Manufacture Product Page: Noctua
Model Number: NH-U12P
Availability: Now
Price: Click Here To Compare Prices
Warranty: 6 years



For many people a CPU cooling solution does not have only have to be effective it also has to be quiet as well. In fact, it is fairly safe to say that a huge portion of the buying public consider reducing noise levels the biggest reason for upgrading from their free Stock Intel Cooler. Over the years, Intel has spent a lot of time and money improving upon their stock cooler, but in the end there is only so much you can do when your projected revenues from said product is zero. Intel, just like the majority of users want something which is “good enough” but fortunately for us there is also a large percentage of users who take the old adage “bigger, faster, stronger, better” to heart.

Today we will be looking at a CPU cooler from Noctua which promises to not only be bigger and more efficient than even most other aftermarket coolers but believe it or not, Noctua also thinks they can this while keeping their product quieter than most. This is a tall order as low noise and high efficiency usually go together about as well as Daryl McBride speaking about the evils of Linux at an Open Source Convention!

Even though Noctua has gained a lot of recognition amongst the hardcore silent pc enthusiast community, they are still not well known amongst the general population and have a long way to go before becoming a house hold name; therefore a bit of background history is in order. First of all the name “Noctua” is from the name for the little owl (Athene Noctua) which is historically the representative / pet of Athena (AKA Athene) the Greek goddess of wisdom, strategy and science.

When you think about it, choosing an animal which represents science and wisdom is a great idea; especially when your company is a partnership between Kolink (aka Coolink the Silentator’s Taiwanese manufacturer reviewed earlier), Austrian Institute of Heat Transmission and Fan Technology and the Austrian Rascom Computer distribution Ges.m.b.H. Even just by reading the last sentence you can get a good idea the kind of intellectual, manufacturing and even marketing powerhouse behind the brand known as Noctua.

Today we will be looking at the Noctua NH-U12P higher performance tower cooler. This cooler offers users the ability to not only significantly improve their CPU core temperatures but do it at markedly reduced noise levels. This CPU cooling solution is available from many retailer and e-tailers around the country and can be purchased online for about $55 of your hard earned dollars. This cooler promises a lot and the biggest question you have to ask yourself before buying is: is this cooler really that good or that quiet and is it worth the money? Hopefully, by the end of this review we will be able to help you answer this and many other questions.