Noctua nh-u12s se - Reviews 2024

This time we bring you a heatsink only designed for AMD Ryzen, this is the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4. A Noctua prestigious U-series single tower heatsink with 120mm and thickness of just 71mm with the fan attached. A fan that by the way is the Noctua NF-F12 PWM of 1, 500 RPM. The simple SecuFirm2 mounting system has also been implemented for this exclusive AM4 socket heatsink.

First of all, we thank Noctua for their trust in us and in our work by lending us their product for this analysis.

Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 technical characteristics

Unboxing

Let's start this review as always by the Unboxing of this heatsink, we have separated it from the rest for being more entertaining, of course.

In the presentation we do not have any great surprises in sight either, since the product comes inside a rectangular box that has the colors and design that so distinguishes the brand. So what we have is a main face, so to speak, with a photograph on a brown background, not of the heatsink, but of the fan of this Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4, and on the other faces we have distributed different information in several languages.

The next thing we will do is open the main box, a very good and safe cardboard box, to see that the bundle is divided into two compartments. The first of them will be a flat box where all the accessories of the heatsink will be stored. And in a compartment below it we have the heatsink and the only fan.

Let's see through a list what this bundle brings us:

Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 heatsink Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan Noctua NT-H1 thermal compound SecuFirm 2 mounting system for AM4 socket Anti-vibration system for mounting horizontally or vertically Anti-vibration panels and hooks for two fans Mounting screws and anchors for replacement socket backplate Phillips screwdriver assembly instruction manual

Let's notice something important, and that is that in this case the bundle does not have the rear backplate for the socket, also in the instructions it is made very clear that we must use the stock one, which is the main reason that it is only compatible with AM4 is in this same detail, since the mounting system really is compatible with other sockets, being the same as for example the NH-U12A.

Block design

Let's take a closer look at the design of the main dissipation block of the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4. We see that it is clearly a configuration in a single block full of fins where numerous heatpipes enter that allow heat dissipation. For now, let's stick with a 120mm form factor and fanless depth, or depth, of just 45mm. Recall that a single fan is 25mm thick.

The rest of the measurements of this block, with respect to the ground plane, are 1 58 mm high, 125 mm wide and have a weight of 580 grams. This makes it a relatively compact and very manageable heatsink, with a size that is capable of entering almost any self-respecting ATX chassis and will also allow us to place a double fan in both the horizontal and vertical position, since the hole Available on the plate is approximately 115mm.

Noctua is no doubt already using similar configurations for its Premium and high-end heatsinks. Bet on a somewhat more compact and reduced size with configurations of a single block instead of two and with a considerable increase in the heat pipes and the benefits of their fans to compensate the performance, and the truth is that they do really well.

In fact, this Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 has a total of 10 heatpipes, 5 on each side of the block that makes contact with the CPU and that directly pass through this element. They are made of nickel-plated copper and perfectly distributed throughout the finned block to evenly distribute the heat on this surface.

From the central part of the block no heatpipe comes out further up, a system that other manufacturers usually use when it is less aesthetic and also in this case it is not possible either, since the SecuFirm 2 system uses a central plate screwed to the contact block, making it removable.

Well, this contact block has a size approximately equal to the IHS of the Ryzen CPUs, which makes it have perfect contact with its entire surface. Speaking more of the SecuFirm 2 system, it consists of screwing the heatsink to the socket blackplate with just two screws, which have a female thread with springs and a pin to ensure that they never come off the heatsink itself.

If something stands out in Noctua products, it is that the finish and materials are of the highest quality. As well as the heat pipes, the contact block is also constructed of copper with a polished nickel coating, although in this case not as polished as in other models it practically looks like a mirror. You will already know that the better polished, the more homogeneous the surface will be and the fewer microscopic stops it will have, which helps to improve the contact area and heat transfer.

Regarding the rest of the elements, tubes and fins, the finishes are perfect, we do not have any loose or bent elements anywhere and the welds are not even appreciated. Aesthetically it is a great product, although the cuts of the tubes in the upper part make the final result a little ugly.

Noctua NF-F12 fan

Another very important element in this Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 is the system that is responsible for generating the air flow consisting of a single fan with model specification NF-F12, which is clearly not the top of the brand range, although it It has good benefits.

It has measures of 120 x 120 x 25 mm and an approximate weight of 175 grams, which is no small feat for a fan. In addition, it offers PWM control with a minimum rotation speed of 300 RPM and maximum of 1500 RPM. If we apply the LNA soundproofing system these RPM are reduced to 1200.

We have a configuration of 7 propellers in normal and current design that offers a maximum air flow of 93.4 m ³ / h, reducing to 74.3 m ³ / h if we incorporate LNA In addition, it is really quiet, with a maximum of 22, 4 dB. Of course it works with 12 V through a 4-pin header and consumes 0.6 W. The estimated life cycle exceeds 150, 000 hours of use, thanks in part to the pressurized oil system used in the internal bearings.

The system for fixing the fan to the block consists of the traditional metal clips that hold the edges of each fan to the finned block. Be careful when placing them so as not to bend the fins or the clips themselves. The bundle brings a total of 4 of them, so we want to place a second fan to increase the air flow.

We would have liked a fan with a slightly better aesthetic to be incorporated, for example, the variant of the NF-F12 in white and brown that offers the same benefits.

Step-by-step mounting and compatibility

The third main point of the day is to see and explain the assembly of this Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 in the socket for which it is designed, the AMD PGA AM4, let's go with the Ryzen. It goes without saying that the bundle includes a step-by-step instruction manual for assembling it.

Well, it all begins by removing the side plastic tabs that the backplate incorporates for the installation of the AMD stock heatsink, since here the pressure lever system has no place.

In any case, we should not remove the backplate itself, since the instructions make it very clear that it will be mandatory to use, since the purchase bundle does not include this element.

The next step will be to place the two plates that hold the backplate attached to the motherboard, and that will also allow us to screw the heatsink to it. We have two types of plates, some shorter and curved to place the heatsink horizontally on the plate (seen vertically) and the other two, longer, to place it in the traditional way, remaining in a vertical plane. We will choose the latter.

To place the plates, we must make use of four screws and four plastic washers. Do not screw them in with too much pressure, just enough to keep the system still.

And before finishing the assembly, we must not forget about the application of the thermal compound, which in this case is the Noctua NT-H1, the best-selling and most famous brand for its excellent thermal performance and good price. It is a metal-based (gray) compound with a conductivity of 8.9 W / mK non-electrically conductive.

We got to the end, we put the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 on the CPU, move it slightly to the sides to seat and distribute the thermal paste and then screw the side screws in the two plates. Simple but very effective method this SecuFirm 2 from Noctua, do not over-tighten, again just enough that the heatsink does not move. We can do the test by taking the board directly from the heatsink to check that everything is going well.

Test of performance

Looking at the exterior and the assembly, it is time to see the performance tests of the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4. It will be very simple, the only thing we will do is stress the CPU of the test bench for 48 hours with the Prime95 software and preventing the PC from going to sleep or anything else. The temperatures will be measured with HWiNFO as has been the tradition in Professional Review, and we will get the average, minimum and maximum value during the test time.

The test bench contains the following hardware:

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Base plate:	Asus Crossfire VII Hero (Wi-Fi)
Memory:	16 GB G.Skill Sniper X
Heatsink	Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4
SSD	Adata SU750
Graphic card	Asus ROG Strix GTX 1660 Ti
Power supply	Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 1000W

In addition, it must be considered that the ambient temperature has oscillated between 24 degrees during the day and 23 during the night thanks to the unbeatable help of air conditioning to combat the high temperatures of the time.

Despite being a relatively small heatsink, the performance we have obtained is really good, it is also true that the Ryzen are cooler CPUs than the Intel, but obtaining a stress average of only 48 degrees is a spectacular brand. At specific times temperatures of around 63 ^o C have been recorded, it was not even necessary to obtain the maximum speed of the fan installed in the heatsink.

The rest of the time, we have practically not heard the test bench, as we confirm that it is a really quiet system, and those 1500 RPM have rarely been necessary to keep the AMD Ryzen 2700X at stock frequency at bay.

We have decided not to do any type of overclocking, since we do not consider that this heatsink is oriented to it. For this, it is better to use one that provides greater performance such as the NH-D15 SE-AM4 for example or liquid cooling, since the peaks of 73, could become peaks of more than 90 degrees.

Final words and conclusion about Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4

Well we are already in the final stretch of this review about the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4, a heatsink that has left very good temperature records for a CPU as powerful as the AMD Ryzen 2700X. Able to keep a CPU under continuous stress under 60 degrees for two days.

The design is considered the ideal for a team where you will not be overclocking, since it is a configuration of a single block in 120 mm format with polished block and 10 nickel-plated copper heat pipes with sensational finished use.

We recommend our guide to the best heatsinks on the market

Ventilation consists of a single 120mm Noctua NF-F12 fan offering great airflow and just 22dB of noise. Not a bad option, but we would have liked the white and brown version instead of the black, simply for aesthetics. Another plus point is the installation system, SecuFirm 2, very quick and easy to install for the entire new Noctua range.

Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 is a heatsink that we will find in the market for a price of about 59.90 euros. It is not a high price to be a Noctua product, in addition to the excellent performance it has shown. For us one of the most recommended for socket AM4.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ GREAT PERFORMANCE ON RYZEN CPU WITHOUT OVERCLOCKING	- THE COLOR VARIANT OF THE NF-F12 WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
+ FAST MOUNTING SYSTEM
+ VERY COMPACT CONFIGURATION OF A SINGLE BLOCK
+ NF-F12 FAN AND NT-H1 PASTA
+ GOOD PRICE