Question Is Noctua NH-U12S good enough for Ryzen 5900X?

[Countess_C]

I'm thinking of upgrading to a Ryzen 5900X or 5800X3D and wonder if the Noctua NH-U12S cooler I already have is good enough, or if I should get a NH-U14S? I know some like the NH-D15(S) but it's big and heavy and not that much better than the U14S in tests. I'm a bit of a Noctua fangirl so I like to stay with the brand.

 

[Lutfij]

This should help;

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | CPU Compatibility | Noctua Compatibility Centre

Series: Vermeer, Socket: AM4

ncc.noctua.at

 

[Lafong]

I used a U12S at one time.

The difference between the U12S and the U14S is fairly small. I never told myself "damn, I wish I'd bought the U14S."

I wouldn't have any qualms about using either.......but if you tend to be quite anxious about temps, maybe relieve your worry by spending more for that small difference.

It's a personal decision. The chances of the difference being a factor in longevity of your parts is very low, but the difference may be highly relevant to your state of mind....worry.

Noctua has its own proprietary rating system for its coolers. Make of that what you will.

 

[Countess_C]

I used a U12S at one time.

The difference between the U12S and the U14S is fairly small. I never told myself "damn, I wish I'd bought the U14S."

I wouldn't have any qualms about using either.......but if you tend to be quite anxious about temps, maybe relieve your worry by spending more for that small difference.

It's a personal decision. The chances of the difference being a factor in longevity of your parts is very low, but the difference may be highly relevant to your state of mind....worry.

Noctua has its own proprietary rating system for its coolers. Make of that what you will.

Hm, I think the best solution then is to try the U12S I already have and keep an eye on the temperatures. Money is money after all.

 

[Lafong]

Hm, I think the best solution then is to try the U12S I already have and keep an eye on the temperatures. Money is money after all.

I'd be interested in hearing what temps you get after you get up and running.

I've got a U12S sitting in the closet myself. Had to step down to a U9S because my new case was too narrow. Probably more difference in that change than U14S down to U12S.

I plan to see what a U9S can do on a 13600K....unless I continue to delay rebuild.

Good luck.

 

[Countess_C]

I'd be interested in hearing what temps you get after you get up and running.

Good luck.

Eek, now you make it sound like a dangerous experiment! 😆

I've got a U12S sitting in the closet myself. Had to step down to a U9S because my new case was too narrow. Probably more difference in that change than U14S down to U12S.

I plan to see what a U9S can do on a 13600K....unless I continue to delay rebuild.

I had a NH-U9S on a Phenom X6 1100T and it did a good job. I don't do much CPU heavy stuff so it could have been ok on my 3700X as well. I play Sims 3, and it's an old game. I'm interested in future simulation games that will use more CPU cores and vram so it's good to be prepared.

 

[Lafong]

Eek, now you make it sound like a dangerous experiment! 😆



I had a NH-U9S on a Phenom X6 1100T and it did a good job. I don't do much CPU heavy stuff so it could have been ok on my 3700X as well. I play Sims 3, and it's an old game. I'm interested in future simulation games that will use more CPU cores and vram so it's good to be prepared.

If you are nervous about the U12S, you make want to try a second fan on the backside of it. Blowing to the rear, just like the single fan orientation.

It won't help much...1 to 3 degrees probably. But that might be as much improvement as you would get by moving to a U14S.

All you can do is experiment and decide when it is "good enough". Some people are terrified of temps.

 

[Countess_C]

If you are nervous about the U12S, you make want to try a second fan on the backside of it. Blowing to the rear, just like the single fan orientation.

It won't help much...1 to 3 degrees probably. But that might be as much improvement as you would get by moving to a U14S.

All you can do is experiment and decide when it is "good enough". Some people are terrified of temps.

Yeah, and I've been looking at the Noctua industrial fans, but the difference would probably only be a degree or two and I don't like noise.

 

[Lafong]

Yeah, and I've been looking at the Noctua industrial fans, but the difference would probably only be a degree or two and I don't like noise.

Agreed on noise.

3 fans total: CPU cooler, single intake, single exhaust; all Noctua 120 mm brown/tans.

CPU at near 800 constant; intake and exhaust both at near 500 constant.

Warm room; 27 C. Temps typically mid 30s; occasionally 50s.

Can't hear PC at 4 feet.

 

[Countess_C]

Agreed on noise.

3 fans total: CPU cooler, single intake, single exhaust; all Noctua 120 mm brown/tans.

CPU at near 800 constant; intake and exhaust both at near 500 constant.

Warm room; 27 C. Temps typically mid 30s; occasionally 50s.

Can't hear PC at 4 feet.

The loudest part in mine are the HDDs. Might replace them with a 4TB SSD in the future and use the HDDs for external backup.