Noctua NH-U12A 120mm CPU Cooler

This is the best cooler available in its size class. It can fit in the vast majority of cases without RAM clearance issues you may have with the larger NH-D15. It will also survive transportation better than the NH-D15, which has been known to bend slightly due to its immense weight.Performance is spectacular, and it's completely silent at idle and under medium load. It can get a little loud at full load if you have a high-end CPU, but the noise profile is much easier on the ears compared to the jet turbine fans found on other similarly-sized coolers

Excellent cooler for it's size

I'm using the NH-U12A to cool a 9900K. Under stress testing, this cooler is able to keep it at a safe temperature with a Vcore of 1.29, although I would call this the upper limit of what this cooler can do and not an ideal application. Still, the amount of cooling performance relative to size and acoustics is impressive. This cooler really shines if you maintain a silence-optimized fan curve, preferably under 1300 RPM or so. Under these conditions it is basically silent while still offering impressive cooling performance. The included fans are a standout feature of this cooler. Not only do they perform well, but the tonality of what little noise they do make is not at all unpleasant or obtrusive. This is in contrast to other fans from Noctua, which can emit ... MoreI'm using the NH-U12A to cool a 9900K. Under stress testing, this cooler is able to keep it at a safe temperature with a Vcore of 1.29, although I would call this the upper limit of what this cooler can do and not an ideal application. Still, the amount of cooling performance relative to size and acoustics is impressive. This cooler really shines if you maintain a silence-optimized fan curve, preferably under 1300 RPM or so. Under these conditions it is basically silent while still offering impressive cooling performance. The included fans are a standout feature of this cooler. Not only do they perform well, but the tonality of what little noise they do make is not at all unpleasant or obtrusive. This is in contrast to other fans from Noctua, which can emit something of a hum at higher RPMs. Another great thing about this cooler is that it has a very small footprint for the amount of cooling it proves, making it possible to service other components without needing to unmount the heatsink or fans. If you are expecting it to be inaudible while running the fans at 100%, you will be disappointed. Noise from the fans is moderate when running at their maximum 2000 RPM, as should be expected of any fan at this speed.

Excellent cooler, easy install

I am extremely satisfied with this cooler. It was nice and easy to install, instructions very clear. Amazing compatibility with a variety of socket types. It is a nice compact design and fits perfectly in my P300 case. I only use one fan on this cooler since the second fan would be a bit too close to the rear exhaust case fan in my setup. However even with 1 fan, this cooler manages to keep my i7-10700(non-k) under 70°C when all cores are at full load which is excellent and is a massive improvement from my old M9i (which had temps reach 80-90 on full load). I would highly recommend this cooler to anyone with a powerful CPU.

Good match for AM5 7700X build

The rear fan hits the I/O / VRM heat sink on the Asrock B650M PG Riptide wifi, but raising the rear fan up about 1cm resolved it. The Fractal Design Torrent Compact has enough headroom to the side panel to allow this. Good clearance to RAM slots to accommodate high rgb modules. Keeps my AMD 7700X cool and silent under normal load, and ramps up to prevent thermal throttling under full load.

Not compatible with LGA1700 socket as advertised.

There are two versions of this product depending on when they were made. According to the manufacturer's website, ONLY the units shipped after the end of 2021 came with the hardware for an LGA1700 socket. Despite Newegg advertising this product as compatible with LGA1700, it is not because what they shipped me is one of the older units without that hardware. For the cooler I received to work on an LGA1700 it requires the mounting hardware for that to be purchased separately, found here: https://www.newegg.com/p/13C-0005-001S4 There need to be separate listings for this product for the ones with and without the LGA1700 hardware, or at least a disclaimer stating that is MIGHT not be LGA1700 compatible without buying the hardware separately.

Performs extremely well and nearly silent with 10900k at 5.1 all core

This is a great option for people who care more about performance than asthetic. If you want premium air cooling, but are using a case without enough clearance for the NH-D15 this is the cooler you want..... IMO this is the absolute best air cooler at this size. For anyone who may be reusing the same older case as I did. This is listed as a cooler height of 158mm. The Cooler Master N200 is listed as allowing for a max cooler height of 160mm. I was nervous, but the side panel just cleared. Both listing appear accurate.

Pricey but well worth every cent.

Insanely simple and easy to install. I used to be scared by the size and weight of big CPU coolers. But these days they are so fantastic. Extremely happy to have got this for my 5900x rather than an AIO water cooler.I thought I was going to have some difficulty installing this in an already built pc but nope, it was stupidly easy.

Really good, but loud at high rpm

I bought this for my 7600X and while it keeps it at acceptable temperature, when its coolers start to spin up they can be quite loud. Usually it happens for a few seconds and maybe only for CPUs that have higher temperature than others. Its assembly is easy peasy.

The best air cooler with reasonalble size

It is the best air cooler with a reasonalble size on market. I know something like NH-D15 will perform better, but these twin towner cooler are just too big, ugly and come with lots of compatibility issue. The NH-U12a is a perfect balance, performs very close to the big boy with a compact size, not ram clearance issue, no height issue. If you are still up to more cooling power, you really need to step up to liquid cooling.It is pricey for an air cooler, but considering it outperforms most 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler on market, the value is not that bad. It is kind of overkill for low power CPUs. If your CPU pulls less than 150w, I would recomend be quiet Dark Rock Slim, which is cheaper, looks better and of course, quieter. This cooler is for the 200w plus ... MoreIt is the best air cooler with a reasonalble size on market. I know something like NH-D15 will perform better, but these twin towner cooler are just too big, ugly and come with lots of compatibility issue. The NH-U12a is a perfect balance, performs very close to the big boy with a compact size, not ram clearance issue, no height issue. If you are still up to more cooling power, you really need to step up to liquid cooling.It is pricey for an air cooler, but considering it outperforms most 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler on market, the value is not that bad. It is kind of overkill for low power CPUs. If your CPU pulls less than 150w, I would recomend be quiet Dark Rock Slim, which is cheaper, looks better and of course, quieter. This cooler is for the 200w plus monster CPUs.One thing worth noting is that the fins are so thin, the edges are razer sharp, I cut my hands serveral time when installing. I recomend wearing gloves when installing it.

Top notch design, engineering, manufacturing and performance CPU cooler

It was perfectly designed for fitment into any custom pc application. There is no interference with other components. Its height is right between locating the fans above the RAM and clears the case cover while being in line with the rear fan to draw moving air right out the back. The quality shows in the fabrication of the cooler and the fans simply have the look and feel of higher end gear. The rubber corner guards on the fans protect the fins of the cooler from damage nicely. No heat issues, this pc has run non stop for a few days now. I have another pc that will be getting a new cooler soon. Very nice product, very well designed and manufactured.