Noctua NH-U12A Vs D15S

[Relentless81]

Hi,

I've been reading a lot about these recently and can't decide which I would go for. They are both designed with compatability in mind but they are both quite tall with the U12A just 2mm shorter at 158mm

The D15S seems to beat the U12A using a single fan which to me is a benefit as it's one less fan to make noise and contribute to the battle of negative pressure and it's cheaper.

Also there are Chromax accessories for the D15S where as U12A your stuck with brown and tan until next year and I dread to think what the Chromax version of those fans will cost

So, why would anyone anyone buy the U12A over the D15S?

 

[Steveocee]

Hi,
Also there are Chromax accessories for the D15S where as U12A your stuck with brown and tan until next year and I dread to think what the Chromax version of those fans will cost
So, why would anyone anyone buy the U12A over the D15S?

For a start:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/noctua-nh-u12s-chromax-pure-black-cpu-cooler-hs-03n-nc.html

Cost? D15 is some £85+ where as the 12 is £65+

 

[b00merang69]

The D15/D15S will be better as it is a 140mm cooler vs a 120mm cooler and bigger overall as a twin style, not really sure what you are asking as if it fits your case buy the better cooler.

 

[Relentless81]

For a start:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/noctua-nh-u12s-chromax-pure-black-cpu-cooler-hs-03n-nc.html

Cost? D15 is some £85+ where as the 12 is £65+

I'm not talking about the U12S I'm talking about the U12A

The D15/D15S will be better as it is a 140mm cooler vs a 120mm cooler and bigger overall as a twin style, not really sure what you are asking as if it fits your case buy the better cooler.

The NH-U12A is marketed as a 120mm cooler that is as good as a 140mm in a compact form

What I'm saying is it's more expensive and not quite living up to its claims so why would you buy it over a D15S

 

[b00merang69]

Yes I read all the pre-launch marketing (it is just that) compared to their own NH-U14S and similar not the D15 or D15S (or older D14's ) all "Twin Coolers" that is just not going to happen.

You really think they can or would make a small factor 120mm cooler than betters their own larger 140mm Flagship Twin Coolers?

 

[Steveocee]

A 120mm cooler has potential to be able to cool just as well as a 140mm cooler. The difference is that the fan on the 120mm will have to run faster than the comparative 140mm. Strictly speaking it just means there will be a bit more noise from the 120mm at a given temp.

 

[b00merang69]

Apples to apples with 2 coolers in the same range but different sizes (120mm and 140mm) the actual metal parts (surface area) of the 140mm cooler and extra heatpipe(s) due to the extra space will be cooler.

Apples to oranges this new cooler though it is 120mm has extra heatpipe(s) and can cool as good/better than their previous 140mm coolers but again they are both Single Stack coolers not Twin Stack Coolers.

If the op thinks he is going to buy that new 120mm cooler and cool the same as the D15/15S then he is delusional.

 

[Relentless81]

Apples to apples with 2 coolers in the same range but different sizes (120mm and 140mm) the actual metal parts (surface area) of the 140mm cooler and extra heatpipe(s) due to the extra space will be cooler.

Apples to oranges this new cooler though it is 120mm has extra heatpipe(s) and can cool as good/better than their previous 140mm coolers but again they are both Single Stack coolers not Twin Stack Coolers.

If the op thinks he is going to buy that new 120mm cooler and cool the same as the D15/15S then he is delusional.

I'm not claiming that it will, I know it won't because I've seen tests that prove it. So I have no intention of becoming "delusional"

What I am getting at is what is the point in it over a D15S, it just seems a bit pointless, more money, similar height, similar compatibility, more noise, more fans. It doesn't make sense as to why it exists

 

[b00merang69]

It WILL fit more than the larger D15 and block less top PCI-E slot and Ram Slots.

 

[Meddling-Monk]

So, why would anyone anyone buy the U12A over the D15S?

As usual, it's all down to what you have to work alongside what cooler you're thinking of getting.

For my main rig I have a Corsair 650D, formerly using a H100i to cool it with (original version from 2011/2012) and finally decided to change it around 12 months ago. Whilst the D15 and D15s was possible to to install into the system, the rig I am rocking is quite old (also from 2012, a 2011 4930k Asus RIVE setup) so knowing that the top PCIe slot is the only real full x16 slot (so I can't use any other slot for the GPU without some loss of performance), and that the two sets of DIMM slots are fairly close (and fully populated) I decided to go with the U12A over the D15 or D15s for maximum compatibility for the PCIe slots and RAM slots. Also, I am also quite aware that the 4930k whilst hot, is likely to be able to be cooled fairly well given that even the older Noctua collers are all cooling more hotter chips and still working well from all reports.

Also, assuming I did want to generate more heat on the CPU (whether from changing CPU or overclocking it more, to which I can do, going from 4.3Ghz to 4.5Ghz+), I felt that the slower and larger fan on the D15s wasn't going to cut it as well. As most tests I've heard with the larger fans don't have the same noise type that the A12x25 fans produce when going at higher rpms. So I went with the U12A for that reason too.

Then of course, this rig is 7 years old now, performs well still, but I could drop for another system in an instant and if I did that, I also have other older rigs that don't have as much space for a larger air cooler (the old H100i is in another system all patched up, but if I had to swap, I'd swap it into that system, which is a Corsair 300R, which certainly can't fit in a D15 or D15s). So rather than worry about the Air Cooler becoming a relic until I need it again, I chose the smaller one to make sure that it has a replacement home in the event I decide or need to upgrade my main rig "right now" (or for any other reason the main rig gets replaced).

So given all the hand me down options I have in place (and the limitations of size with their cases), the U12A wins hands down in my case. And I'm sure I'm not the only person in the same situation.

 

[Relentless81]

I see, that's an good explanation and I can see why you went with it

I'm tempted myself after reading that because I want my next build to be m/itx but I can't stand the colour of the fans and my next build could be some time away yet

 

[Meddling-Monk]

I'm tempted myself after reading that because I want my next build to be m/itx but I can't stand the colour of the fans and my next build could be some time away yet

Never looked into m/itx as never my style. But had a quick look now and found some are windowed, so I guess you can get annoyed with the fan colours in those cases. However, I will add, that if you're concerned about the fan colour and not whats on your screen - the sunny scenery, the pretty people, or amazing graphics, with the lack of noise (or acceptable type of noise as the A12x25 does for me) - all without even needing a headset to hear clearly on low volume from the speakers, then I don't know how to say this, but you've got the wrong priorities. I typically stare at my screen, not what's in my case.

But I can totally get the annoyance if you're of the type that's proud to show off their kit; I did that long time ago but got bored evntually, now I aim for performance with silence (even if I have to ghetto mod the case myself). But still, totally get it.

Also, something else to think about: In that unknown timeframe ahead (which sounds like at least 9 months I'm guessing), the black versions of the A12x25 fans might have been released (all theorising mid to late 2020 at this time, along with the A14x25), but we're also theorising that there won't be a black U12A cooler because the baseplate is too crowded (from the 7 heatpipes already) to make an all black version - so waiting on an all black U12A (with matching fans) is likely not to happen, so in that case you can simply grab some of the black A12x25's when its released and available and then and slap them on. Remove the beige and brown ones to less visible locations in your case, or move to another system entirely. The fans are recognised as some of the better ones available after all so will be welcome anywhere really if they become spare, as case fans or as rad fans.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the matter.

 

[EsaT]

IWhat I'm saying is it's more expensive and not quite living up to its claims so why would you buy it over a D15S

Of course it's super expensive because it's Noctua and comes with lots of hype.
Not being fully up to level of the biggest (lot larger space consumption) dual towers has no meaning in that brand and marketing hype.

I'm tempted myself after reading that because I want my next build to be m/itx but I can't stand the colour of the fans and my next build could be some time away yet

So get Scythe Mugen 5 for half the price.
Even RGB version doesn't cost that much extra
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/scythe-scmg-5100-mugen-5-rev.b-cpu-cooler-hs-046-sy.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/scyt...-cpu-cooler-with-pwm-fan-120mm-hs-04c-sy.html

What it lacks in brand hype and overpricing it does in performance.
Gives good run for NH-D15S ~20 rows downward in review time ordered results:
https://www.nikktech.com/main/artic...he-mugen-5-cpu-cooler-review?showall=&start=5
Pressure optimized Arctic P12 fans might well tweak Mugen's performance per noise further.

Fits ITX boards fine:
https://www.funkykit.com/reviews/co...ower-cpu-cooler-review/attachment/mugen5_pc1/
https://www.funkykit.com/reviews/co...ower-cpu-cooler-review/attachment/mugen5_pc2/

Here someone crammed Mugen 5 into ITX case with fans in push-pull by turning it 180:
https://imgur.com/r/sffpc/Bb1GIY8

 

[Relentless81]

There is just something about the Mugen 5 I dislike, I think it's because it's so shiny it stands out too much and the RGB version is horrendous plus I want an upgrade from my Dark Rock 4 the Mugen is more of a side grade

 

[doyll]

Hi,

I've been reading a lot about these recently and can't decide which I would go for. They are both designed with compatability in mind but they are both quite tall with the U12A just 2mm shorter at 158mm

The D15S seems to beat the U12A using a single fan which to me is a benefit as it's one less fan to make noise and contribute to the battle of negative pressure and it's cheaper.

Also there are Chromax accessories for the D15S where as U12A your stuck with brown and tan until next year and I dread to think what the Chromax version of those fans will cost

So, why would anyone anyone buy the U12A over the D15S?

If you don't need small size get NH-D15S or similar. Others with simialr performance are Phanteks PH-TC14PE; Cryorig R1 Ultimate; Thermalright Silver Arrow IB-E, Le Grand Macho & TRUE Spirit 140 Power; be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, Scythe Fuma Rev.B, Fuma 2, & Mugen 5, and more all within a fe few degrees and dB of each other.

Honestly, Chromax accessories and RGB are important are a differnt/altered dimension I'm not fluent in.

 

[ubersonic]

So, why would anyone anyone buy the U12A over the D15S?

As a current U12A owner and former D15 owner I think I can add some perspective on this.

The extra cost of the U12A over a D15 (regular or S) is basically it's only disadvantage, the performance is "within margin of error" levels the same. As far as advantages go, it's smaller which makes it easier to install and fit in a case. In addition, it doesn't hang over the RAM so you can put stupidly tall RAM in every slot and not have to worry about clearance issues (as an added bonus, the fan will actually cool the RAM, unlike on a D15 where the fan has to be mounted above the RAM).

The U12A is very easy to underestimate, people hear the 12 and assume small, but it's thicker than any other Noctua cooler, it has more surface area than a U14, it has more heatpipes than a D15, and it has the best fans on any Noctua cooler. Noctua really pulled out all the stops when they designed this.

 

[b00merang69]

That is why they should make a 14 or 15 model.

 

[Meddling-Monk]

That is why they should make a 14 or 15 model.

I'm sure they'll get right on it once the A14x25 becomes available.

 

[Relentless81]

As a current U12A owner and former D15 owner I think I can add some perspective on this.

The extra cost of the U12A over a D15 (regular or S) is basically it's only disadvantage, the performance is "within margin of error" levels the same. As far as advantages go, it's smaller which makes it easier to install and fit in a case. In addition, it doesn't hang over the RAM so you can put stupidly tall RAM in every slot and not have to worry about clearance issues (as an added bonus, the fan will actually cool the RAM, unlike on a D15 where the fan has to be mounted above the RAM).

The U12A is very easy to underestimate, people hear the 12 and assume small, but it's thicker than any other Noctua cooler, it has more surface area than a U14, it has more heatpipes than a D15, and it has the best fans on any Noctua cooler. Noctua really pulled out all the stops when they designed this.

Thanks for the input, I'll wait to the end of month and see if either the D15S or U12A go on offer (I doubt it but you never know) And invest in one

 

[Paul_RD]

I bought an NH-D15S two years ago and run it with the supplied low-noise-adapter.
Its very quiet and keeps the CPU nice and cool and all times.

I am very pleased with it and when I built a new PC for my son earlier this year - I bought another NH-D15S.