Noctua Announces First Cooler in Redux Series, NH-U12S Redux
by Gavin Bonshor on March 17, 2021 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Noctua
- CPU cooler
- Air Cooling
- 120mm
- NH-U12S
- Redux
One of the most popular air cooling brands, Noctua, has announced the first CPU cooler in its highly anticipated Redux series, the NH-U12S Redux. The Redux series is designed to offer a streamlined and more affordable entry point to some of Noctua's most popular (and sometimes expensive) CPU coolers. Noctua also launches its NA-FK1 Redux second cooling fan kit as an optional extra.
Focusing on the new NH-U12S Redux, Noctua has 'streamlined' its previous NH-U12S cooler by opting for a four heat pipe design instead of five on the previous version. Another difference is that Noctua has opted out of a soldered interface between the heat pipes and the cooling fins and supplies just one NF-P12 Redux 120 mm cooling fan to reduce overall costs.
Noctua also has one of the simplest and most popular mounting kits in recent times, with its SecuFirm2 mounting system, with support for LGA11xx, LGA15xx, LGA20xx, as well as Intel's latest LGA1200 socket. The SecuFirm2 mounting kit also supports AMD's AM4 socket. The new Redux series has also stripped away some of the unnecessary fluff to allow a lower entry-point for users on a budget but still looking for similar quality and performance levels.
In addition to the NH-U12S Redux, Noctua has made an optional 120 mm fan kit for systems that demand more cooling performance, the NA-FK1 Redux. The NA-FK1 kit includes one matching NF-P12 Redux 1700 rpm cooling fan, with four grey anti-vibration pads, a pair of fan mounting clips, a 4-pin PWM Y-cable, and two NA-RC14 low-noise adaptors. Where the original NH-U12S comes supplied with both cooling fans, the Redux series gives users the option to purchase this separately, which lowers the cooler's overall cost.
To increase its products' longevity, Noctua includes its NH-U12S Redux in its future mounting upgrade scheme, which allows users to request a new mounting kit if a new socket is announced cooler can officially support. Noctua is a little vague in specifying if this service is free of charge and states that as long as it's technically possible for them to do so, it could make the NH-U12S Redux a good long-term investment for a current build and future upgrade paths.
Noctua also includes a 6-year limited warranty with the NH-U12S Redux and has set an MSRP of $50 and €50, with stock available at its official Amazon store from today. The additional NA-FK1 Redux 120 mm fan kit is also available today and has an MSRP of $17/€17.
Source: Noctua
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Flunk - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
I happened to notice that $50 is $5 more than the MSRP of the Coolermast Hyper 212 Evo. I don't think that's a coincidence.Although we'd need to see some discounting for this to come close to the common street price of that cooler. I hope we do, because the 212's mounting solution is a pain and I'd like to buy these instead.
Operandi - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
That and you get the Noctua fan which are some of the best you can get, that easily makes it worth the $5 more.IBM760XL - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
Agreed. The fan that came with my Hyper 212 Evo started making an annoying rattling fan after a few years of use; I wound up buying another fan to replace it. I would have been better off buying this Noctua cooler and fan for $5 more had it been on the market at the time.desii - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
For $50 you can buy something like the Scythe Mugen 5, which is a beefier 6-heatpipe cooler and almost certainly performs better.Udyr - Thursday, March 18, 2021 - link
The problem is most people just see Noctua as the only "good" or "premium" cooling solution, when there are others with equal or better performance and similar quality. The only advantage I've read from Noctua is the free adapters for newer platforms they send, even after a couple years of your purchase.Operandi - Thursday, March 18, 2021 - link
The one thing that Noctua has that is way above just about everyone is their fans. Its relatively easy to build a high performance fan or a quiet fan but building a quiet high performance fan that is reliable isn't cheap and thats Noctua's advantage. The bearing and motor design in the Noctua fans is just better than 90% of everything else in the consumer space.gsvelto - Saturday, March 20, 2021 - link
There's no time limits on those adapters. Last year Noctua sent me an AM4 adapter free-of-charge for a NH-C12P cooler I bought in 2010. Their post-sale support is amazing.Foeketijn - Thursday, March 25, 2021 - link
I'm a system builder, I do not really care for more performance than needed. But I do care about never hearing back after installation. I've tried many coolers/cases etc. But with brands like PAPST and Noctua I can be relatively sure, they will not start to rattle or whine in my lifetime.That's easily 100 bucks saved.
brucethemoose - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
The 212 EVO is not great value. Not a lot of surface area, not great fans compared to other ~$50 coolers.Its just riding on the popularity of the 212+, which was dirt cheap for what it was.
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - link
"How can we increase the price of our standard/top range products?""Make a lower spec option...!"
"Ooh, standard Marketing. Nice. Do it!"
Cha-ching.