The Noctua NH-L12S shows off its full design in profile view. The ultra-thin fan can be easily moved as it’s clipped on, and can even be removed for a fanless design, though we would only recommend this for low TDP builds.
The Noctua NH-L12S base plate is well machined and smooth. It’s not a mirror finish, but in our experience, it doesn’t need to be, just as long as it’s a uniform, flat and free from any defects. The NH-L12S base plate has the universal mounting already installed, this will help save your sanity when installing the cooler.
Noctua NH-L12S CPU Cooler Review
Package - 9
Performance - 8.5
Price - 8
Consumer Experience - 9
8.6
So, where do we stand with the Noctua NH-L12S CPU Cooler? We tend to keep a solid performer without going over the top for sound installed for all our tests until the next cooler comes along. This time it was the Cryorig H5 Universal, a good Cryorig offering. When we installed the NH-L12S and powered it on, there was a noticeable quiet in the air, it was not a perceptible sound coming from the fan unless you got up close.