Size / Clearance

The mounting bracket and screws are really easy to access due to the slim nature of the tower heat sink. I installed the NH-U12S in the Node 304 case which is a mini-itx case and one of the smalles spaces I could think of to work in. The NH-U12S fit perfectly in the Node 304 so I wouldn’t be concerned about clearance issues in a standard ATX or micro-ATX case. Sure enough, there was clearance for the first RAM module. The wire clips that hold the fans to the tower fins are very easy to use and mean that you can adjust the vertical placement if you need to – whilst this wouldn’t typically be a problem, it’s nice flexibility to have if you are working in a small form factor case.

Acoustics

The NF-F12 Fan has been previously reviewed here so I wasn’t surprised to find that the cooler was quiet. In the standard PWM profile via the ASUS software, the NF-F12 didn’t really need to stretch its legs in general use which rendered the unit virtually silent in single fan mode (as it comes out of the box). With a second (optional) fan attached, the acoustics under general use with the standard PWM profile were still barely audible in an open case.

At 12v, the NH-U12S was noticeable and with a second NF-F12 attached, it was loud. The thermal returns for running two fans at 12v improved temperatures by about 4-6 degrees but personally I’d prefer a quiet rig that runs a little warmer.

Thermal Performance

For general use, gaming and going for a moderate overclock, the accoustics and thermal performance are a great match – although Noctua include clips and anti vibration pads for a second 120mm fan, personally, I wouldn’t bother because the benefit is marginal on an already great solution.

Value

At $75, it’s at the upper end of the 120mm tower coolers – there are other 120mm tower coolers at almost half the price. You do get a lot of accessories and when you consider that the NF-F12 fan retails at $30, the price seems within the realms of expectation. Noctua products are almost without exception at the upper end of the price range and widely accepted to be ‘Premium’ products. It’s also worth looking at the RAM compatibility of the cheaper 120mm tower heat sinks too, remember that the NH-U12S is designed for maximum RAM compatibility and this could be a deciding factor for many.

Final Thoughts

This is a premium product from a specialty manufacturer that is both thermally effective and acousticly pleasing. I really liked the NH-U12S and would happily use it in any of my own personal systems. The fan clips and mounting system make the heat sink really easy to install and clean later down the track if dust is an issue. For all the reasons above, it’s a worthy inclusion into a quality build but due to the price, it’s also likely to be one of the first omissions for the budget system builder. If you can afford it, the NH-U12S is a great 120mm CPU cooler that doesn’t force a compromise on RAM selection.