Maximum noise level on the NF-A9x14 at the full speed is 25 dBA under full load. It was 12 dBA when idling. Should You Buy It? Inside of the chassis, a view many will see every day, we can see the NF-A12x15 PWM fan mostly, with fins showing through its gaps. We see the pipes to the left, and they cleared the heat sink with ease, leaving room to connect the 8-pin EPS cable. To the right, we can see the smallest bit of the pipe tips, and the memory is also partially visible. Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

The installation process is simple not only because the SecuFirm2™ mounting system has been refined among the years, but because there is easy access to the screws, due to the shape of the cooler. Modern high-end CPUs, whether Intel or AMD, are difficult to cool in intensive workloads. In the past, reaching 95C+ on a desktop CPU might have been a cause for concern – but with today’s processors, it’s considered normal operation. Similar behavior has been present in laptops for years due to cooling limitations in tight spaces. The NF-A12x15 premium fan supplied with the NH-L12S supports PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the motherboard. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced from 1850 to 1400rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptor for even quieter operation. 120x25mm fan supportThe fan has a 4 pin PWM power connect. The length of the cable is approximately 200mm. There are additional metal clips provided with the cooler. In case you are thinking of push/pull setup, consider buying one set in advance.

As long as you pay attention when purchasing the RAM to go under the MH-L12S, we foresee no issues in your future. It clears the PCI-e slot, there is access all around it, and the airflow direction can be changed based on needs. For those tiny boxes with a PSU on top of the CPU cooler, blowing air through the cooler and into the PSU is the best course of action.

In terms of sound, the included Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM reached a maximum sound level of 39 decibels, measured at a distance of 10 cm away from the cooler. The 1700 was set to run at 3000MHz at 1.00V. A stress test of 30 minutes was run using the AIDA 64. Maximum CPU temperature was noted and delta temperature was calculated by subtracting the ambient temperature from the maximum CPU temperature. The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test. The NH-L12S is distinguished above all by its flexible installation: the fan can be installed above the cooling ribs. Then the cooler supports RAM modules with an overall height of up to 45mm. If, on the other hand, the fan is installed below the cooling fins, the total height is only 70mm. The housing can be so tiny, the NH-L12S fits almost everywhere and ensures sufficient cooling at low volume.

You Prefer a Quiet Cooling Solution: With the bundled NF-A12x15 PWM fan featuring Noctua’s SSO2 bearings and Low-Noise Adaptor (LNA), this cooler offers effective cooling with minimal noise. Don’t Buy It If:

Features

NF-A12x15 PWM premium fan, Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.), NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound, SecuFirm2 mounting kit, Noctua metal case-badge You have a Space-Constrained Build: This low-profile Noctua NH-L12S cooler is ideal for Small Form Factor (SFF) and Home Theater PC (HTPC) builds with limited space. Clearance issues should be considered in the build, with RAM support up to 48mm and a cautionary note regarding cooler direction beyond that height. These compact coolers are designed to provide adequate cooling power in space-constrained environments, and as such many SFF builders prefer to use lower-power CPUs like AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel’s i5-12400. Still, for today’s testing, we’ll be pairing them with Intel’s i9-13900K to see just how much – or little – these coolers can handle. But we’ll also be testing with different power limits, which will tell us a lot about how these coolers will perform with lower-end CPUs.