The Noctua NH-L12S is a powerful factor. 4 heatpipes, a heatsink and a slender fan are all that’s required to maintain a contemporary processor operating cool. Positive, it is somewhat sticky with high-end 14th Gen processors—few air coolers are succesful sufficient for these—but it surely’s ample cooling for a contemporary small type issue PC. And that is precisely what I’ve constructed.
The NH-L12S is a identified amount—it has been out there for years now. But it stays a strong choose for a mini gaming PC in 2025. If it ain’t broke…
I’ve rolled out two take a look at methods for this cooler: one, fitted with an Intel Core i7 14700K; and the opposite, an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X. The previous is our regular take a look at mattress for cooler critiques—there are not any case followers to assist the cooler out and the chip requires enough cooling for its excessive energy draw as much as 253 W. That is too large of an ask for a plucky low-profile cooler—although put together to be mildly impressed later on this overview—therefore why I grabbed the 9700X off the shelf for my mini PC construct. This AMD chip runs at a mere 65 W TDP, which is unbelievable for small type issue.
The cooler itself is made up of nickel-plated copper warmth pipes and plate linked to an aluminium heatsink. As I discussed, there are 4 heatpipes, which all run the total size of the plate and thru the heatsink.
NH-L12S specs
Dimensions: 70 x 128 x 146 mm
RAM clearance: 48 mm (with fan mounted on high), 35 mm (with fan mounted inside)
Motherboard clearance: 66 mm (centre of plate to heatpipes)
Fan: 1x Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM
Max fan RPM: 1,850 (1,400 with included low-noise adapter)
Worth: $65/£64
This cooler comes with a single fan, one Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM. That is the width and top as common case followers and may rise up to 1850 RPM, besides it is barely thinner than most. This permits it to be set-up in considered one of two methods: on high of the heatsink or sandwiched between the plate and heatsink. The previous is the higher choice, because it leaves 48 mm of clearance for system RAM, whereas the latter presents solely 35 mm.
First off, set up. This was comparatively simple on the open Intel bench. Noctua features a metallic backplate within the field that matches a variety of Intel sockets, together with its newest, LGA1851, and the one I am utilizing, LGA1700. As soon as connected, the legs protrude by way of the motherboard the place I can connect some giant spacers, brackets, and screws. It is a contact fiddly to get all on directly after which firmly connected, however nothing ol’ Jacob could not address. For these acquainted, that is largely the identical mounting methodology used throughout lots of Noctua’s air coolers.
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With a dab of thermal paste (extra like a dollop), the cooler then sits atop of the bracket and has a pair of sprung screws to assist preserve stress evenly utilized throughout the CPU’s heatspreader (IHS).
All that is left is to plug the fan into the CPU Fan header with the 21.5 cm lengthy PWM cable. There’s additionally a low-noise adapter included within the field, measuring a further 10.5 cm, which knocks the fan right down to 1,400 RPM. You should not want to make use of the adapter because the fan is not notably loud more often than not, however there is a diploma of private desire right here.
Let’s speak efficiency. Contemplating its small statute, the cooler put up battle in opposition to the 14700K. The chip reached a most temperature of 92°C whereas operating a stress take a look at of 3DMark’s Metal Nomad benchmark, and simply 86°C in Metro Exodus Enhanced Version. That is admittedly not nice by the requirements of most liquid or bigger air coolers, however the reality it wasn’t thermal throttling had me impressed.
While you push the 14700K to its limits in X264 or Cinebench R23, nevertheless, the NH-L12S begins to break down. The chip hit 100°C in each benchmarks, participating thermal throttling, which implies the dearth of satisfactory cooling restricted to the efficiency of the PC. That is not nice.
Although, as I discussed earlier than, this is not a CPU/cooler mixture I’d advocate. I would not have paired them up if our cooling assessments hadn’t demanded it. For a extra practical take a look at, then, I paired the NH-L12S with the Ryzen 7 9700X and plonked it inside a Fractal Terra chassis. That is extra its pure habitat.
I wanted to flip the fan mounting for this case. That is simply finished, although it leaves me with much less room for RAM and did imply my cooler got here in touch with the sting of the motherboard IO. The motherboard being the Asus ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi. That is a little bit of a priority. The cooler packs down to only 70 mm in top, together with the fan connected between the plate and heatsink, which is spectacular, and presents a RAM clearance of round 35 mm. That is nearly sufficient house for low-profile RAM sticks—nothing fancy.
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Purchase if…
✅ You’ve got an AMD Ryzen 7000/9000-series processor: This cooler works nice with considered one of AMD’s newest chips. I do know, I’ve tried. Although it ought to work simply effective with considered one of Intel’s extra power-efficient Core Extremely processors, too.
Do not buy if…
❌ You’ve got giant RAM or a chunky motherboard: The RAM clearance is tight on this cooler, particularly when it is in its most compact type, at simply 35 mm. The hole between the heatpipes and the motherboard IO also can get a bit sticky. Measure twice, set up as soon as—or one thing like that.
A phrase of warning: I made a decision on PNY XLR8 Gaming 32 GB DDR5-6200 sticks inside my take a look at machine. These are, by my measurements with a set of iFixit calipers, 34.87 mm in top. That is underneath the 35 mm required, although even so there was some contact between the cooler and closest DIMM, even within the second slot away from the CPU. Each ended up sitting fairly in the long run, although with somewhat stress utilized to the facet of 1 DIMM.
The NH-L12S handled the 9700X fantastically. It reached a most temperature of simply 76°C whereas gaming, and 79°C underneath extra intense masses, similar to Handbrake and Cinebench R24. That is each a praise for Noctua’s compact cooler, which was working with solely a reasonable quantity extra airflow from the extra 1x 120 mm fan put in within the Terra, and AMD’s power-savvy 9000-series processors.
Even with the extra fan in place contained in the Fractal Design Terra, and the case sat atop of my desk inside earshot, the NH-L12S is not overly loud.
Small type issue parts are likely to illicit giant costs—make of that what you’ll—and the NH-L12S does include a tall price ticket contemplating its stature. It’s going to set you again $65/£64. If you’d like an affordable air cooler, we’ve got different price range air cooler suggestions for that. Likewise, Noctua makes a taller variant referred to as the NH-L12Sx77, which options two extra heatpipes for better cooling potential, although it will run into better compatibility points with numerous Mini-ITX instances as a consequence of its 77 mm top (NH-L12S is barely 70 mm).
But there’s one thing to be mentioned for this compact cooler even in gentle of different items. It straddles a effective line between cooling potential and measurement. It is an awesome match for considered one of AMD’s newest processors—not less than the decrease wattage ones—and, as confirmed in testing, you do not really want way more than it presents.