CONCLUSION

   Just like the NH-U12A i reviewed back in 2019 the NH-U12A chromax.black doesn’t fail to impress with its performance, even more so when you take into account its size. Certainly 3 years after that review there are quite a few CPU coolers in the market that can get close to the cooling efficiency of the NH-U12A chromax.black (not quite there however) but what almost none of them can is build quality which once again is nothing short of excellent (something I’ve come to expect from Noctua over the years). What did surprise me a bit was noise levels since i recorded just over 3.5dBA more from the chromax.black model as opposed to the original model. Two fans are hardly ever 100% identical (which is why most manufacturers place the +-10% next to speed) so this is always a possibility but it’s probably the 1st time I’ve recorded such a difference between two identical fan models. As for the chromax accessories if you’re building a white rig or if you’d like to add more color on the cooler, they can help you out with that.

   The one thing about Noctua some consumers never did like was the pricing of their products which is indeed higher compared to those of the competition (in this case especially however you get what you pay for). Of course the NH-U12A chromax.black model is no exception and so it currently retails for USD119.95 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 119.95Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Still for that price you’re not only getting one of the highest performance CPU air coolers around, you’re also getting one that features excellent build quality and low noise levels at full load. On top of those add the 6-year limited warranty and all the extra chromax accessories and it should be clear why the NH-U12A chromax.black gets the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Design (Zero Clearance Issues / Black Color)
- Superior Cooling Efficiency (Top Charts)
- Two 120mm PWM Fans in Push & Pull
- Noise Levels
- Extra Chromax Accessories
- Easy Installation
- Bundle

CONS

- Price (For Some)