Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile CPU Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The Noctua NH-L12 Cooler4. Installing the Noctua NH-L125. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Noctua use the SecuFirm 2 mounting mechanism for the NH-L12 which is used on all of their current CPU coolers.  It’s the best mounting mechanism we’ve ever used and it makes installation a doddle.  Noctua provide excellent installation guides for both AMD and Intel sockets which are very easy to follow should there be an issue.

First of all the retention brackets need to be attached to the motherboard. With AMD based systems these can be attached to the motherboard’s backplate but with Intel systems the Noctua backplate is required.  There are two slight indentations in the backplate which fit around protruding bolts on Intel sockets so it has to be orientated correctly.  If not, the cooler may not make proper contact with the CPU.

Once the retention brackets are in place, the thermal compound can be applied to the CPU and then the cooler can be screwed down on top.  The fans need to be removed from the cooler before installation.

Noctua has included two small holes in the heatsink to allow access the screws underneath using the provided screwdriver.  The two rubber strips on the underside of the heatsink intersect these holes and could be damaged if care isn’t taken.

Finally the two fans can be reattached to the cooler using the wire clips and can be connected to the CPU fan header using the Y-splitter provided.

As you can see, there is room for RAM with tall heatspreaders in the outer three slots.  In the remaining slot there is only room for low profile memory.

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