Noctua has updated its FAQ. This is important for answering the question regarding which Noctua CPU coolers are compatible with Intel’s upcoming LGA1954 socket that’s scheduled to debut with Nova Lake-S processors next year. The brand has stated every cooler that is already compatible with Intel’s LGA1700 and LGA1851 sockets will also support the new LGA1954 platform. Huzzah.
“All Noctua CPU coolers that are compatible with LGA1851 and LGA1700 are also compatible with Intel’s upcoming LGA1954 socket,” said Noctua. Adding that “No additional mounting parts are needed.”
Since the same mounting hardware will be used to secure the coolers on the new platform, Noctua has also indicated that the installation procedure remains identical to LGA1700 and LGA1851. In other words, users who already have a modern-ish Noctua cooler will be able to use it without any trouble, saving them a good amount of money on their platform upgrade. A welcome cost saving considering the state of memory prices, which is expected to impact GPUs too.
As Noctua expands its support to the third Intel consumer platform in a row – LGA1700, LGA1851, then LGA1954 – its higher-than-average cooler prices (£127.99 for the NH-D15 G2) no longer seem that big. There’s also support for AMD’s AM4 and AM5, which alone account for no fewer than six CPU generations, with more to come. To be clear, Noctua isn’t the only company supporting LGA1954 on existing coolers, but, unlike many, it’s known for providing mounting kits at no additional cost when a new platform has a completely different and incompatible design.
Based on previous leaks, which unveiled the LGA1954 45mm x 37.5mm socket dimensions, any LGA1851-compatible cooler should work fine with Intel’s upcoming Nova Lake CPUs, Noctua or not. However, coolers using special mounting systems, like those used by low-profile heatsinks which screw from the motherboard’s back, may not be, so double-check before proceeding with your upgrade.
Intel’s next-gen Nova Lake CPUs are due to launch in 2026 within the Core Ultra 400 series, offering up to 52 cores. They are expected to be the first among many planned for the LGA1954 socket, with some rumours claiming up to four CPU generations. If true, this would mark a huge shift in Intel’s strategy, which previously provided each platform with only two or so CPU generations. This means that your Noctua cooler is due for a long life. Lucky are those who bought the NH-U12A six years ago; they get to keep it for another four or six years, at the least.
