Noctua Chromax Line Heatsink Covers

[testman78]

Introduction

For quite some time, users have been complaining that the Noctua's coolers bear too much industrial design on them and the use of brown color on the fans was restricted as well. With the trend of the color customization and colored theme builds, many competitors started offering customization for their coolers. The Noctua has answered to all these queries/feedback and has released their new Chromax accessories addressing exactly these requirements. We are merely talking about the form, not the function. Don't worry, the products are from Noctua .... suffice to say. The Noctua has provided the covers for their NH-U12 and its variants/ NH-D15 and its variants coolers.



There are three color options for the covers, for each series of coolers.
NA-HC1 chromax.black.swap



NA-HC2 chromax.black



NA-HC2 chromax.white



NA-HC3 chromax.black.swap



NA-HC4 chromax.black



NA-HC4 chromax.white





Packaging & Contents

The Chromax range comes in a well designed white and brown (of course brown, it's Noctua!) box. The colour of each item is evident in both the logo and the text.



The back of each box covers the specifications of the covers found inside.



The box opens like a clam shell. Once the box is opened the covers are in front of you.



The scope of delivery also includes a manual.





A Closer Look

The covers without the swappable inlays have two colors. One of them is in a glossy white finish, while the other one is in matte black.



Each are powder-coated so the quality of the paint is better and is more resistant.



The clip is to hold the fixture to the heatsink.The bracket/fixture is the main component to secure the cover and the heatsink together. Once you put the fixture on the top of the heatsink, use the clip to prevent the fixture from sliding. Then, you can put the heatsink cover on top of the fixture. They will automatically attach by the magnet at the sides.



On the top side, there is CHROMAX By Noctua printed in the white color.



Moreover, some variants allow for color customization through color inserts in the middle.They are allowing you to chose from black, white, red, blue, green and yellow when swapping them.



This lets users match the same corner count color as the fans.



The sides of the cover have cutout arrow indicators on the bottom side of each.



Each inner side has rubber mount to avoid any scratch when the cover is placed on the heatsink.



This inserts increase the height of the heatsink by 6mm for the NH-U12S and 5mm for the NH-D15(S).



It attaches easily via clips at the top until the magnets on the side are in place.



For those who prefer a more muted look, a plain white or plain black is available.





Conclusion

Noctua is well known for their sandy brown colour schemes, and love it or hate it, they've stuck with that theme for many years. That trend is slowly starting to change, though, as they're making black fans now, and they also offer colourful anti-vibration rubber mounts for the corners of your fans. Now they're upping the colour and customization options with their add-on metal slip covers.



Another winner from Noctua! These were very easy to apply to the NH-U12 and its variants/ NH-D15 and its variants CPU cooling heatsinks and they work by ducting the cooling air THROUGH the cooling fins rather than allowing some of it to escape at the edges. They do not require removal of the heatsink from the CPU to install, so the precess was about a 5-minute job, requiring no tools at all. I am thoroughly impressed with the engineering and build quality of Noctua products!
The manufacturer's suggested retail prices are as follows:
NA-HC1 chromax.black.swap: EUR 19.90/USD 19.90
NA-HC2 chromax.black: EUR 19.90/USD 19.90
NA-HC2 chromax.white: EUR 19.90/USD 19.90
NA-HC3 chromax.black.swap: EUR 29.90/USD 29.90
NA-HC4 chromax.black: EUR 29.90/USD 29.90
NA-HC4 chromax.white: EUR 29.90/USD 29.90