetrieb in Kombination mit seinem Lüfter bleibt der U12S auch etwas leiser als sein kleiner Bruder. Grund genug den U12-S mit unserem Gold Award auszustatten." (Markus Lakner, Hardwaremax.net)
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NA-HC1 chromax.black.swap
- chromax.black.swap edition heatsink cover with swappable inlays (red, blue, green, yellow, black, white)
- Compatible with Noctua NH-U12S, NH-U12S TR4-SP3, NH-U12S SE-AM4 and NH-U12S DX-3647 heatsinks
- Ideal for matching with Noctua’s industrialPPC or chromax line fans and anti-vibration pads
NA-HC2 chromax.black
- chromax.black edition heatsink cover
- Compatible with Noctua NH-U12S, NH-U12S TR4-SP3, NH-U12S SE-AM4 heatsinks and NH-U12S DX-3647
- Ideal for matching with Noctua’s industrialPPC or chromax line fans and anti-vibration pads
NA-HC2 chromax.white
- chromax.white edition heatsink cover
- Compatible with Noctua NH-U12S, NH-U12S TR4-SP3, NH-U12S SE-AM4 and NH-U12S DX-3647 heatsinks
- Ideal for matching with Noctua’s industrialPPC or chromax line fans and anti-vibration pads
NF-F12 PWM chromax.black.swap
- 120x120x25mm
- 4-pin PWM, 1500rpm max.
- Focused Flow™ System
- chromax.black.swap edition
NA-SYC1 chromax.yellow
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.yellow y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Yellow sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SYC1 chromax.white
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.white y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- White sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SYC1 chromax.green
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.green y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Green sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SYC1 chromax.red
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.red y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Red sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SYC1 chromax.blue
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.blue y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Blue sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SYC1 chromax.black
- 3x NA-YC1 chromax.black y-cables for running two fans on one fan header
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Black sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.yellow
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.yellow 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Yellow sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.white
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.white 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- White sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.red
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.red 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Red sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.green
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.green 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Green sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.blue
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.blue 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Blue sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
NA-SEC1 chromax.black
- 4x NA-EC1 chromax.black 30cm extension cables
- 4-pin connector supports both 3-pin and 4-pin fans
- Black sleeving: ideal for creating PC builds with neat, focused aesthetics
You can either buy from our local sales partners or directly from us via our official Amazon and eBay stores:
- INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION SHEETS (PDF)
- FAQs
- MAINBOARD COMPATIBILITY
- CASE COMPATIBILITY
- CPU COMPATIBILITY
Installation Manual (PDF)
Information Sheet (PDF)
FAQs
How much torque should be applied when tightening the screws of a Noctua CPU cooler?
I have difficulties installing the cooler, can you help?
My case supports CPU coolers of up to XXXmm height, which model should I choose?
Can I install a Noctua cooler in my system from Acer, Dell, HP or Lenovo?
How should I clean my Noctua cooler?
Can I upgrade my existing Noctua cooler to socket TR4 or SP3?
Can Noctua TR4-SP3 coolers be used on the sTRX4 socket?
Is it possible to use the cooler with vertical graphic cards?
Should I take the cooler off before transporting my system?
How big is the NH-U12S and how much clearance does it provide for RAM and chipset coolers?
Which Noctua coolers are compatible with Ryzen Threadripper 2?
Even with a high-end cooler, the performance is not what I would expect, what can I do?
Which Noctua fan or CPU cooler should I buy? How to choose the right model?
After some time of prolonged full load, the CPU clock starts to drop off to very low values intermittently, is the cooler insufficient?
This behavior is usually due to overheating of the voltage regulation module (VRM), which provides the CPU with power. To stay within a defined temperature threshold (defined by the component and motherboard vendor) and to cool down the VRM, the clock speed of the CPU might be reduced to very low values. When the temperature of the VRM is back within a safe range, the CPU clocks will be increased back to the expected values until the temperature limit is reached again.
Internal tests at Noctua have shown that not all motherboards on the market are able to power the 250W models at prolonged full CPU load without the VRM running into thermal throttling. In case you experience the behavior described above please, check the VRM temperature (e.g. via HWinfo) and provide additional cooling to this area. In doubt, please contact your motherboard manufacturer for further information.
Internal tests at Noctua have shown that not all motherboards on the market are able to power the 250W models at prolonged full CPU load without the VRM running into thermal throttling. In case you experience the behavior described above please, check the VRM temperature (e.g. via HWinfo) and provide additional cooling to this area. In doubt, please contact your motherboard manufacturer for further information.
How can I determine if the motherboard’s UEFI BIOS is overclocking my processor by default and deactivate this automatic overclocking?
Most motherboard vendors allow their overclocking-enabled products (e.g. those with Intels X- or Z-series chipsets) to run the processor at increased clock speeds by default, without requiring any user action at all. Since TDP (Thermal Design Power) limits are usually also disabled by default, this leads to the CPU exceeding the rated TDP to a varying degree, depending on the used applications and their workloads. Due to the increased heat output of the CPU, you may see higher CPU temperatures than expected.
In order to find out if your motherboard is overclocking your processor by default, please enter the UEFI BIOS and select the “advanced” or “overclocking” menu. There you should be able to find options such as “MultiCore Enhancement” (options: enabled/disabled), “CPU Ratio Apply Mode” (options: all/per core) or similar. To disable the automatic overclocking, adjust the settings either to “disabled” or “per core” and make sure that the individual multipliers match the original specifications.
In doubt, please contact your motherboard vendor for detailed instructions on how to disable this feature.
How much torque should be applied when tightening the screws of a Noctua CPU cooler?
All screws should be tightened gently until they stop without using excessive force. Please do not exceed the following values for maximum tightening torque:
| Screw type | Max. torque |
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| NM-SSC1 screws for fixing the fastening brackets to the base of the heatsink | 0.5 Nm |
| NM-ITS1 thumb screws for fixing Intel mounting bars | 0.5 Nm |
| NM-ALS1 screws for fixing AMD mounting bars | 0.6 Nm |
| Spring-loaded screws for fixing the heatsink to the mounting bars | 0.6 Nm |
I have difficulties installing the cooler, can you help?
Please refer to the installation manual and our video installation guides for detailed instructions on how to install the cooler.
My case supports CPU coolers of up to XXXmm height, which model should I choose?
Please refer to our TDP guide in order to select the cooler that offers the best cooling performance at a given height.
Can I install a Noctua cooler in my system from Acer, Dell, HP or Lenovo?
Systems from Acer, Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo or other major brands often use motherboards which differ slightly from the specifications issued by Intel and AMD. While those changes are usually subtle, they can lead to compatibility issues with coolers that were built to comply with these specifications.
Even in case the cooler is mechanically compatible and can be installed, other issues can occur, e.g. proprietary fan connectors, BIOS errors due to a low fan speed, shutdowns, etc. Some of these problems can be avoided with some technical knowledge, but especially BIOS related issues can often not be resolved.
Due to the large number of possible issues that cannot be resolved with different mounting parts alone, Noctua does not officially support systems from Acer, Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo or other major brands.
What Thermal Design Power (TDP) is this cooler recommended for and how much Watt (W) of heat can it dissipate?
Please refer to our CPU compatibility list for information on maximum recommended TDP and heat dissipation.
How should I clean my Noctua cooler?
Dust: Fans and heatsinks inside computer cases tend to accumulate dust over longer periods of usage. In order to maintain maximum performance, please clean your fan and heatsink regularly. For cleaning, please first remove the fan from the heatsink and clean it using a duster, slightly moist tissue or canned air. Please be careful not to use too much force in order to prevent any damage to the fan. Please do not use a vacuum cleaner as this may apply excessive force to the fan and do not put the fan under running water as water residues inside the motor may lead to short circuits. Please also note that the fan is not designed to be taken apart by the user. Removing the impeller from the frame will break the sealing of the bearing and results in a loss of warranty. Before reinstalling the fan, clean the heatsink itself with a duster or vacuum cleaner. Do not use water
to clean the cooler. Finally put the fan back on and connect it to your motherboard fan header or fan controller.
Thermal paste residues: Whenever you take off the heatsink from the CPU, we recommend to clean the CPU as well as the base of the cooler before re-applying thermal paste and re-installing the cooler. You can either just wipe the base and the CPU clean with a dry, lint-free tissue or, for more thorough cleaning, use a lint-free tissue moistened with either a mild solution of washing-up liquid or isopropyl alcohol. Do not put the cooler or CPU under running water. Note that both the base of the heatsink and the CPU should be dry, free from residues of thermal compound and free from grease before re-applying thermal paste and re-installing the cooler.
Thermal paste residues: Whenever you take off the heatsink from the CPU, we recommend to clean the CPU as well as the base of the cooler before re-applying thermal paste and re-installing the cooler. You can either just wipe the base and the CPU clean with a dry, lint-free tissue or, for more thorough cleaning, use a lint-free tissue moistened with either a mild solution of washing-up liquid or isopropyl alcohol. Do not put the cooler or CPU under running water. Note that both the base of the heatsink and the CPU should be dry, free from residues of thermal compound and free from grease before re-applying thermal paste and re-installing the cooler.
Can I upgrade my existing Noctua cooler to socket TR4 or SP3?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to upgrade existing Noctua heatsinks to support the AMD TR4 and SP3 sockets for Ryzen Threadripper (X399) and Epyc CPUs. TR4/SP3 CPUs have much bigger heatspreaders (as compared to e.g. LGA2066 or AM4 processors) and the contact surfaces of standard Noctua heatsinks would cover only about half of these heatspreaders, which would result in insufficient cooling performance. On top of that, the heatpipes of bigger cooler models like the NH-D15 or NH-D15S would completely block the RAM slots on many TR4/SP3 motherboards. For this reason, Noctua has introduced the new NH-U14S TR4-SP3, NH-U12S TR4-SP3 and NH-U9 TR4-SP3 cooler models that feature bigger contact surfaces and have been tailored to fit TR4 and SP3 systems. Please choose these models for AMD Ryzen Threadripper and Epyc systems.
Can Noctua TR4-SP3 coolers be used on the sTRX4 socket?
Yes, the cooler mounting mechanism of the sTRX4 socket for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000 CPUs (e.g. 3960X, 3970X, TRX40 chipset) is identical to that of the TR4 and SP3 sockets, so all Noctua TR4-SP3 models can be used on sTRX4.
Is it possible to use the cooler with vertical graphic cards?
Depending on the chassis, card and motherboard being used, installing PCIe cards in a vertical position using riser cards may cause compatibility issues with CPU coolers. Whether there will be a problem or not depends on the exact position of the card (which is determined by the PC case and/or optional vertical GPU holder bracket), the width of the card as well as the position of the CPU socket on the motherboard. In order to verify that there is sufficient space for the cooler, please measure the distance between the centre of the CPU socket and the top of the PCI card in order to make sure that the cooler fits.
Should I take the cooler off before transporting my system?
As it is not possible to reliably calculate or control the forces that act upon a system during transport (e.g. in shipping), we generally recommend, for safety reasons, taking the fan off the heatsink in order to reduce the weight below 700g. Noctua cannot be held responsible for any damage that may arise due to excessive stress during transport if you keep the fan installed.
How big is the NH-U12S and how much clearance does it provide for RAM and chipset coolers?
Please refer to the following drawing for the exact measurements and clearance for RAM and chipset coolers:
Which Noctua coolers are compatible with Ryzen Threadripper 2?
Please see our TDP guidelines for details.
Even with a high-end cooler, the performance is not what I would expect, what can I do?
First of all, please note that results in reviews might show different results as many tests are conducted in open test bench configurations outside a chassis, which allows a better supply of fresh air and thus allows the coolers reach lower temperatures than in a real-world setup inside a chassis.
Secondly, processors emitting heat-loads of 180-250W or even more (with Turbo Boost) create more challenges for case ventilation than lower power mainstream CPUs as it is very difficult to remove so much heat from the chassis. For best performance, it is crucial that sufficient amounts of fresh air can enter the chassis and that warm air leaves the chassis as fast as possible.
Internal testing at Noctua has shown that many PC cases are rather restrictive when it comes to air intake and exhaust due to dampening materials, doors, covers or a rather closed design approach in general. Increasing the number of system fans can help to a certain degree but will not provide much improvement if intakes and outlets are too resistive. The best cooling results are to be expected from cases which use a rather open approach (e.g. mesh walls and intakes). Unfortunately, Noctua cannot provide detailed recommendations for individual system configurations as there are too many options and variables available to give general recommendations. Please refer to general case cooling guidelines such as this one for information how to setup the airflow inside your case.
Secondly, processors emitting heat-loads of 180-250W or even more (with Turbo Boost) create more challenges for case ventilation than lower power mainstream CPUs as it is very difficult to remove so much heat from the chassis. For best performance, it is crucial that sufficient amounts of fresh air can enter the chassis and that warm air leaves the chassis as fast as possible.
Internal testing at Noctua has shown that many PC cases are rather restrictive when it comes to air intake and exhaust due to dampening materials, doors, covers or a rather closed design approach in general. Increasing the number of system fans can help to a certain degree but will not provide much improvement if intakes and outlets are too resistive. The best cooling results are to be expected from cases which use a rather open approach (e.g. mesh walls and intakes). Unfortunately, Noctua cannot provide detailed recommendations for individual system configurations as there are too many options and variables available to give general recommendations. Please refer to general case cooling guidelines such as this one for information how to setup the airflow inside your case.
Which Noctua fan or CPU cooler should I buy? How to choose the right model?
Not sure which Noctua product to buy? Our detailed buying guides for fans and CPU coolers help you to choose the model that works best for you.
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