[nextpage title=”Summary”]
If the future generation of NH-D15 has been postponed to early 2023, Noctua recently proposed a new dual tower heatsink. With this new heatsink, the brand plays compact with a 120 mm dual tower in the company of its NH-D12L. You know us, when it comes to Noctua, we jump at the chance to ask for a copy to test. Moreover, we received a second fan NF-A12x25r in order to perform a push/pull test. 
Presentation :
The NH-D15 is no longer the only two-tower fan in the brand’s catalog. With this new model, the company wants to offer us a compact heatsink. In fact, this is what it does with this model whose height is less than 145 mm. Despite this compact format, we can expect higher performance than the 90 mm and 120 mm fans. The Austrian even positions it at the level of the NH-U12A.
However, just because you have a dual-tower fan doesn’t mean you have to take up space in the RAM area, no. This new model is perfectly compatible with memory on LGA-1000 and AM4 and AM5 platforms. By the way, since we are talking about sockets, you should know that the support is long-lasting. A new platform? No worries, just ask for a new mounting set.
With this, the NH-D12L comes with a new fan: the NF-A12x25r, a variant of the original NF-A12x25 if you will. This model offers all the advantages of the original model but comes with a round frame. The goal? To be able to mount it on this heatsink quite simply. Nevertheless, the standard air cooler only comes with one fan. Fortunately, in the accessory section, we will have enough to install a second mill.
Finally, we will not forget to note the presence of thermal paste NT-H1, a model with very good feedback from consumers. The same goes for the long warranty: 6 years, there’s plenty to do.
The model being recent, the few stores that manage to offer this model do so at a very high price! Nevertheless, turn to Amazon to get it at the right price: 90 €. Nevertheless, this is still very high for a 120 mm double turn. As a comparison, a Scythe Fuma 2 is between 60 € and 80 €. [nextpage title=”The NH-D12L”]
As far as the packaging is concerned, we find the usual Noctua boxes based on brown, white and black… At least for their classic series. With their Chromax.black range the packaging is different.
Inside, the heatsink is clearly safe! Indeed, the heatsink is packed in a cardboard protection, itself strapped in cardboard. Moreover, it is rather constraining since we have struggled a bit to remove the heatsink from its protections.
Radiator:
Once the NH-D12L is out of its packaging, we are literally facing a mini NH-D15. The double tower structure, the distribution of the heat pipes and the shape of the fan(s) remind us very strongly of this model!
Weight and dimensions
In spite of its label of double tower heatsink, which can be frightening at first sight, this NH-D12L remains quite compact… Especially in front of a NH-D15 for example. This new heatsink displays 125 (W) x 113 (D) x 145 (H) mm, all with its fan. If we add a second one, the depth increases to 138 mm. In short, a good surprise, especially in terms of height.
As for the weight, it will not be enough to tear off a motherboard with its 890 g on the scale.
The base
The base is the same as that of the other heatsinks of the brand. Thus, we find a nickel-plated copper construction, but no mirror finish. Moreover, if we look closer, we notice the traces of machining, but very very fine. Although, you can hardly feel them when you pass your finger on it.
Otherwise, this base offers dimensions of 41 x 38 mm, which is enough to cover the entire IHS of an AMD Ryzen CPU. For the Core i12, same story, the capsule on the top of the processor will be well covered by the NH-D12L base.
Otherwise, we notice the presence of a total of five nickel-plated copper heat pipes. These have a diameter of 6 mm each and are evenly distributed at the base. However, this is two less heat pipes than a NH-U12A chromax.black and one less than the NH-D15.
The radiator
As you can see, the radiator adopts a rather singular shape with a first fin stack thinner than the second. The objective behind this is simple: to limit the compatibility problems with the RAM. Moreover, we can see a second advantage: less restriction on the airflow for the fan.
Finally, the second tower is thicker with saw-tooth shaped fins to increase the exchange surface.
Finish
As we are not dealing with a Chromax range, the finish remains quite classical with an aluminium grey color for the fins and a full nickel plating for the base and the heat pipes. On the first fins, we notice the presence of a Noctua logo on the two cooling towers and that’s all. By the way, speaking of fins, when you receive them, be careful where you put your fingers, by experience, we know that the Austrian models are very sensitive to traces.
Compatibility
Now we come to talk about the compatibility of the sockets of this heatsink. On this subject, Noctua mentions:
- Intel : LGA-115x – LGA-1200 – LGA-1700 – LGA-2000
- AMD : AM5 – AM4
Platform compatibility remains fairly standard on the Intel side. On the AMD side, as usual, we are missing support for the brand’s high-end platforms: TR4 and derivatives. Otherwise, for those who would be surprised to see theAM5 already supported, know that this new socket shares the same mounting points as the current AM4.
The fan:
Basically, the NH-D12L comes with a single fan already installed. This fan is sandwiched between the two cooling towers. Moreover, it is a fan that we know well in the editorial office since it is a NF-A12x25… But declined in another format. This time, instead of having a square frame, it is rounded. In its general shape, the frame reminds us very strongly the NF-A15 of the brand.
Otherwise, except for the shape of the frame, there is no change compared to the classic NF-A12x25. We always find nine thin blades, elongated and strongly curved. The central hub is also very massive since it has been reinforced. Note that on these fans, the blades are 0.5 mm from the frame!
Here, no change in characteristics against the fan with a square frame. Indeed, we still have a PWM powered mill operating from 450 RPM to 2000 RPM. At full speed, the airflow will reach 102.1 m3/h (60.09 CFM after conversion) while the static pressure will be 2.34 mmH2O.
Of course, it is always possible to reduce the operating speed to gain in silence. With an L.N.A adapter, the speed goes down to 1700 RPM, the air flow increases to 84.5 m3/h and the static pressure decreases to 1.65 mmH2O.
Finally, for customization, it will be necessary to turn to NA-SAVP3 silent blocks, the same as for a NF-A15
fan.
The bundle:
In terms of bundle, once again, the accessories are present in a cardboard box that contains:
- Two leaflets as assembly instructions
- One backplate for Intel platforms
- The mounting arms
- A screwdriver
- A syringe of thermal paste
- A resistor to reduce the fan speed
- A Noctua badge
- Two steel claws for mounting a second fan
- The necessary screws and bolts for the assembly
And if you decide to buy a second fan, you will find :
- A manual in the form of a leaflet
- A splitter to connect two fans to a single fan socket
- A resistor to reduce the fan speed
- A PWM extension cable
- Four siliconized nipples
- Four screws for case mounting
The accessories provided with the air cooler and the fan are therefore very complete. They will allow you to deal with all situations while being complementary to each other. Special mention to the screwdriver available in case of need or to the set of claw for the assembly of a second fan!
Roughly speaking:
Noctua continues to offer well finished products with a complete accessory section. Moreover, despite its dual-tower format, this NH-D12L should not pose a big problem of compatibility with the motherboard. By the way, we see that now, see next page. [nextpage title=”Installation”]
For the installation part, you will have to keep your AMD backplate, the manufacturer does not provide one. If you don’t have it anymore, a little tour on eBay
should allow you to find one easily.
NH-D12L mounting :
With an Intel motherboard, the first thing to do is to prepare the backplate. Indeed, depending on whether you have an LGA-1700 or not, the distance between the screws will not be the same. So it will be up to you to position them correctly and to maintain them with plastic clips.
Once the backplate is in place on the back of your motherboard, you will need to place plastic washers around the protruding pins. On LGA-1200/LGA-1500, they will be black and blue for LGA-1700. Then, we screw the mounting arms on, we put some thermal paste on the CPU and we fix the NH-D12L.
On an AMD motherboard, the assembly is a bit simpler since there will be no backplate manipulation to perform. Here, you will simply have to remove the mounting arms, position spacers (gray) around the socket and again, screw the mounting arms. After a small application of thermal paste, we proceed to the fixing of the heatsink.
Once in place, we can see that in its basic configuration, with a single fan, the NH-D12L does not interfere with the memory. However, if you add a second fan, three of the four DIMM slots are impacted. [nextpage title=”Protocol”]
For the purpose of the test, we will compare the NH-D12L with other single tower models in 120mm, 140mm and even large dual towers:
- AS500 Plus (DeepCool)
- Dark Rock 4 (be quiet!)
- Dark Rock Slim (be quiet!)
- Freezer 34 (Arctic)
- NH-D12L (Noctua)
- NH-D15 chromax.black (Noctua)
- NH-U12A chromax.black (Noctua)
- Pure Rock 2 (be quiet!)
[nextpage title=”Speed and noise”]
Fan speed :
So we start our series of temperature readings, here, we start from zero. Let us specify the fan speeds recorded during our readings (for 12V, 8V, 5V):
As far as the fan profile is concerned, the NH-D12L ‘s is very similar, if not identical, to the NH-U12A Chromax.Black. The reason behind this is simple: both heatsinks use the same fans… except for the shape of the frame which differs for the record.
Noise :
Of course, the noise levels will be almost identical. With a single fan, the NH-D12L is slightly quieter at low and medium speed than the NH-U12A under the same conditions and with a single mill. On the other hand, there is a very slight difference at full speed in favor of the single tower model.
Same observation with two fans: the D12L is a bit quieter than a U12A in its lower speeds and a bit noisier at full speed. [nextpage title=”Temperatures”]
Processor at 65W
Despite a more violent 65W profile, the latter still represents the least stressful phase of this protocol. It allows to highlight the performances obtained with compact/entry-level heatsinks. These results are only indicative for the largest heatsinks (AIO, large dual tower, etc.). 
In 65W with a single fan (original configuration), this NH-D12L is behind the U12A with a single mill. The gap is more marked at low speed. However, if we add a second NF-A12x25r, the gap between the two products is significantly reduced.
Processor at 95W :
Here, our CPU will run at 3.90 GHz constantly and on all its cores. We apply a VCore of 1.375V to obtain a power consumption of about 95W. To simplify the reading of the graph, we may have rounded some values to the nearest integer. 
At 95W, the differences with the NH-U12A are seriously reduced. There is less than 1°C difference between the two references, whatever the situation.
Compared to the competition, this double-turn model proves to be rather efficient, dominating without much difficulty. Thus, the Dark Rock 4 is easily surpassed, especially at low rpm. The observation is even more damning in the face of other heatsinks, which are not as strong to resist.
Processor at 125W :
Finally, we finish with our 125W profile. Here the heat release is more important, let’s see how our coolings are doing! 
Despite its dual format, the NH-D12L can’t hold our Ryzen 7 1700X generating a 125W consumption at low RPM.
With two fans, we notice that the gap widens with the NH-U12A chromax.black. The new heatsink of the brand suffering particularly at low rpm.
Summary
Finally, in its basic configuration, the NH-D12L will only stand up to comparison with the NH-U12A when equipped with a single fan. In order to compete with the NH-U12A, we will need to add a second fan to our dual-tower fan. We think the fan struggles to breathe fully placed between the two fin stacks.
Otherwise, within the Noctua range, this NH-D12L easily fits between the NH-U12A and NH-U12S (which does not appear in the charts) in terms of temperatures. Now, what about the temperature to noise ratio? Let’s see it on the next page! [nextpage title=”Temperature/Noise Ratio”]
On these perf/noise ratio graphs, we remind you that it is best to be placed as much as possible at the bottom left of the graph. For the reading, the left most point symbolizes the ventilation in 12V, the one in the center the ventilation in 8V and the right most in 5V.
At 65W, whether with one or two fans, the NH-D12L is “pulling at the heels” of the NH-U12A chromax.black. Even so, with this profile, running the fan at full speed is not the most profitable thing to do given the verticality of the curve in these conditions. 
At 95W, our heatsink of the day comes back to the NH-U12A, recording a very low difference in push and push/pull. Moreover, the addition of the second fan does not yet seem justified. Even at half speed, a single fan is more efficient than two at low speed! 
Finally, at 125W, we notice that the D12L and NH-U12A stand out from each other, whether they are with one or two fans. Moreover, we also notice that the gap widens with the DeepCool AS500 Plus and NH-D15 compared to the other power profiles.
The addition of a second fan allows the heatsink to regain its color and, above all, to hold up at low speeds. So in case of overclocking, adding a second fan may be a good idea. [nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We are coming to the end of this test of the NH-D12L signed Noctua. Are we dealing with a successful product? Let’s see it in detail!
A really compact dual tower fan !
With its new model, Noctua offers us a really compact dual tower fan. Indeed, it has a height of less than 150 mm and is perfectly compatible with the RAM, at least in its basic configuration. The same goes for the first PCIe slot on the motherboard, which is not blocked.
Besides that, the brand puts forward a air cooler with exemplary manufacturing quality. As for the look, it’s still a bit complicated with this brown/beige theme that will not delight everyone, that’s for sure.
Nevertheless, we can count on a complete accessory section offering even the necessary tools for mounting the air cooler. And the few accessories that may be missing are present in the fan boxes, here, the new NF-A12x25r.
Finally, for the assembly, it will be necessary to proceed exactly the same way as with the NH-U12A chromax.black and thus to assemble a backplate for Intel motherboards. In AMD, no criticism, the heatsink can be assembled quickly and well!
Performance behind a NH-U12A!
As far as performance is concerned, the NH-D12L is behind the U12A and quite markedly so. At the same time, it has only one fan compared to two for its rival brother. Moreover, we find this single-fan configuration to be detrimental, especially when we try to make it work at low speed in overclocking. In these conditions, adding a second fan is a good idea.
Otherwise, with two fans, there is clearly some improvement, the temperatures decrease, but it remains insufficient in our opinion in case of big OC.
Regarding the noise, basically, the noise generated by this NH-D12L remains under control offering similar nuisances to the U12A ... At the same time, logical, they are the same fans.
Billed between the NH-U12A and the NH-U12S!
Again, Noctua applies a high-end pricing to its heatsink since it is displayed at 90 € on Amazon. The pricing is therefore located between the NH-U12S and NH-U12A for performance between the two products. And if you need a second fan, identical to the first one, it will still cost you €29.90 on Amazon.
On the other hand, at this price, the heatsink may seriously suffer from the competition. We think of the DeepCool AS500 Plus (~70 €) in particular. A heatsink that is certainly more imposing, but also less expensive.
Noctua NH-D12L
We like:
- Finishing always at the top with Noctua
- The complete accessories part : speed reducer, screwdriver
- Its contained height (less than 150 mm) for a double turn
- Its exemplary compatibility with RAM and the first PCIe slot
- Noise control
- The 6-year warranty
- The coherent price within the Noctua range…
We liked it less :
- … But high considering the competition
- Colors a little more neutral, quickly a Chromax version !
- Having to assemble the Intel LGA-1000 backplate
- Its lack of punch in overclocking at low speed
In the end, we choose to award silver to the Noctua NH-D12L. The product does have a number of advantages: easy installation, six-year warranty, controlled noise, small footprint, etc. Nevertheless, we fear that the competition will be tough, especially since you should not hesitate to add a fan in case of overclocking, especially if you want to use the fan at low speed.
Many thanks to Noctua !
