Question Help me buy an air cooler

[Dastereo]

Hi, I'm thinking of buying a Ryzen 9 5900x and I want to buy a good quality air cooler in both materials and performance. I wanted to know if a Noctua NH-U12S redux would work for it, and if I buy the additional fan will work better? I know there are options like thermalright, but I'd like something with better materials and durability. I need the Ryzen for video editing and 2D animations in After Effects, thanks

 

[punkncat]

I use an NH-12 variant on an 11600K and it works fine. For a 5900X I would probably step up to a double fan variant if not going up to the '15'.

I have a Dark Rock Pro 4 on a 5900XT that after some adjustments is doing a decent job.

 

[Eximo]

Main difference between Noctua and other coolers is the fans. You can pick up similar thermalright heatsink and still get a noctua fan.

In this example, you get a six heatpipe cooler versus four for about the same money. Also I think this is generally a better fan than the redux one.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($21.59 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap 60.09 CFM 120 mm Fan ($37.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $59.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-07-23 15:46 EDT-0400

 

[logainofhades]

I cannot remember the last time I had a heatsink fan go bad. I would still go with just a thermalright, especially this one.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Total: $49.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-07-23 15:50 EDT-0400


https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/air-cooling/thermalright-royal-pretor-130-review

 

[Eximo]

I've installed a couple of thermalright units. The fan noise profile is a little louder than normal, but nothing crazy. But the fans can always be replaced if they fail as well.

The benefit with Noctua hardware would be a long warranty on the fans, but also free upgrade parts for new sockets. And the longevity of availability that goes a long with that. Break/lose a screw, easy to fix.

I've been using the same Phanteks 140mm for over 8 years now. Though the total hours on those fans would not be that impressive.

 

[geofelt]

Noctua maintains a list of suitable coolers for various processors.
Here is the list for the 5900x:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/AMD-Ryzen-9-5900X-1045
The NH-U12S redux would work, but is not the best on two counts.
1. it is listed as only medium turbo headroom. It has a NSPR rating of 129.
I would look for something like nspr 160 or better.
I have been using a NH-D15s (nspr 167) for a very long time.
It is a high compatibility version of the stronger NH-D15.

2. The redux models will not have the best noctua fans and only a minimum pre applied paste.

What is the make/model of your case?
The stronger coolers may require more height than 158mm.
And, be careful of ram height clearance if you are not using low profile ram.

Yes, you will pay more for noctua.
You will get top quality quiet fans and the easiest mounting system around.

 

[Dastereo]

I use an NH-12 variant on an 11600K and it works fine. For a 5900X I would probably step up to a double fan variant if not going up to the '15'.

I have a Dark Rock Pro 4 on a 5900XT that after some adjustments is doing a decent job.

Main difference between Noctua and other coolers is the fans. You can pick up similar thermalright heatsink and still get a noctua fan.

In this example, you get a six heatpipe cooler versus four for about the same money. Also I think this is generally a better fan than the redux one.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($21.59 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap 60.09 CFM 120 mm Fan ($37.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $59.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-07-23 15:46 EDT-0400

I cannot remember the last time I had a heatsink fan go bad. I would still go with just a thermalright, especially this one.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Total: $49.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-07-23 15:50 EDT-0400


https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/air-cooling/thermalright-royal-pretor-130-review

I've installed a couple of thermalright units. The fan noise profile is a little louder than normal, but nothing crazy. But the fans can always be replaced if they fail as well.

The benefit with Noctua hardware would be a long warranty on the fans, but also free upgrade parts for new sockets. And the longevity of availability that goes a long with that. Break/lose a screw, easy to fix.

I've been using the same Phanteks 140mm for over 8 years now. Though the total hours on those fans would not be that impressive.

I cannot remember the last time I had a heatsink fan go bad. I would still go with just a thermalright, especially this one.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Total: $49.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-07-23 15:50 EDT-0400


https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/air-cooling/thermalright-royal-pretor-130-review

I've installed a couple of thermalright units. The fan noise profile is a little louder than normal, but nothing crazy. But the fans can always be replaced if they fail as well.

The benefit with Noctua hardware would be a long warranty on the fans, but also free upgrade parts for new sockets. And the longevity of availability that goes a long with that. Break/lose a screw, easy to fix.

I've been using the same Phanteks 140mm for over 8 years now. Though the total hours on those fans would not be that impressive.

Noctua maintains a list of suitable coolers for various processors.
Here is the list for the 5900x:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/AMD-Ryzen-9-5900X-1045
The NH-U12S redux would work, but is not the best on two counts.
1. it is listed as only medium turbo headroom. It has a NSPR rating of 129.
I would look for something like nspr 160 or better.
I have been using a NH-D15s (nspr 167) for a very long time.
It is a high compatibility version of the stronger NH-D15.

2. The redux models will not have the best noctua fans and only a minimum pre applied paste.

What is the make/model of your case?
The stronger coolers may require more height than 158mm.
And, be careful of ram height clearance if you are not using low profile ram.

Yes, you will pay more for noctua.
You will get top quality quiet fans and the easiest mounting system around.

Thank you all so much for the feedback, these are very good options, and now I have a clearer idea, I was a little confused before and I wasn't very up to date about air coolers. thanks again👍