Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: GOODRAM IRDM PRO 16GB DDR4-3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial p5 500GB
– HDD: GOODRAM IRDM 1TB SSD
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.60.5900
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTest V2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
The Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black has a great clearance for the RAM slots. The front fan does not even reach the first RAM slot.
The PCIe clearance is good, the space between the CPU cooler and the graphics card is 31mm. However, this will vary depending on the layout of your motherboard and the model of your graphics card.
Final thoughts
The Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black is a better looking alternative to the great air CPU cooler that is the NH-U12A. The performance of this CPU cooler is great not only because it has no less than six heatpipes but because it uses two NF-A12x25 PWM fans.
However, this level of performance, good clearance and all-black design will come at a hefty price. The chromax.black variant of the NH-U12A is 30USD more expensive than the regular NH-U12A. How fair this price is for a coat of paint, it’s up to you.
The main advantage of the NH-U12A when compared to other CPU coolers, especially the NH-D15 is the small footprint. Thanks to a new heatsink and two fans, this CPU cooler will provide a great cooling while having a great clearance for the RAM slots and the graphics card.
In terms of the build quality, the NH-U12A chromax.black is on the same level as the rest of the high end models from Noctua. The cooling fins have smooth edges and the baseplate has no imperfections. In addition, the mounting system is solid and easy to use.
Just like the original NH-U12A, the chromax.black model is expensive, especially when compared to other CPU coolers that will perform better overall, such as the NH-D15.
In conclusion, the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black is a great looking CPU cooler that performs as expected. With two NF-A12x25 PWM fans and six copper made heatpipoes, this CPU cooler will deliver a great cooling performance with a small footprint and good clearance. The only inconvenient is the pricing, especially in the today’s market.
