Budget Noctua CPU Heatsink/Fan

[ShizzleMyNiz]

So I am looking into getting the budget Noctua NH-U12S to improve the cooling.  I attempted to just ever so slightly over clock my Ryzen 7 3700x and the core temp got to over 90C in about a minute using Cinebench.  For some of the Noctua fans I have heard of people needing to swap out their DIMMs for low Profile modules and another review that said the fan did not come with an AM4 mounting bracket.  Anyone purchase this with an ATX Mid Tower and can tell me if this should be a concern?  Also, should I look to push the air out the top of the case?  and if so, should I also look to invest in some 120mm case fans to blow it out the top as well?

[Chris Pratt]

RAM compatibility is only an issue on big, bulky coolers like the D15. The U12S works pretty much universally. I'm cooling a 5900X with it, now, but I used it with a 3700X previously. Cools both just fine.

[ShizzleMyNiz]

29 minutes ago, Chris Pratt said:

RAM compatibility is only an issue on big, bulky coolers like the D15. The U12S works pretty much universally. I'm cooling a 5900X with it, now, but I used it with a 3700X previously. Cools both just fine.

and it came with an AM4 bracket or did you have to buy that separate?

And above my CPU out the top of the case there is nothing and the GPU is below it.  So I should install it to push the air out upwards and if so, should I also invest in 120mm case fans to help suck the heat out the top or is that overkill?

[Chris Pratt]

1 minute ago, ShizzleMyNiz said:

and it came with an AM4 bracket or did you have to buy that separate?

And above my CPU out the top of the case there is nothing and the GPU is below it.  So I should install it to push the air out upwards and if so, should I also invest in 120mm case fans to help suck the heat out the top or is that overkill?

Yes, they all do now. You'd have to get one from like 3-4 years ago to not get AM4 hardware in the box, but even then, Noctua will provide you with hardware indefinitely. Like, when AM5 comes out, you can provide Noctua with proof of purchase, and they'll mail you an AM5 hardware kit (might charge for shipping though).

 

As for orientation, it depends on the case, but for the vast majority of cases, you'd do best with standard front to back.

[LogicalDrm]

I wouldn't go with Noctua if you have word "budget" in same sentence. Noctua is premium cooler, only way to make it budget would be to buy used.

 

U12S has design where your RAM should be fine if its not too tall. You can also use fan on the other side if needed. As for AM4, considering that first version of U12S came out in 2013, years before Ryzen, reviews and such saying it came without AM4 bracket are talking about those cooler sold around the time of first Ryzen launch. If you would buy one today, you would have very bad luck getting old stock ones.

[freeagent]

On 5/24/2021 at 4:24 PM, Chris Pratt said:

RAM compatibility is only an issue on big, bulky coolers like the D15. The U12S works pretty much universally. I'm cooling a 5900X with it, now, but I used it with a 3700X previously. Cools both just fine.

I am impressed your little cooler is keeping up with that CPU. I feel better.

 

My 5900X will be here Monday..

[Chris Pratt]

3 hours ago, freeagent said:

I am impressed your little cooler is keeping up with that CPU. I feel better.

 

My 5900X will be here Monday..

All the cards on the table, it's probably just barely enough. I have a Meshify C case, which has decent airflow, and 2xA14 Noctua fans powering the intake, as well as an additional F12 added to the cooler. It's also undervolted 30 steps with the curve optimizer (-150mV). All that buys me a max temp of 71C and idle of around 50C. l like a fairly quiet fan curve, though, so it stays around 40% fan speed at idle and only ramps up to around 70% at load. There's still more cooling potential.overall, but then it would sound like a jet engine.

 

If I was buying a cooler today (and they made it in a chromax.black version), I'd get a U12A, probably. I'd also consider an AIO, like an Artic Freezer Liquid II, but I'd want to do top exhaust for the radiator, and keep my front intake, which I can't really get by with on my current case (not enough room).

[Jeppes]

Just get a Fuma2 instead. Better and should be same price.

[StarsMars]

On 5/24/2021 at 5:15 PM, ShizzleMyNiz said:

So I am looking into getting the budget Noctua NH-U12S to improve the cooling.  I attempted to just ever so slightly over clock my Ryzen 7 3700x and the core temp got to over 90C in about a minute using Cinebench.  For some of the Noctua fans I have heard of people needing to swap out their DIMMs for low Profile modules and another review that said the fan did not come with an AM4 mounting bracket.  Anyone purchase this with an ATX Mid Tower and can tell me if this should be a concern?  Also, should I look to push the air out the top of the case?  and if so, should I also look to invest in some 120mm case fans to blow it out the top as well?

Honestly, the u12s is going for $70, $80 if you want it in black. It's a good cooler but the price is terrible.

Consider looking at scythe. They make comparable coolers at a way better price.

 

 

Tech Buyers Guru did a good video on this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZOGK49NGLQ

On 5/29/2021 at 12:07 PM, Chris Pratt said:

All the cards on the table, it's probably just barely enough. I have a Meshify C case, which has decent airflow, and 2xA14 Noctua fans powering the intake, as well as an additional F12 added to the cooler. It's also undervolted 30 steps with the curve optimizer (-150mV). All that buys me a max temp of 71C and idle of around 50C. l like a fairly quiet fan curve, though, so it stays around 40% fan speed at idle and only ramps up to around 70% at load. There's still more cooling potential.overall, but then it would sound like a jet engine.

 

If I was buying a cooler today (and they made it in a chromax.black version), I'd get a U12A, probably. I'd also consider an AIO, like an Artic Freezer Liquid II, but I'd want to do top exhaust for the radiator, and keep my front intake, which I can't really get by with on my current case (not enough room).

I wonder if those are the temps pbo tries to stay in.

I have a 3700x, NHd15 and p600s. It flattens out at 72c in cinnibench r15

[Chris Pratt]

1 hour ago, StarsMars said:

I wonder if those are the temps pbo tries to stay in.

I have a 3700x, NHd15 and p600s. It flattens out at 72c in cinnibench r15

No. The default PBO target temperature is 90C. It's a power limit more than anything. If you up things like EDC, it will get a lot hotter quick.

[ShizzleMyNiz]

Thanks for the exchange.  Been busy lately and haven't been able to really check in on this lately.  I'm leaning to the NH-U12S Redux and a couple of possibly Noctua case fans to help exhaust some heat out of the top of my case.  (Thermaltake V250 Tempered Glass ARGB Edition 5V MB RGB Sync ATX Mid-Tower Chassis with 3 x 120mm 5V Addressable RGB Fan + 1 x Black 120mm Rear Fan Pre-Installed CA-1Q5-00M1WN-00 - Newegg.com)

@Chris Pratt, How do you like those Noctua A14s?  Would you recommend a pair of them for top mounted exhaust fans?

[Chris Pratt]

22 minutes ago, ShizzleMyNiz said:

Thanks for the exchange.  Been busy lately and haven't been able to really check in on this lately.  I'm leaning to the NH-U12S Redux and a couple of possibly Noctua case fans to help exhaust some heat out of the top of my case.  (Thermaltake V250 Tempered Glass ARGB Edition 5V MB RGB Sync ATX Mid-Tower Chassis with 3 x 120mm 5V Addressable RGB Fan + 1 x Black 120mm Rear Fan Pre-Installed CA-1Q5-00M1WN-00 - Newegg.com)

@Chris Pratt, How do you like those Noctua A14s?  Would you recommend a pair of them for top mounted exhaust fans?

They've been great. I can hear them more than anything else when they ramp up, but that's largely due to position. They're in the front of case, closest to where I'm sitting (PC is on my desk) and it's a mesh front panel (no noise damping). Still aren't "loud" by any typical definition. Airflow and ambient cooling is very effective. I can actually map temp differentials of my other components by changing their speed. However, they're completely unobstructed (aside from the mesh and dust filter of the front panel). Blowing through a radiator, I can't experientially tell you how well they would perform. In general, they've got a good static pressure rating, and I know that A12s vs F12s is a large part of what gives the U12A CPU cooler its boost over the U12S. In other words, they're good at least for pushing air through a heatsink.

 

 

[ShizzleMyNiz]

Perfect thanks for the info.