Visual inspection
The Noctua NH-D12L is the newest model in the Noctua family, sporting a dual tower heatsink and low height design. This CPU cooler is made to fit in between the NH-U12A and the NH-U12S. And it offers even more options in terms of clearance, as it has a height of just 145mm and can use up to three 120mm fans.
The Noctua NH-D12L has a height of 145mm a depth of 113mm and a width of 125mm with a weight of 890g.
The heatsink design is similar with that of the Noctua NH-D15, only smaller and optimized for Small Form Factor systems. The similarities between the NH-D12L and the NH-D15 are in the shape of the twin tower heatsink design. However, the NH-D12L heatsink features uneven towers, and for a good reason, memory clearance. Thus, if you have tall RAM modules at the front you can just rotate the heatsink so the larger part of the heatsink will face the back and thus fit with your tall RAM modules.
The build quality of the heatsink is outstanding, with smooth edges on all cooling fins and an even nickel plating on the heatsink and baseplate.
The fins used on this CPU cooler are made from aluminum and are smooth on the edges. Even though these heatsink towers are different in size, they use the same numbers of cooling fins, 38 per tower.
The sides of the cooling fins are bent downwards, this is done as usual, to increase the structural rigidity of the heatsink and to create a channel for the airflow to go through. Apart from this, all sides of the cooling fins are smooth to the touch, reflecting the high quality of this CPU cooler.
The NH-D12L uses no less than five nickel-plated copper heatpipes. Each of these having a 6 millimeter outer diameter. The heatpipes are soldered to the baseplate of the CPU cooler, this ensures the best heat transfer between materials.
The heatpipe endings are not even, however, they are close enough to not break the look of the heatsink.
The baseplate of the NH-D12L is made from solid nickel-plated copper. The surface of the baseplate has a smooth circular pattern left from the manufacturing process. This pattern will not affect the evenness of the thermal compound spread. However, what this radial pattern does is add more character to the design of the CPU cooler.
The Noctua NH-D12L can accommodate up to three 120mm fans, however, only the NF-A12x25r or similar fans can be used. This is thanks to not only the shape of the heatsink but the shape and design of the included fan mounting clips.
By default, this CPU cooler has only a single 120mm fan for its active cooling. The NF-A12x25r PWM has a maximum speed of 2000 RPM and a minimum speed of 450RPM. This fan uses the well-known Noctua SSO2 bearing system.
The fan frame is equipped with rubber pads on both sides of each corner. These are used to not only dampen vibrations created by the fan spinning but to protect the heatsink from scratches.
The cable of the NF-A12x25r PWM is simple, with a rubber sleeving protecting the wires. The connector used for power is a standard 4Pin PWM.
