Noctua NH-U12S Redux Vs NH-U12S Vs NH-U12A CPU Coolers ...

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Noctua recently announced a new CPU cooler in addition to its redux line of products – the Noctua NH-U12S redux. This may be a little bit confusing due to the similarity of the product names. But the NH-U12S redux is based on the NH-U12S (chromax.black) cooler reduced to its essential core. You can also say that it’s a budget-friendly version of its predecessor. In this article, let’s do a quick comparison between the NH-U12S redux vs NH-U12S and the popular NH-U12A CPU air cooler.

Noctua NH-U12S redux Is A Budget-Friendly CPU Air Cooler

The NH-U12S redux is the newest addition to Noctua’s NH-U12 series of CPU coolers. It’s a streamlined version with only the essentials are left, thus resulting in a more affordable price.

It uses the same heatsink layout as the other NH-U12 that guarantees compatibility with tall RAM modules and PCIe compatibility. The NH-U12S redux is paired by an NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM 120mm fan. Also, like the other Noctua CPU coolers, this one features SecuFirm2 mounting system; for easy installation. It doesn’t come with an extra thermal paste tube, but an NT-H1 thermal compound is pre-applied.

Below is a specs comparison of the NH-U12S redux, NH-U12S and NH-U12A.

Noctua NH-U12S redux vs NH-U12S vs NH-U12A Specs Comparison

NH-U12A	NH-U12S / NH-U12S chromax.black	NH-U12S redux
NSPR	169	129	129
Height	158mm	158mm	158mm
Number of heatpipes	7	5	4
Soldered interface of heatpipes and cooling fins	Yes	Yes	No
Fan(s)	2x NF-A12x25 PWM	1x NF-F12 PWM / 1x NF-F12 PWM chromax.black	1x NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM
Acoustical noise rating	22,6 dB(A)	22,4 dB(A)	25,1 dB(A)
Low-Noise Adaptor	Yes	Yes	(optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit)
Fan clips for second fan	Yes	Yes	(optional with NA-FK1 second fan kit)
Thermal paste	NT-H1, tube (~5 applications)	NT-H1, tube (~5 applications)	NT-H1, pre-applied (1 application)
Mounting ecosystem compatibility	SecuFirm2	SecuFirm2	SecuFirm2
Included mounting parts	SecuFirm2 for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM3	SecuFirm2 for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4, AM3	SecuFirm2 for Intel LGA20xx, LGA1200/LGA115x, AMD AM4
Free of charge mounting upgrades (if technically possible)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cooler Specs
Height (without fan)	158 mm	158 mm	158 mm
Width (without fan)	125 mm	125 mm	125 mm
Depth (without fan)	58 mm	45 mm	45 mm
Weight (without fan)	760 g	580 g	-
Height (with fan)	158 mm	158 mm	158 mm
Width (with fan)	125 mm	125 mm	125 mm
Depth (with fan)	112 mm	71 mm	71 mm
Weight (with fan)	1220 g	755 g	755 g
Material	Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating	Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating	Nickel plated Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins)
Warranty	6 years	6 years	6 years
MSRP	$109.90 USD	$69.90 / $79.90 USD	$49.90 USD
FAN Specs
Model	Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM	Noctua NF-F12 PWM chromax.black	NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM
Bearing	SSO2	SSO2	SSO
Max. rotational speed (+/- 10%)	2000 RPM	1500 RPM	1700 RPM
Max. rotational speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%)	1700 RPM	1200 RPM	-
Min. rotational speed (PWM, +/-20%)	450 RPM	300 RPM	450 RPM
Max. airflow	102,1 m³/h	93,4 m³/h	120,2 m³/h
Max. airflow with L.N.A.	84,5 m³/h	74,3 m³/h	-
Max. acoustical noise	22,6 dB(A)	22,4 dB(A)	25,1 dB(A)
Max. acoustical noise with L.N.A.	18,8 dB(A)	18,6 dB(A)	-
Voltage range	12 V	12 V	12 V
MTTF	> 150.000 h	> 150.000 h	> 150.000 h

Looking at the table above, there are a few difference between the NH-U12S and the newer NH-U12S redux. But it has the same Noctua Standardized Performance Rating (NSPR) as the NH-U12S; despite having 1 less heatpipe and not a soldered interface. I haven’t tested this new CPU cooler yet, but I assume it will perform similarly with the NH-U12S. Perhaps, the NH-U12S (chromax.black) might perform just a tad better.

However, do note that there are accessories that are missing on the redux variant. For example, the Low-Noice adapter is not included, and an extra NT-H1 thermal compound tube is not present as well. Also, the NF-F12 fan of the regular NH-U12S is 2.7dB(A) quieter than the NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan of the NH-U12S redux (22.4 vs. 25.1 dB(A)). You might want to consider the other if you want a silent operation.

Aesthetically speaking, only the NH-U12S chromax.black features a black-coated heatsink. Luckily, the fan on the NH-U12S redux has a two-tone grey color theme. Perhaps, it’s more appealing compared to Noctua’s signature brown-colored fans. But if you want an all-black CPU cooler, the chromax.black series would be your choice.

Noctua advises that for users who want the absolute best performance and noise efficiency, the NH-U12A is the obvious choice. We reviewed the NH-U12A CPU cooler and it’s a great performer. It is very silent and performs almost on par with a decent AIO liquid CPU cooler. The two NF-A12x25 PWM fans are state-of-the-art fans running at around 2.5dB2.7dB(A) more silent than the NH-U12s redux’s fan. Unfortunately, a black variant of this fan hasn’t been released yet.

Also, the NH-U12S redux CPU cooler doesn’t feature a soldered interface between the heatpipes and fins. Only the NH-U12A and NH-U12S have this feature. Finally, if you plan to do a push-pull configuration with the NH-U12S redux, you’ll need the optional NA-FK1 fan kit that is sold separately.

Where To Buy Noctua CPU Coolers

The Noctua NH-U12S redux CPU cooler is now available. It comes with an MSRP of $49.90 USD/EUR. Noctua is also offering a 6-year warranty for the NH-U12 series. You can check out the links below for the latest pricing and availability.

NH-U12S redux available on Newegg.com hereNH-U12S chromax.black available on Amazon.com hereNH-U12A available on Amazon.com here

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