Noctua NH-U12A, Premium CPU Cooler with High-Performance Quiet NF-A12x25 PWM Fans (120mm, Brown)

Wanted a air cooler instead of liquid cooling for Intel i7 10070k ( can get very hot) and that would clear my case width. Doing research this Noctua was ideal. After using installing idle temps were around 27-31c which is nice so far under some loads have not seen extreme temps and fans do not even run much past 750rpms.

On my recent 5800X build (running PBO and curve optimizer, nothing fancy) I tried out a relatively nice 360mm AIO with push/pull fans (so 6 fans in total) and then one of these. Performance (Cinebench scores and max temps during runs) was so close as to be indistinguishable between the two, and Ive been testing the Noctua during the recent west coast heat wave, so make of that what you will. All other things being equal, air has obvious advantages, and I wont be swapping the AIO back in.

I actually had to return this because I failed to looked at the specs and it did not fit inside my case. I am however a huge fan of Noctua products so every PC I build has their case and cooler fans. This thing is huge so make sure you measure the space clearance before purchasing.

I have this on my Ryzen 5 5600X overclocking at 4.5mHz and my CPU doesnt get over 50C while doing stress tests. For the size of the heatsink and fan Im very impressed with how well it performs.

Tengo un ryzen 72700x Apenas mecabia pero las temperaturas an bajado

è strabiliante dal packaging alla radiatore ti accorgi che hai tra le mani un prodotto di qualità TOP

I purchased an NF-A12x25 fan separately from Noctua, and if I were to sum this cooler up, I would describe it in the same way as that fan: premium price for premium quality. Yes, this is expensive, but very few alternatives can top it. Coming from a stock cooler, the difference was like night and day, both in terms of noise and cooling capability. My temps went down from high 30s at idle and high 60s under load to mid 20s under idle, and Ive never seen it go above around 50 under any load. Admittedly, I havent tested it extensively, but the difference in idle temps alone is remarkable. Its also amazingly quiet (the included NF-A12x25 fans are known for quietness), which makes a change from my previous intel stock cooler. Is it overkill? Arguably. Will it give you peace of mind that you wont need to upgrade cooler for years to come? Absolutely.

From unboxing and packaging

Ce ventirad de qualité refroidis parfaitement mon i7 4790K.

This is keeping Intels coffin (3900X) from overheating in my PC. 35-40C while idle. 78-82C while at sustained 100% CPU load. Super easy installation and everything you need to install it is included*