Noctua NH-D12L: New dual-tower cooler

Noctua has introduced the NH-D12L, a low-profile dual-tower cooler with a 120 mm fan that is supposed to offer a lot of cooling capacity. Previously, only the Thermalright Silver Arrow 130 had a comparable combination.

Noctua has launched the NH-D12L, a new tower cooler that is reported to be substantially lower in price than the company's prior models. Previously, Noctua towers with 120 mm fans were at least 158 mm tall, while the new NH-D12L will be only 145 mm tall. As a result, the CPU cooler should be able to fit into a very small housing.

Noctua's NH-D12L features a dual-tower design with a 120 mm fan in the center. The fan is a rounded-frame version of the NF-A12x25 that will be sold as the NF-12x25r.

The new frame is required so that the low-mounted fan does not collide with mainboard components. The NH-D12L should certainly avoid AMD and Intel's no-go zones, as well as potentially high RAM modules.

Noctua advertises five heat pipes and a weight of 700g without the fan for the cooler itself. The cooling performance is reported to be comparable to the NH-U12S and NH-U12A, and assembly is done via Secufirm 2, as is customary for the company. As a result, with the exception of TR4/sTRX4, all contemporary AMD and Intel sockets are supported.

Because of its modest height, the NH-D12L now faces limited competition: There are only 13 tower coolers with 120 mm fans and the same height limit in the PCGH pricing comparison. Only the Thermalright Silver Arrow 130, which starts at 70 dollars, employs two radiators at the same time.

Noctua, on the other hand, has high expectations for the NH-D12L: The new cooler will be available for purchase immediately for 90 dollars. The NF-A12x25r PWM requires 30 dollars.