Final Words & Conclusion
Conclusion
The reviewed air cooler performed very well and handled an overclocked Core i7 8700K processor at 4.8 GHz (albeit we use a delidded one in this review to display differences between various coolers more clearly, as the default TIM under the HIS is usually a limiting factor). The cooling test results are fairly similar to those for the NH-U14S version, and almost matched the NH-D15 (two towers). The performance is very good, and it's sufficient even for an overclocked processor. The noise levels are good as well. Even at maximum speed, the Noctua NH-U12A is not very loud. We measured 37 DBa at default settings under load (and we consider a cooler to be silent if it stays under 38~39 DBa). With an overclock and 1.35 Volts on the CPU we barely reached 38 DBa. The installation process is simple, and Secufirm 2 is a brilliant solution. What makes the NH-U12A stand out from the NH-D15 or NH-D15 (or any other twin-tower cooler for that matter) are the visuals. Although the aesthetics are similar, and everyone has their own opinion about “the Noctua look”, this new cooler is clearly more graceful. The NH-U12A is a single-tower cooler, and even though its radiator is thicker than that of the NH-U12S (by 13mm), it is much less clunky than an NH-D14/D15 or a Dark Rock Pro 4, while offering similar cooling performance.
Aesthetics & Design
Noctua could really use a change in the colour scheme of their products. The brown/beige palette is simply out-of-touch with the design of today's high-end components. Granted, they have black fans in their product range, but that’s still a very conservative look for coolers. It would be also very welcome if the Austrians finally made an AIO Liquid cooler. Given their usual approach (low noise and high-quality fans), it would surely be an instant hit. That, however, is a competitive market, we understand.
Cooling
Cooling-wise, the NH-U12A performs well with the Core i7 8700K. At the default clock frequency, the performance is excellent, and among the best in all of our reviews (63 degrees). Even with an overclock of 4.8 GHz at 1.3 Volts, the temps increased roughly 75 Degrees C, which is perfectly within the comfort zone even in longer tests.
The Verdict
When you buy Noctua products, you can always count on their superior build quality (compared to anything else on the market, fans and air coolers alike), high thermal performance, and very low noise. The installation is easy thanks to the Secufirm 2 system, which has already been in use for some time. Including the NF-A12x25 fans was a brilliant idea, and we would like to see a two-tower version with these fans as well. Who knows, it just might be able to match the thermal performance of an AIO, but with less noise. Overall, the NH-U12A offers great thermal performance and noise levels, especially when you consider the size of this cooler. Not everyone will appreciate the colour scheme, and the price is not very encouraging either, but the product still clearly deserves the “Recommended” award as Noctua will be Noctua, offering really good gear. As a final comment, I have to say that 99.90 EUR/USD is really very steep, and this is almost two-tower cooler or entry-level AIO territory. However, it's due to the expensive to fan Strerrox based fans. Choices choices ...
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