Review: Noctua NH-U12S redux

by Parm Mann on 7 May 2021, 14:01

Tags: Noctua

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Conclusion

...though the cooler isn't as eerily quiet as Noctua's best, performance is more than acceptable on a modern, many-core CPU.

Noctua's pared-back redux product line succeeds in bringing the company's traditionally high-end coolers down to a more mainstream audience.

The first such offering takes a logical approach to streamlining the existing NH-U12S. Removing bundled items such as low-noise adapters and thermal paste is an expected cost saving, and the cooler itself has been re-worked to feature one fewer heatpipe and a high-airflow fan.

Such trade-offs bring the resulting NH-U12S redux down to an agreeable £44 price point, and there's plenty to like for those users who don't see the point in additional frills. Noctua's mounting kit is already best in class, there's still a six-year warranty with the promise of adapters for future sockets, and though the cooler isn't as eerily quiet as Noctua's best, performance is more than acceptable on a modern, many-core CPU.

Bottom line: though not as refined as the regular NH-U12S, the redux edition is a capable performer that's easier on the eye and much kinder to the wallet.

The Good
 
The Bad
Capable performance
Attractive £44 price point
Looks better than the regular NH-U12S
Best-in-class mounting kit
Six-year warranty
 
No spare thermal paste
Not as quiet as regular NH-U12S



Noctua NH-U12S redux

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The Noctua NH-U12S redux CPU cooler is available to purchase from Amazon.

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HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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Useful review however I would have loved to see how it compares to slightly more budget options such as the Hyper 212 or even AMD's wraith prism (I picked one up for my Ryzen 3600 for £13 and it does a better than expected job - I only intended it to be a stop gap but I've seen little need for a better replacement).

Sorry to nitpick but its useful to know what an upgrade brings!
Would be interesting to see how it fairs against something like the Ventroo V5, which is on Amazon for less than £30 and has an all black design with aRGB fan

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08NPNGT6D?ref_=pe_3187911_248764861_302_E_DDE_dt_1
I like the idea of direct contact heatpipes, which my cheapish heatsink does. So another vote for getting some cheaper units in here.
Hmm, I'm looking at 7 or so years on my AIO. It's gotta go soon. I'm not sure I can justify a replacement for it as the cheaper ones are worse than good air and the expensive ones aren't much better than air.
1) Budget cooler with a $800 CPU?
2) Is it worth the extra money over a Hyper 212?