Packaging and Accessories

Just like the tower Noctua cooler we recently reviewed this downdraft cooler came in a classic Noctua box. Heck, it is so similar to the last box that we actually mixed them up for moment when it was time to install it! This striking similarity can be considered both a good thing and a bad. Its good because the box has all the characteristics we look for in a well designed packing scheme yet it can be confusing for the inexperienced. It seems that Noctua has taken a page for Thermalright and made ALL their boxes the same. OK that maybe a bad example as Thermalright is known for the almost aggressively drab packaging but when two completely different coolers come for all intents and purposes in the same box it does make things complicated.


The only way you can tell this downdraft cooler from its tower brethren is by either decoding the naming scheme (and knowing that Noctua call their downdraft coolers “C” types and towers cooler “U” types) or by taking a darn close look at the specs. We will get into how these specs differ from the NH-U12P but needless to say they are different enough that a when you take the time to look closely the differences will become obvious. Of course, should one have to spend this much time figuring out which cooler is which? We don’t think so, but then again you can’t really blame Noctua for not wanting to miss with darn near perfection.


The similarities in packaging continues on to the inside protective characteristics, in that the cooler is engulfed in a thick trauma reducing cardboard and only the fan is left peeking out from the exposed side. Its hard to argue with this arrangement as the fan will take any deep cut before allowing damage to the cooler itself; its just these fans are literally precious works of art in their own right so using them as a last line of defense so to speak is a little upsetting.


The apparently reoccurring theme of similarities between the two coolers even continues to the accessories. You get that wonderful booklet-style instruction manual / pamphlets holder, a single NF-P12-1300 120mm Fan, a tube of Noctua branded TIM, both low and ultra low noise adapters for the wonderful fan and the exact same mounting brackets and backplates (for both AM2 and Intel 775 systems) as comes in the NH-U12P kit, rubber washers (though this time they stick to the bottom of the two brackets, which is a nice improvement over the older method) and enough wire brackets and vibration dampening material to mount the included 120mm fan.

Overall, the Noctua NH-C12P does not fail to impress and it certainly leaves one with a great first impression. Hopefully, a close look at the heatsink will reinforce this initial impression just likes it upright brother did.