Hardware Noctua NH-C12P CPU Cooler Review

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cooling/2009/07/01/noctua-nh-c12p-cpu-cooler-review/1

The NH-C12P is a lower profile version of the fantastic NH-U12P from the Austrian company that oozes quality and great performance in its products. We've put it through its paces on LGA775 and Socket AM2+ to see if it can keep up with the strong competition it faces.

 

God I can't even bring myself to look at CPU HSF reviews anymore because they're all so pricey.

We need someone to invent one made of cheap material or something that costs £1.50 and still cools pretty well, then I'd be happy. Unless you are seriously overclocking who can afford these intricate lumps of metal for £50+ for the sole purpose of keeping your CPU cool? That's half the price of an average graphics card.

 

90 degrees? (then 180?)

 

Why does it have those gaping holes? Looks like they ran out of metal.


"copper is good at conducting and holding heat but not as optimal as aluminium at expending it into the air". That's not right. Aluminium is used because copper is very expensive and heavy. With aluminium, since you can afford more of it you can make a nice, big heatsink. It would perform better than the equivalent cost in copper.

Also, the nickel plating will stop the copper turning into copper oxide from just being in contact with the air. I suppose you could lap the heatsink to get it back to the pure copper layer. It would perform better but I doubt it's really worth it.

 

Copper holds (specific heat capacity) and conducts heat better, but it doesn't give it up as well as aluminium - that's why heatsinks with copper cores and alu fins work as a great combination. (Anyone else remember the copper cored Taisol?)

 

Its shape looks like one of those thermalright xp-90 coolers.

 

Is this Cooler new? I am sure i have been using this cooler in my machine for a year now. Surprised to see such a late review.

 

ya you guys are about a year to late on the review front for this cpu, still one of the better choices for low profile cases and HTPC machines but still a bit late.

 

Looks like a pretty good cooler for the AMD systems, Noctua have superb build quality so if Iwas going AMD I would not think twice about considering this cooler.

 

Why do they keep using the flesh and dried blood outside a Weatherspoons colour scheme. Its nasty.

 

I don't think so, it is HUGE.

 

I do think so, its in three of my HTPC Cases, a Thermaltake Lanbox, Thermaltake Digital Home Series, and a Aerocool M80.

 

I'm afraid you're wrong there - it's an old myth that aluminium is better at 'giving up' heat than copper, and copper better at taking up heat. That myth is like saying "a pipe or wire has a certain resistance in one direction, but a different resistance in the other".

The reason they used copper cores and aluminium fins was/is a compromise between using the more expensive, heavier and less easily machinable copper (with its better heat conductance), and the light, cheap and easy to form aluminium.

 

what I learned welding tig.. aluminum heats evenly unlike copper- the heat will spread across the entire piece faster than copper which makes it perfect for cooling fins

 

Erm...I've had one of these for just over a year now, on an overclocked Core 2 Quad 9450 (running at 3GHz up from 2.66)

Be interesting to know your ambient temperatures because even when gaming my processor rarely breaks 50C, and only breaks 60 when running an overclocking stress test.

But according to your tests on the Intel processor you get a delta-T of 54C? so even in a chilly room at 10C you're easily getting hotter than my processor does in quite a warm room!

Not sure about the test CPU's maximum safe temperature but if mine hit 70+ degrees C under load I'd be concerned!

will admit the Noctua was very nicely machined with no sharp edges - when removing my old Zalman cooler i did a nice job of slicing my knuckles on the copper fins!

 

How did you get it to fit in the lanbox? I'm presuming you removed the fan?
Or did you find some sort of low-profile power supply?

I have a lanbox and would LOVE to put one of these things in it, but am worried it won't fit...