We all know Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the top gaming CPU money can buy but do you know what kind of cooler you should pair it with? Keen to explore this line of thinking, I’ve rustled up three Noctua air coolers and put them to the test with AMD’s darling processor.
While I’d love to test out some Noctua water cooling alongside these air coolers, I’ll need to wait until at least 2026 to do so. Truthfully, part of me is keen to remind myself of air cooling’s conveniences. There’s less chance of component failure, no pump noise to contend with, and even though AIOs are simpler than ever to install, air coolers remain a relative breeze. And let’s face it, not everyone likes the idea of introducing liquid to their PC.
Before putting cold plate to heatspreader, allow me to introduce the three models I’ll be comparing for this experiment. Each are unique in capability and cost, but all are worthy of consideration.
NH-U12S Redux
NH-U12S Redux is, as its name implies, closely related to the beloved NH-U12S. The cooler uses a heatsink near-identical to its forebear, but tags in an NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan in place of NF-F12 PWM.
Noctua gives NH-U12S Redux an NSPR (Noctua Standardised Performance Rating) of 129, placing the cooler in the upper-mid range of the brand’s offerings. It’s also the most-affordable model I’m testing, retailing at £49.99 / $59.99.
As one should expect from a Redux product, Noctua’s focus is affordability. However, this lower price point hasn’t come at the expense of value.
| NH-U12S Redux | |
|---|---|
| NSPR | 129 |
| Materials | Aluminium (cooling fins) Nickel plated copper (base and heatpipes) |
| Heatsink Dimensions | 158 (H) x 125 (W) x 45mm (D) |
| Fan(s) | NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM (x1) |
| Accessories | Anti-vibration pads (x4) NT-H1 thermal compound (pre-applied) SecuFirm2â„¢ mounting kit |
| Warranty | Six-years |
| Price | £49.99 / $59.99 |
The 158 x 125 x 45mm heatsink will fit in a wide variety of cases with plenty of breathing room for your RAM and VRM heatsinks. Even with NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM attached, the setup only increases to 71mm in depth.
Speaking of, NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM can run up to speeds of 1,700RPM, boasting a max airflow of 120.2m³/h. These specifications actually surpass that of NF-F12, which topped out at 1,500RPM and 93.4m³/h, respectively.
NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM also ditches the trademark beige-brown colour scheme for dark-grey blades and a light-grey frame. It’s an attractive albeit more-conventional finish, but still carries unmistakable Noctua air (pun intended).
Where Noctua has made more-pronounced cuts to NH-U12S Redux is in the construction of the heatsink. This model has one fewer heatpipe than the vanilla version, a hybrid nickel-copper base instead of pure copper, and forgoes soldered joints between the aluminium fin stack.
While all of these changes do reduce the thermal transfer capacity of NH-U12S Redux, relative to its predecessor, the cooler still packs enough punch to hang with more-expensive options and handle my Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
NH-U12A
The oldest cooler of my testing trio, NH-U12A first came on the scene back in 2019. Like a true classic, though, this is a timeless cooler that can still kick it with the newer kids on the block.
An NSPR of 169 pushes NH-12UA into the premium end of Noctua’s cooler lineup. Price reflects this categorisation, setting you back £109.99 / $129.99.
Spending a little extra affords you a wealth of niceties, including a pair of NF-A12x25 PWM fans and a welcome set of accessories. Look a little closer, and you’ll discover even more bang for your buck.
| NH-12UA | |
|---|---|
| NSPR | 169 |
| Materials | Aluminium (cooling fins) Copper (base and heatpipes) Soldered joints and nickel plating |
| Heatsink Dimensions | 158 (H) x 125 (W) x 58mm (D) |
| Fan(s) | NF-A12x25 PWM (x2) |
| Accessories | 4-pin PWM splitter cable (x1) Low-Noise Adaptor (x2) Metal case-badge (x1) NT-H1 thermal compound (x1) SecuFirm2â„¢ mounting kit |
| Warranty | Six-years |
| Price | £109.99 / $129.99 |
In higher-end cooling territory, I expect nothing less than premium build and materials. NH-12UA delivers on both fronts, with a whole-copper base and seven heatpipes that Noctua solders to the aluminium fin stack.
The heatsink itself measures a stockier 58mm deep, relative to NH-U12S Redux. A larger block means a greater capacity for passive heat dissipation, allowing me to get better use out of the two NF-A12x25 PWM fans.
I’ll be cranking NF-A12x25 PWM all the way up to 2,000RPM, keen to see how acoustics fare at so many rotations. Max. airflow is actually less than NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM, at 102.1m³/h, but Noctua claims noise is much lower per fan, clocking in at 22.6dBA (vs. 25.1dBA).
Putting aside the main attraction for the moment, goodies like a 4-pin PWM splitter cable make plugging in NH-12UA into my motherboard a touch easier. Noctua also includes two Low-Noise Adaptors too, but I’m keen to see this cooler put maximum effort into cooling my Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Given NH-12UA’s age, it’s still packing Noctua’s NT-H1 thermal compound. The brand doesn’t preapply the paste, but there’s enough grey goo here for multiple applications providing you’re not overzealous.
NH-D15 G2 LBC
Saving the dearest, and newest, model for last: NH-D15 G2 LBC. Building on the legacy laid down by the now-legendary NH-D15, it’s difficult to find other coolers that match the quality of this one.
According to Noctua, the company doesn’t make a cooler better than this with an unbeaten NSRP of 228. Despite almost doubling NH-12UA in rating, you don’t have to pay much more for this flagship (in the UK at least), costing £129.99 / $179.99.
Lucky for my Ryzen 7 9800X3D, I have the LBC (Low Base Convexity) variant of NH-D15 G2 on-hand for comparison. This version has a base that specifically caters to the design of AM4 and AM5 heatspreaders, providing more direct contact to the processor’s hotspot.
| NH-D15 G2 LBC | |
|---|---|
| NSPR | 228 |
| Materials | Aluminium (cooling fins) Copper (base and heatpipes) Soldered joints and nickel plating |
| Heatsink Dimensions | 168 (H) x 150 (W) x 127mm (D) |
| Fan(s) | NF-A14x25r G2 PWM (x2) |
| Accessories | 4-pin PWM splitter cable (x1) Cleaning wipe (x1) Low-Noise Adaptor (x2) Metal case-badge (x1) NT-H2 thermal compound (x1) SecuFirm2+â„¢ mounting kit Thermal paste guard (x1) Torx T20 screwdriver (x1) |
| Warranty | Six-years |
| Price | £129.99 / $179.99 |
NH-D15 G2 LBC offers not one, but two fin stacks, which together make the cooler measure a whopping 127mm across. It’s also taller and wider than the other two models I’m testing, which did create a brief moment of concern with regards to fitting inside my choice of case.
This is the only cooler in the trio to rock Noctua’s newer SecuFirm2+ mounting kit. Swapping east and west brackets for north and south, these newer designs use Torx T20 screws in place of Philips, boasting improved durability and ease of use.
Further adding to the unique assortment of NH-D15 G2 LBC’s trinkets is a tube of NT-H2 thermal compound. Noctua claims this mix can push temperatures down by as much as 2°C, making for a welcome if admittedly slight improvement over NT-H1.
Alongside the PWM splitter cable and low-noise adpators, Noctua also provides a cleaning wipe and a solid Torx T20 screwdriver, too. My favourite of the bunch, though, has to be the ‘Thermal Paste Guard’. How I wish this small plastic cutout had come into my life sooner, saving my Ryzen 7 9800X3D from the practically permanent clumps of impossible-to-clean thermal paste.
Of course, the stars of the show here are the two NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fans. These are the rounded versions of Noctua’s new flagship fan, a literal decade in the making. The squared-off variant of these blowers proved impressive on my makeshift Noctua AIO water cooler, and I’m sure they will again here.
These 140mm fans can move up to 155.6 m³/h of air, despite only running at a maximum of 1,500RPM. That’s just over 1m³/h per 10RPM, not bad. They’re not the quietest blades that will grace my ears during this comparison, at 24.8 dBA, but that’s an impressive rating for such a powerful and large blower.
Methodology
These Noctua coolers and my Ryzen 7 9800X3D deserve an impressive test system to shine. Thankfully, I recently put together a build that’ll more than fit the bill once I’ve swapped out the processor and taken out the current cooling solution.
Enter Arctic Xtender, a glorious chassis for any system. This case will provide ample airflow for the coolers to soak up, and provide plenty of room to show off and swap out each model. Here’s a list of all components in the build:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL28 32GB
- Motherboard: Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition
- SSD: WD_Black SN8100 2TB
- PSU: be quiet! Dark Power 13 1,000W
With my hardware locked in, let’s talk test methodology. Firstly, I’m setting the chassis’ three 140mm intake and two 120mm exhaust fans at a fixed 30% across all benchmarks. At this speed, the case receives enough airflow for reasonable operation while running quietly enough for me to analyse the noise levels of each cooler.
After installing each cooler atop my processor, I will then place the system under stress with coolers running at 500RPM, 1,000RPM, and maximum speed. After a test is complete, I will note the maximum CPU temperature and noise levels.
My choice of benchmarks are 10-minute runs of Cinebench 2024 and three consectuvie passes of Total War: Warhammer III’s Mirrors of Madness. Together, they’ll showcase how each cooler handles difficult professional and gaming workloads.
Performance
Cinebench 2024 expectedly proves the most testing trial for all three Noctua coolers, as they all attempt to stave off thermal throttling by keeping Ryzen 7 9800X3D below its 95°C Tjmax. The benchmark also creates a performance hierarchy that doesn’t come with any major surprises, even as some results are closer than I expected they would be.
NH-D15 G2 LBC claims the top spots, with maximum CPU temperatures of 74.2°C at 1,500RPM and 78.5°C at 1,000RPM. NH-U12A takes the bronze, as my Ryzen 7 9800X3D peaks at 83.1°C at 2,000RPM. While gaps of ~4°C separate podium positions, the processor runs 6°C hotter (89.1°C) before the first and best result for NH-U12S Redux materialises.
Subsequent tests at lower speeds leave NH-U12S Redux and NH-U12A in a dead heat, as just 0.2°C separate the coolers (92.6°C vs. 92.8°C) with each running at 1,000RPM. Impressively NH-D15 G2 LBC turns in a near-identical result of 92.9°C running at just 500RPM, while the others struggle at the same speed pushing north of 96°C.
When it comes to Cinebench 2024 scores, all three coolers allow Ryzen 7 9800X3D to cross the finish line with ~1,348pts. However, only NH-D15 G2 LBC maintains score purity across the RPM range I’ve tested. Meanwhile both NH-U12A and NH-U12S Redux are unable to keep thermal throttling at bay, with results dipping a fraction to 1,328pts.
With the pain of Cinebench 2024 behind them, both coolers and Ryzen 7 9800X3D get an easier but certainly not breezy ride with Total War: Warhammer III. While many games rely on single-threaded performance, all-core performance has always been essential for strategy games and is growing in importance as ray tracing becomes more ubiquitous.
Once again, NH-D15 G2 LBC turns in the lowest temperatures of the pack, with an all-mighty result of 63.2°C at 1,500RPM. Switching down to 1,000RPM doesn’t impact performance much either with the processor holding steady at 67.1°C. However, it’s the 500RPM result that I find most awe-inspiring, clocking in at just 77.0°C.
NH-U12A and NH-U12S Redux are surprisingly close, with differences in temperature ranging between a mere 0.1-0.7°C. The two coolers do well to keep the heat off Ryzen 7 9800X3D at 1,000+RPM, but results of 95.4-96.1°C clearly demonstrate neither can hold back the pressures of Mirrors of Madness at 500RPM.
Performance remained consistent across all coolers and RPMs, save for the 500RPM results on NH-U12A and NH-U12S Redux. Frame rate fall off wasn’t massive, tantamount to margin of error with differences of 2fps. However, I’m confident that prolonged playtime would’ve resulted in a more significant decrease, not to mention an uncomfortable gaming experience with so much heat.
Shifting attentions from temperatures to acoustics remixes the previously established cooler hierarchy. However, it isn’t until I push fans to 1,000+RPM that major differences emerge.
At 500RPM, all three coolers are near-identical in noise levels. NH-U12A takes the gold with a result of 31.2dBA, with NH-U12S Redux claiming silver, and NH-D15 G2 LBC going home with bronze.
Competition between NH-U12A and NH-U12S Redux remains close at 1,000RPM (34.5dBA vs. 35.5dBA). However, NH-D15 G2 LBC becomes noticeably louder at this speed, by 4.6-6.6dBA.
Finally, as each cooler’s fan approach their respective warp speed, NH-U12S Redux emerges the quietest of the bunch at 46.3dBA. NH-U12A clocks in at 50.5dBA, making it closer to NH-D15 G2 LBC which bottoms out at 53.0dBA.
Reading back these results and notes for each, I’d happily set all of these coolers to 1,000RPM and have no qualms about their noise levels. Although, running NH-D15 G2 LBC at 500RPM does seem tantamount to having your cake and eating it.
Conclusion
Credit to Noctua, all three coolers I’ve tested demonstrate the ability to tame Ryzen 7 9800X3D. You can’t go wrong pairing these models with any AMD CPU with a TDP of ≤120W for that matter. Cool stuff, literally.
Opting for higher-end options will afford you greater headroom and control over temperatures as well as noise, but I’m glad to see you don’t have to break the bank to cool what is and will be the most-desirable gaming processor for the foreseeable future.
NH-D15 G2 LBC is the obvious choice for those wanting as much thermal headroom as possible. I still can’t believe just how much cooler my Ryzen 7 9800X3D was relative to the others, particularly at lower RPMs. While absolute noise levels are higher, you don’t need to crank the fans as much as you do on siblings to hit target temperatures, resulting in a build that’s chiller to the ear and touch.
The NH-U12A is no slouch, of course, but if budget is no issue, it’s difficult to ignore how much more performance NH-D15 G2 LBC offers. Nevertheless, the smaller NH-U12A does a stellar job of presenting top-notch Noctua build quality in a more compact factor.
What continues to surprise me most, though, is how competitive NH-U12S Redux is. I actually went back and retested both that cooler and NH-U12A as a sanity check. This is a proper budget champion, punching well above its weight in terms of performance for knockout value.
The key takeaway from these results is that you don’t necessarily need premium cooling to keep Ryzen 7 9800X3D below its 95°C thermal target. Spending more on a larger heatsinks affords lower temps at low fan speed, making it effortless to optimise acoustics, but more affordable coolers can surprise you.
Best for enthusiasts: NH-D15 G2 LBC
“I can recommend Noctua NH-D15 G2 to anyone who won’t settle for second best.” Read our review.
Best for budget: NH-U12S Redux
Don’t let NH-U12S Redux’s price tag fool you, this cooler has plenty of punch behind its relatively petite frame.
Best for mainstream: NH-U12A
NH-U12A is for those seeking a medium-sized cooler that still offers headroom for acoustic and thermal tuning.
