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Please note that the NH-U14S TR4-SP3 is a dedicated version for the AMD 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-U series
The NH-U14S is the first 140mm model in Noctua's award-winning NH-U series. First introduced in 2005, the NH-U series has become a standard choice for premium quality quiet CPU coolers and won more than 400 awards and recommendations from leading international hardware websites and magazines.
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Tailored custom version for 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 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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140mm size for maximum performance
With six heatpipes, a fin surface area of more than 6000cm² and the large NF-A15 140mm fan, the NH-U14S TR4-SP3 provides a superior level of cooling performance that makes it ideal for the most high-end, enthusiast-grade TR4/SP3 systems.
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NF-A15 140mm premium fan
Complying with Noctua’s AAO standard and featuring sophisticated aerodynamic design measures such as Flow Acceleration Channels, the NF-A15 has quickly built up a reputation as one of the best 140mm heatsink fans on the market.
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Anti-vibration pads and fan-clips for second NF-A15 (optional)
For users who want to achieve even better performance by adding a second, optional NF-A15 fan to create a push/pull setup, the NH-U14S 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 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 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-U14S TR4-SP3 is a dedicated version for the AMD 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 TR4 & SP3
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Height (without fan)
165 mm
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Width (without fan)
150 mm
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Depth (without fan)
52 mm
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Height (with fan)
165 mm
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Width (with fan)
150 mm
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Depth (with fan)
78 mm
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Weight (without fan)
865 g
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Weight (with fan/s)
1030 g
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Material
Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
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Max. TDP
see TDP guide
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Fan compatibility
140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 120x120x25
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Scope of delivery
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Warranty
6 Years
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Model
Noctua NF-A15 PWM
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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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140,2 m³/h
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115,5 m³/h
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Max. Acoustical Noise
24,6 dB(A)
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Max. Acoustical Noise with L.N.A.
19,2 dB(A)
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Input Power
1,56 W
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Voltage Range
12 V
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MTTF
> 150.000 h
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SecuFirm2™ AMD TR4/SP3 installation
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The following video reviews have not been created by Noctua. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the videos lies entirely with the authors.
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NH-U14S 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-U14S 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-U14S 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-U14S 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-U14S 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 U14S ist im direkten Vergleich der mit Abstand leistungsfähigste Kühler. Er schafft es dabei auch den derzeit stromhungrigsten AMD Desktopprozessor bei 3850MHz auf Temperatur zu halten.
Hierbei verbrauchte das Testsystem ca. 365 Watt an Strom. Ein Wert der diverse Gamingrechner verblassen lässt. Sollte also der Platz vorhanden sein, trifft man mit dem Noctua NH-U14S die derzeit beste Entscheidung. Durch seinen tadellosen Auftritt hat sich der U14S auch unseren Enthusiast Award verdient." (Markus Lakner, Hardwaremax.net)
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NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Review
Unter den Luftkühlern ist die Sache klar: Das größte und teuerste ist auch das leistungsstärkste Modell. Noctuas NH-U14S TR4-SP3 setzt sich klar an die Spitze und bietet auch jenseits des Basistakts noch ordentlich Reserven. Der Luftkühler ist dabei wie seine kleineren und leistungsschwächeren Modelle bestens verarbeitet. Alle drei können angenehm leise betrieben werden und sind denkbar einfach zu montieren.
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Test verdict: "Weil Noctuas NH-U14S TR4-SP3 insgesamt die überzeugendste Vorstellung unter den Luftkühlern abliefert, zeichnen wir ihn mit unserem Excellent-Hardware-Award aus." (Philipp Moosdorf, Hardwareluxx.de)
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NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Review |
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Test verdict: "The Noctua ran a few degrees cooler, so we have to award it the win by technical knockout!" (Linus Sebastian, Linus Tech Tips)
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NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Review
Voor wat overclockwerk richting de praktische limiet van de meeste Ryzen CPU’s (3,9-4,0 GHz) lijkt de NH-U14S de meest logische, want die is niet alleen nipt wat koeler op stock speeds maar neemt ook een grotere voorsprong wanneer het voltage omhoog gaat; de NH-U9S loopt met een voltage van 1,3-1,35V duidelijk verder op en een behuizing met degelijke airflow lijkt dan wel het uitgangspunt. Ook met het oog op een nog wat warmere Threadripper 1950X met OC lijkt de NH-U14S wel het pad om te volgen; de andere twee kunnen het zeker ook, maar als de verwachting dan is dat het prijsverschil erg beperkt blijkt tussen de NH-U14S en de NH-U12S terwijl we al over minimaal 1200 euro aan CPU en moederbord praten dan lijkt dat mij eigenlijk geen overweging meer. Aan de andere kant zien we ook voldoende potentie dat een NH-U12S en zelfs de NH-U9S op een 1950X geen problemen gaan hebben als je ze niet hard op hun staart gaat trappen, dus wanneer de hoogte in je case beperkt is is het fijn te weten dat er tenminste twee compactere torens zijn die zo’n CPU wel bijbenen. Wellicht zelfs dat er dan alsnog wat OC ruimte in blijkt te zitten, iets wat ik vooraf als onmogelijk had geschat.
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Test verdict: "Hoe dan ook, ik ben heel erg positief verrast door alle drie de koelers op deze toch hele dikke CPU. Threadripper bouwers hoeven zich volgens mij geen zorgen te maken met oplossingen als dit tot hun beschikking." (Stephan Overbeeke, TechTesters)
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NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Review
Noctua is one of the few cooler manufacturers that straightforwardly advise against the mounting of their older design on SP3/TR4 processors. As other manufacturers were openhandedly supplying adapters, this choice earned them a bit of distrust, as a few assumed that Noctua wanted to force their customers into buying new coolers. However, our findings today justify their choice and prove that Noctua did the right thing, regardless of any short-term consequences it may have had on the company's reputation.
Will using adapters on earlier cooler designs work? Yes, but their performance will be far from optimal and, depending on the size of the cooler’s surface area, they can also be dangerous for heavy load applications. High end air coolers and liquid coolers will be able to cope with the needs of the TR4 processor, but they will run hotter, or louder, or both, than their equal derivatives that were redesigned to properly cover a TR4 processor.
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Test verdict: "Instead of spending time and money on adapters, just buy an appropriate cooler specifically designed for TR4 processors." (E. Fylladitakis, Anandtech.com)
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NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Review
The NH-U9S TR4-SP3 in the Threadripper 1950X system continues running excellent and since this EPYC processor comparison have continued using the NH-U9S TR4-SP3 to cool the EPYC 7551 and throughout the dozens of hours of benchmarks run, have not encountered any situation yet where it's running into any reported thermal throttling or where the k10temp driver even reports a temperature above 60 degrees.
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Test verdict: "All three TR4-SP3 heatsinks had no problem keeping cool the EPYC 7551 and thus shouldn't have any issues with any of the other EPYC processors nor the Threadripper CPUs." (Michael Larabel, Phoronix.com)
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FAQs
Why doesn't the base of Noctua coolers have a polished, mirror like finish?
Can I install a Noctua cooler in my system from Acer, Dell, HP or Lenovo?
Can I upgrade my existing Noctua cooler to socket TR4 or SP3?
Is it possible to use the cooler with vertical graphic cards?
I'm experiencing fan speed issues with my motherboard from Supermicro, what can I do?
The supplied y-cable is missing a wire at one of the two connectors, is it faulty?
I get a CPU fan error despite the fan is running!
I get a CPU fan error using my Noctua PWM fan, is it faulty?
My Noctua PWM fan starts to spin when the PC boots but then stops, what is wrong?
My Noctua PWM fan runs at a much higher minimum speed than advertised, what is wrong?
How much torque should be applied when tightening the screws of a Noctua CPU cooler?
I have difficulties installing the cooler, can you help?
How can I check whether my case is wide/high enough for the cooler?
How big is the NH-U14S and how much clearance does it provide for RAM and chipset coolers?
I’ve used all the NT-H1 thermal compound that came with the cooler, can you send me more?
Which sockets are supported or can be supported using upgrade kits?
Should I take the cooler off before transporting my system?
How should I clean my Noctua cooler?
My case supports CPU coolers of up to XXXmm height, which model should I choose?
Which Noctua fan or CPU cooler should I buy? How to choose the right model?
Why doesn't the base of Noctua coolers have a polished, mirror like finish?
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.
Can I upgrade my existing Noctua cooler to socket TR4 or SP3?
Is it possible to use the cooler with vertical graphic cards?
I'm experiencing fan speed issues with my motherboard from Supermicro, what can I do?
The BIOS of many motherboard models from Supermicro expects a certain minimum fan speed (usually 700rpm), which is higher than the minimum fan speed that can be achieved with Noctua's PWM fan models. The BIOS may interpret the low minimum RPM of Noctua fans as a fan error and thus try to run the fan at 100% for a short period before going back to automatic control.. This can result in oscillating fan speeds and fan speed warnings in the BIOS or the fan management console.
Unfortunately there is usually no option to set a lower minimum value that would suit the low minimum speed of Noctua PWM fans.The issue can thus only be resolved by either disabling automatic fan speed control in BIOS, which will cause the fans to run at a constant speed, or by requesting a modified BIOS file from Supermicro, which takes the minimum fan speed of Noctua fans into account (charges might apply).
The supplied y-cable is missing a wire at one of the two connectors, is it faulty?
I get a CPU fan error despite the fan is running!
I get a CPU fan error using my Noctua PWM fan, is it faulty?
My Noctua PWM fan starts to spin when the PC boots but then stops, what is wrong?

Note that mainboard manufacturers use different terms to indicate that Pin 4 is not being used for PWM control (e.g. “+5V”, “VCC” or “NC”), but if one of these terms is used, you can be sure that the fan header does not support PWM. If Pin 4 is described as “Speed Control” or “PWM” or the like, you can be sure that the fan header supports PWM.
Unfortunately, the description of Pin 2 is not always a clear indication as some manufacturers use terms such as “Fan PWR” or “Power” for both types of fan headers. However, if Pin 2 is described as “Speed Control”, you can also be sure that the fan header does not support PWM based speed control. If Pin 2 is described as “+12V”, this is a clear indication that the fan header supports PWM.
Please also note that in some cases, the descriptions of the pin layouts in the mainboard manuals may not be correct and some models actually allow you to switch the fan headers from voltage control mode to PWM control mode in the BIOS even though the pin descriptions do not indicate PWM support. We thus recommend to look for these options in the BIOS before taking other measures. In case of doubt, please contact your mainboard manufacturer.
To resolve the issue, you can:
Choose a higher fan speed profile in the BIOS (e.g. „normal“ instead of „silent“, etc.) or deactivate automatic fan speed control and use a Low-Noise Adaptor instead.
Use the mainboard‘s fan speed control software or 3rd party tools like Speedfan to regulate the fan speed. Unlike BIOS based fan speed control, the supplied software usually checks whether the fan has stopped and increases voltage accordingly or at least offer more options to set up the fan properly.
If your mainboard features other 4-pin fan headers that use PWM for speed control, you can run multiple fans from these headers using Y-split cables. Make sure not to exceed the specified maximum power draw of the fan headers (usually 10-12W) though.
My Noctua PWM fan runs at a much higher minimum speed than advertised, what is wrong?
- Many mainboards do not go below 40%, 50% or even 60% PWM duty cycle on case fan headers. Please refer to your mainboard manual to verify whether the fan header actually goes down to 20% duty cycle. If that's not the case, in some cases you can use the fan speed control software supplied with your mainboard to overcome these limitations and reduce the fan speed even further. However, 3rd party tools like SpeedFan offer greater flexibility and better options to work around the limitations imposed by the mainboard vendors.
- Some mainboards feature 4-pin fan headers that actually don‘t use a PWM signal on Pin 4 to control the fan speed but rather reduce the voltage on Pin 2 (like a standard 3-pin fan header). As the fan speed at minimum voltage is usually higher than the speed at 20% PWM duty cycle, the fan can not reach as low minimum speeds under voltage control as under PWM control. Please refer to your mainboard manual to check whether or not your mainboard has 4-pin fan headers that control the fan speed by reducing voltage on Pin 2 rather than by changing the PWM duty cycle on Pin 4:
Note that mainboard manufacturers use different terms to indicate that Pin 4 is not being used for PWM control (e.g. “+5V”, “VCC” or “NC”), but if one of these terms is used, you can be sure that the fan header does not support PWM. If Pin 4 is described as “Speed Control” or “PWM” or the like, you can be sure that the fan header supports PWM.
Unfortunately, the description of Pin 2 is not always a clear indication as some manufacturers use terms such as “Fan PWR” or “Power” for both types of fan headers. However, if Pin 2 is described as “Speed Control”, you can also be sure that the fan header does not support PWM based speed control. If Pin 2 is described as “+12V”, this is a clear indication that the fan header supports PWM.
Please also note that in some cases, the descriptions of the pin layouts in the mainboard manuals may not be correct and some models actually allow you to switch the fan headers from voltage control mode to PWM control mode in the BIOS even though the pin descriptions do not indicate PWM support. We thus recommend to look for these options in the BIOS before taking other measures. In case of doubt, please contact your mainboard manufacturer.
If your mainboard features other 4-pin fan headers that use PWM for speed control, you can run multiple fans from these headers using Y-split cables. Make sure not to exceed the specified maximum power draw of the fan headers (usually 10-12W) though.
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?
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?
How can I check whether my case is wide/high enough for the cooler?
How big is the NH-U14S and how much clearance does it provide for RAM and chipset coolers?

I’ve used all the NT-H1 thermal compound that came with the cooler, can you send me more?
Which sockets are supported or can be supported using upgrade kits?
Should I take the cooler off before transporting my system?
Does the NF-A15 PWM that comes with Noctua coolers run at a different speed (1500rpm) than the retail model (1200rpm)?
How should I clean my Noctua 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.
What Thermal Design Power (TDP) is this cooler recommended for and how much Watt (W) of heat can it dissipate?
My case supports CPU coolers of up to XXXmm height, which model should I choose?
Which Noctua fan or CPU cooler should I buy? How to choose the right model?
Do you have a question concerning one of our products? Please use this form to pose a question!