My big unknown is my all glass little mATX cube dissipating all this heat, but my GPU is just 250W for now and I'm running 5 120mm chassis fans so I think I'm okay. There is a performance concession – don’t expect NH-D12L to match the likes of NH-U12A – yet practically everything else that helps Noctua solutions stand out from the crowd remains intact. Build quality and scope of delivery is excellent, installation couldn’t be simpler, and you’ll do well to find any cooler bundled with a higher-quality fan than this. Due to its asymmetric design, the NH-D12L does not overhang the RAM slots on Intel LGA1700/LGA1200/LGA115x and AMD AM4/AM5 based motherboards, which ensures easy access to the modules and 100% compatibility with DIMMs that feature tall heat-spreaders or RGB lighting. To test each cooler under load, we run Cinebench R23 for 60 minutes using the multicore CPU test. The mean of three tests is recorded. This temperature is deducted from the current room temperature and our final delta temperature is provided. Results We tested the Noctua NH-D12L in two phases using a single fan arrangement, as seen above. We tested the cooler’s PWM settings first, then set the fan to maximum RPM the second time. The CPU temperatures reached roughly 53 degrees during PWM settings, which is an amazing performance from the NH-D12L while topping the Noctua NH-U9S and NH-L9i. The same single-fan arrangement was then tested with all parameters set to max, i.e. the fan setting was turned all the way up. We discovered a drop of roughly 3-4 degrees, with the NH-D12L narrowly edging out the NH-U12A. Comparison with Other Premium Coolers

The Noctua NF-A12x25r has a minimum RPM of 450 to a maximum RPM of 2000 which can be controlled to 1700RPM using the Low-Noise Adapter provided. The NF-A12x25r is a work of art with its incredible performance and low noise levels. It’s a real delight, especially because it comes with a number of accessories and uses the SS02 bearing. Not to mention the 6-year international guarantee that comes with the NF-A12x25r. Noctua NF-A12x25r Side View This section will be repetitive: We've said it before and we'll say it again: Noctua's color palette for their products is at the very least controvertible. Brown/beige hues are just out of step with today's high-end desired and colorful items. Regardless of the hues, end-users are prepared to look aside since the quality of the coolers themselves is simply too amazing. We certainly appreciate Noctua's dilemma; Gigabyte uses Blue, ASUS ROG uses Red, and each firm has its own house color scheme and so trademark for corporate branding. We mentioned it in passing earlier, but the new round-frame version of the NF-A12x25 fan is worth a closer look. Noctua says the new round-frame variant of the 2018 classic is officially named the 'NF-A12x25r PWM'. The fan frame changes don't impact the cooling by any measurable degree, it seems. Noctua says that the new round frame model "provides the same renowned quiet cooling performance, as its square frame sibling.In addition to keeping our test setup consistent for all CPU cooling tests, we also always use the same thermal paste rather than any that comes supplied or pre-applied. Our thermal paste of choice is NT-H2 from Noctua. Idle Testing Methodology I'm on a Thermaltake Level 20 VT mATX chassis. It's partially open air, and I intend to continue running it on air cooling instead of switching to liquid, for reasons of positive air pressure and keeping cat hair out, which the liquid setup won't allow for on this chassis. Many users may find clearance a difficulty when using a large air cooler, especially if they are operating in a compact PC chassis. Noctua NH-D12L Clearance Noctua is responding to the growing number of Mini- and Micro-ATX chassis with a low-profile, dual-tower cooler sized accordingly. Standing 145mm tall, the NH-D12L falls within the remit of modern enclosures carrying a 150mm cooler height limit, and also neatly happens to fit 4U server installations.

It’s now clear why Noctua made the decision to reduce the size of the front tower to offer universal RAM clearance. Very nice! The NH-U12A proved that 120mm air coolers can offer terrific performance, a new line of redux products have delivered the core goodness of Noctua solutions at a lower price point, and now the NH-D12L is here with the promise of “outstanding quiet cooling performance with superior case compatibility.”With the Noctua NH-D12L, PCIe compatibility was likewise 100 percent. Even with a large card like the Asus RTX, there is still plenty of room between the GPU and the cooler. Gallery

Fortunately, if NH-D12L happens to be a better fit for your particular build, you can rest assured in the knowledge that build quality and presentation hasn’t been sacrificed. Delivery includes a signature Noctua box, enough cardboard padding to avoid damage during transport, and a comprehensive bundle that includes a full tube of NT-H1 thermal compound, a spare set of fan clips, an NA-RC14 low-noise adaptor, and an excellent six-year warranty. The NH-D12L has a shorter stature of just 145mm and bridges the gap between the 120mm and 92mm models on offer from Noctua. This makes the NH-D12L a good option for ITX installs, as well as 4U server case installations, offering me the punny intro above.

Noctua NH-D12L in detail

Perhaps is just an aesthetic design?, The round corners sorta follow the lines of the most external heatpipes at the base of the cooler. A square frame may or not make the cooler perform the better but it will protude out. The NH-D12L is priced at EUR/USD 89.90 by Noctua. That's not bad given that it contains the NF-A12x25r PWM fan, which retails for EUR/USD 29.90 on its own. It certainly is a lot of money for a heatpipe cooler though. It comes with a six-year guarantee and is being sold by various global merchants as we speak. Final Words So far, all our 120mm class coolers were 158mm high, but as of recent, more and more PC cases only support up to 150 or even 145mm – this is where the NH-D12L steps in”, explains Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). “Simply lowering one of our existing models wasn’t an option because a standard square 120mm fan would cause lots of issues with motherboard heatsinks or shrouds. That’s why we came up with this novel dual tower design and a round-frame version of the NF-A12x25 fan that can be installed at a very low position between the two towers – a winning combination that provides impressive results for this height class.” It should also be noted that the reason we omit acoustic/noise testing is due to an inaccuracy within the readings and method. To provide truly accurate readings, you need a lab setting with the same ambient noise on an hour-by-hour, day-by-day and week-by-week basis. As ambient noise can increase at different times of the day, we believe that it’s pointless providing noise testing if we can’t measure consistent and accurate data due to our office being a busy setting. Test Setup

The heatsink is a dual tower design with the NF-A12x25r PWM fan in the centre. This view of the front shows that the front tower is smaller than the second, this is to ensure better RAM compatibility/clearance. Noctua is well aware of congestion in the ranks, and openly states “users who want the absolute best performance/noise efficiency in the 120mm class and don’t mind investing a bit more should go with the premium class NH-U12A.” The NH-D12L can handle the i5-12600K without problems. At automatic settings, the CPU could run at its declared speed, with turbo frequency up to 4.9GHz. The temperature was a bit worse than that of the 240 AIO cooler but the performance and generated noise were comparable. The second fan didn’t help much as we could see only a 1-2°C temperature drop. In some specific conditions and a closed case, we can expect some more.To fully determine whether the Noctua NH-D12L is what Noctua claims, we must put it to the test. The test was CPU intensive and took around 5 minutes to complete using the well-known AIDA64. The Noctua NH-D12L was tested on the most recent Intel Core i9-12900K processor. Test System I have a 2080TI video card. I'm thinking of upgrading but I'm concerned about heat. I have a 1000 watt PSU so I'm good there. Then what's the point? Don't get me wrong, I'm an overt Noctua loyalist, but I don't see the point of creating new products just to create new products. If the round version of this fan has exactly the same performance characteristics as the square version, and is the same color scheme, and doesn't have any other purpose to it other than being an additional model to offer, then it makes zero sense. This is not something Noctua is known for doing. They invest a great deal of time into engineering and developing new products and it baffles me that they'd do that for a product that doesn't offer something, anything, new. For review and testing purposes, Noctua graciously sent over an additional A12x25r fan. Installing this on the front of the heatsink means it has to sit on top of the first 2 RAM slots. If doing this make sure there is enough clearance in the case you intend to install it in. Noctua NH-D12L: Thermal Performance Introduced in 2018, Noctua’s NF-A12x25 is widely considered to be the best 120mm fan on the market. The round-frame variant used on the NH-D12L provides the same renowned quiet cooling performance yet makes it possible to reduce overall cooler height without risking compatibility issues with tall motherboard heatsinks or shrouds.