Today, Noctua announced the NH-D12L chromax.black CPU cooler, an all-black version of the existing NH-D12L. Not only is the radiator painted in matte black, but it’s also relatively short at 145mm, which Noctua says makes the NH-D12L suitable for slimmer cases and 4U server racks.
Launched in 2022, the NH-D12L is essentially a shorter version of the NH-U12A, with a height of 158mm. While many cases have enough room for a cooler that tall, not all cases have the space (especially small cases). The NH-D12L performs similarly to the NH-U12A, but is suitable for situations where 145mm will fit but 158mm won’t. However, the NH-D12L only has one 120mm NF-A12x25 fan, while the NH-U12A has two. Additionally, the NH-D12L has five heat pipes, while the NH-U12A has seven. These two factors mean that the NH-D12L can’t quite catch up to the NH-U12A in terms of cooling capabilities.
The chromax.black model is virtually identical to the original, but features Noctua’s popular black pattern. It should do the same thing, and its SecuFirm 2 mounting hardware supports the same sockets: AMD’s AM4 and AM5, and Intel’s LGA 1700 and LGA 1851 for its upcoming Arrow Lake CPUs. Despite its compact design, the NH-D12L also features “100% RAM compatibility” for sticks with tall heatsinks, which can sometimes cause clearance issues with air coolers.
The NH-D12L chromax.black also comes with the usual Noctua accessories: a screwdriver, NH-T1 thermal paste and a four-pin low-noise adapter for the NF-A12x25 fan. Additionally, the 120mm fan mounts to the cooler via a bracket, meaning no screws are required and no tools are required to remove or install.
Priced at $99/€109, the NH-D12L is positioned quite high on the market, behind large high-end air coolers like the Corsair A115 and 240mm to 360mm AIO liquid coolers. However, the NH-D12L has a huge advantage in size and compatibility, and while many high-end air coolers are 160mm or higher, the NH-D12L is only 145mm tall. In some cases, even 15mm can make a big difference.