Noctua Unveils the NH-D12L Low-Height 120mm Dual Tower CPU Cooler

Mike Sanders / 2 years ago

Noctua has announced the launch of the all-new NH-D12L low-height dual tower CPU cooler and the corresponding NF-A12x25r round-frame 120 mm fan. At a height of only 145 mm (13 mm lower than Noctua’s regular 120 mm models), it fits many 4U enclosures as well as narrower tower cases that have been previously limited to solutions with 92 mm fans. At the same time, its five heat pipe dual-tower design and state-of-the-art NF-A12x25r 120 mm fan allows it to achieve a level of efficiency that surpasses many full-height 120 mm models.

Noctua NH-D12L Low-Height 120mm Dual Tower CPU Cooler

While Noctua’s regular 120 mm CPU coolers stand 158 mm tall, the NH-D12L measures only 145 mm. This allows it to fit not only a wide range of 4U rackmount server cases and many tower-style enclosures that are not wide enough for 158 mm units but also some larger Small Form Factor (SFF) and Mini-ITX chassis. Despite its reduced height, the NH-D12L easily outperforms 92 mm coolers. It can even surpass renowned 120 mm units such as the NH-U12S and often comes close to Noctua’s award-winning 120 mm flagship model NH-U12A.

Due to its asymmetric design, the NH-D12L does not overhang the RAM slots on Intel LGA1700/LGA1200/LGA115x and AMD AM4/AM5 based motherboards, which ensures easy access to the modules and 100% compatibility with DIMMs that feature tall heat-spreaders or RGB lighting.

Introduced in 2018, Noctua’s NF-A12x25 is widely considered to be the best 120x25mm fan on the market. The round-frame variant used on the NH-D12L provides the same renowned quiet cooling performance yet makes it possible to reduce overall cooler height without risking compatibility issues with tall motherboard heatsinks or shrouds. The NH-D12L also ships with an extra pair of fan clips that can be used to install a second of these NF-A12x25r PWM fans either on the front or on the rear fin stack. However, it must be noted that the second fan will usually sit on top of either the RAM or I/O panel and thereby increase the total height beyond 145 mm.

Topped off with Noctua’s award-winning NT-H1 thermal compound, a 6-year manufacturer’s warranty and the renowned SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system that already supports Intel’s latest LGA1700 socket as well as AMD’s upcoming AM5 platform, the NH-D12L is the perfect choice for applications that require serious cooling performance but cannot fit the larger NH-U12A.

Where Can I Learn More?

Available to order now, should you wish to learn more about this new CPU cooler release from Noctua, that should certainly solve more than a few problems due to its notably shorter height, you can check out the official product website links below: