Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4

[testman78]

Introduction

If you are talking about high performance air-cooled solutions, then the name Noctua is sure to enter the conversation. When you start mentioning high performance air coolers that don't use fans that will make your ears bleed, the list shrinks dramatically, leaving just a few really strong players with Noctua being in the top two. Having first-hand experience with many of the company's innovative designs, gives me a distinct perspective on what they have to offer the end user. An AIO solution is nice, but over the long term, most people do not trust liquid solutions and would rather stick with straight-up air cooling. In that case, Noctua has an option for that user in its new NH-U12S SE-AM4.If the saying "there's a different version for everyone"is actually true, then Noctua is a prime example.



Specifications.




Packaging & Contents

The NH-U12S SE-AM4 box is an all white affair with plenty of information. Since many will be buying it from an online retailer, this likely won't matter but it is nonetheless good to see that Noctua has put some effort into explaining their product's strengths.As a premium brand, Noctua takes no cost-cutting measure even when it comes to the NH-U12S SE-AM4 packaging. The outer packaging is a full-color glossy box that is surprisingly compact ,especially compared to the massive NH-D15 SE-AM4.



On the back of the package there are multiple languages written as well as precise technical specifications regarding the product inside the box.



Rotating to the side of the box we find our specifications and measurements.



A more in-depth description of the NH-U12S SE-AM4's features appears on the other side of the box and touches on most of the points we already have. The NH-U12S SE-AM4 uses the SecuFirm2 mounting system much like the NH-D15 SE-AM4 so we expect much of the same as far as installation goes.



On top are the product name, the features, and Noctua's logo, but not much else.



Inside the box we first have the accessories box right on top.



Then below that the heatsink is held into place with cardboard all around it.



The AMD4 box has brackets specific to manufacture chipset along with that it include the installation instructions.You get a screwdriver, a full stick of thermal paste and a fan cable with resister inline to slow the fan down. You also get screws,two fan clips,Anti-vibration pads and a metal case badge. Everything I cover a Noctua heatsink I am impressed with the quality of their case badge. What I don't mention enough is that they include a full stick of thermal paste. Most manufactures just pre apply it or include a small amount but Noctua includes the same amount as what you get when you buy one of their thermal pastes. Not counting shipping, getting this on its own is like 7 bucks, a nice addition to your heatsink purchase.




A Closer Look

Finally we come to the star of our show, the NH-U12S SE-AM4. The cooler only stands 158mm at its tallest height and is quite light as far as powerful tower coolers go.



Naked, the NH-U12S SE-AM4 weighs in at 580g, while it jumps to 755g when equipped with a single fan.



Pulling the fan off the heat sink, we see that the NH-U12S follows tradition, using a baseplate with five U-shaped heat pipes that carry the thermal energy from the CPU through the base and into the fin array to be dispersed by the airflow through the large aluminum fin array.One thing you'll notice is that the fin array is not as dense as some offerings, but this does not seem to impact performance in the slightest. Using the high static pressure Focused Flow fan, there is no problem with airflow on this heat sink.



The top view of the tower shows the termination points for the five nickel-plated copper heat pipes. Noctua's logo and name are embossed in each of the fins and adds a nice touch if you have a case window.The hole in the top is used to access the retaining screw for the SecuFirm2 bracket on the heat sink base.



The NH-U12S SE-AM4 is a 5 heatpipe design with the entirety of the heatpipes running directly through the aluminum-plated copper block. The whole tower is held in place by a pair of high quality spring screws to keep constant tension on the cooler and the processor.



The nickel plated copper base is smooth with very fine machining marks that I have seen on each of the Noctua heat sinks I have looked at. So far this surface has not been an issue as far as cooling performance is concerned.



The fan simply clips into place using a pair of wire clips.There is an additional set of clips provided should you want to install a fan on the other side of the cooler.



Noctua include a high quality NF-F12 120mm PWM fan with the cooler which is regarded as one of the best fans on the market for this type of application. It is PWM controlled and can spin up to a maximum speed of 1500 RPM. It is decorated in Noctua's trademark "coffee and cream" colour scheme. You either love or hate this!



The Noctua NF-F12 PWM is overflowing with functional features.A two year development cycle was not squandered perfecting their focused flow system. Due to the NF-F12 design, Noctua is able to control the orientation in which the air travels from the fan.Most PC fans airflow is projected as a cone that starts off small then rapidly broadens.The NF-F12 airflow resembles a cylinder shape, allowing this concentrated air to pass through cluttered or dense obstacles.



Anti-vibration pads and mounts located on the corners help dissipate any rattling. Noctua has always been known for quiet fans, and the NF-F12's noise reduction features continue this tradition.



The frame of the NF-F12 PWM features eleven stator guide vanes, and three vortex control notches in each vane. Another feature of the stator guide vanes are there angles.Each vane is strategically angled to channel the airflow in a tighter uniformed manner.This in conjunction with Noctura's patented "Heptaperf Impeller" fan blade creates a maximum amount of pressure, focusing the air into a tight consistent circular pattern.Another reason for the angled guide vanes and the vortex control notches is noise reduction. These two features help distribute the noise on a broader spectrum,basically breaking the sound into smaller sections. Noctua's step inlet design promotes turbulent airflow thus reducing intake noise. The step inlet design runs around the corners of the fan in a circular pattern with three rings that look like stair steps that descend to the fan blade.




Installation

Installation of the NH-U12S SE-AM4 is for all intents and purposes, one of the easiest heat sinks to install thanks to Noctua's SecuFirm2 mounting system.The SecuFirm2 mounting system will install directly to the stock backplate, so please keep it in place.Choose either the short NM-AMB4 or the long NM-AMB5 mounting bars according to the desired final orientation of the cooler.First put the NM-APS4 plastic spacers onto the screw threads of the backplate, then fix the mounting bars using the four long screws.For the short NM-AMB4 mounting bars, make sure that the curved sides are pointing inwards. For the long NM-AMB5 mounting bars,make sure that the curved sides are pointing outwards.If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on your CPU,clean them off first.Then press a small drop (4-5mm diameter) of the supplied NT-H1 thermal compound onto the centre of the heatspreader.Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use excessive force.



All that is left is to use the supplied screwdriver to tighten the NH-U12S SE-AM4 onto the mounting brackets. Mount up one or two NF-F12 Focused Flow fans and you are ready to go.




Memory Clearance

Even with two fans installed on either side of the cooler, the NH-U12S SE-AM4 shouldn’t restrict the memory on the AM4 motherboards.




Test System & Methology

Test System:

Processor:AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Motherboard:ASUS Crosshair VI Hero
Memory: 16GB Mushkin
Graphics Card: Sapphire HD 6970
Power Supply: Antec HCG 750W
Boot Drive: Ocz Vector
Storage Drive: 3TB Seagate Barracuda
Boot Drive: Ocz Vector
Chassis:dimastech Bench Table Easy V2.5



Software:

CPUID HW Monitor 1.23
CPUID CPU-Z 1.65
CineBench



I am testing the performance as follows:

Ambient temperatures are kept at 23C throughout my tests.
The CPU Fan is set to 100% to eliminate inconsistencies as a result of PWM control.
Idle temperatures are obtained after booting the PC and idling on the desktop for 30 minutes.
Load temperatures are obtained after running OCCT Linpack test for 30 minutes.
To measure noise levels i disable the two front in-take fans, rear exhaust and GPU fan.

On the following pages you'll have the opportunity to read what Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 is capable of.


Temperature

Looking at the load results, the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 does an excellent job of shedding the thermal load generated by the processor.




Noise Level

Unsurprisingly, the NH-U12S SE-AM4 offers excellent acoustic performance.




Conclusion

When it comes down to it, the NH-U12S SE-AM4 proved to be a very powerful tower cooler while managing to fit all of its performance in a smaller, lighter package than most of its competitors.The other knock against most performance tower coolers is the sheer amount of space taken up by the whole apparatus and to this end the NH-U12S SE-AM4 is a great addition with its size. The clearance all around the board from the RAM slots to the CPU power heatsinks and even the VGA slot is refreshing. We doubt the coffee and cream colour scheme will be to everyone’s tastes, however we don’t think it’s too bad.Noctua continues to put together cooling solutions to meet the needs of the enthusiast market by leveraging the engineering behind the company to deliver an excellent product. That design excellence does come at a cost, but that cost is tempered by the long term cooling performance you get in return for your hard-earned dollar!A well designed base and heat pipe system is part of the reason for the great cooling performance, but is only half the solution. You need a fan(s) to transfer the thermal load from the fin array to the surrounding environment. For this purpose, Noctua uses the NF-F12 PWM Focused Flow fan. This PWM fan is built using some truly unique features, which include a stepped inlet to the fan body to promote turbulent airflow into the fan, small inner micro-structures that improve airflow and static pressure efficiency on the suction side of the Heptaperf fan to reduce the fan noise, and a "Focused Flow" frame, where the airflow is straightened, channeled, and "Focused" by 11 stator vanes. A second generation SSO2 full metal bearing is machined from solid brass for improved fan life by improving blade stabilization. The NF-F12 PWM has removable rubber vibration dampers, while the motor houses a new NE-FD1 PWM IC to reduce noise at very low fan speeds. It would seem that fan innovation drives performance.



All in all the NH-U12S SE-AM4 is a quality product with that trademark Noctua premium feel. The larger amount of space is a pleasant thing to see and even in double fan mode the NH-U12S SE-AM4 will provide clearance for the newer quad-channel RAM motherboards. With all this performance in a smaller, easy to install package it is nice to see that the age of the air cooler has not yet passed.At a price of EUR 59.90/USD 64.90, we feel that the NH-U12S SE-AM4 is a little overpriced, however it offers a great balance between thermal and acoustic performance.