Joining its ever-growing roster ofall-black CPU coolers, theNoctua NH-D12L chromax.blackhas beenannouncedin a press release and is already up for sale.
TheNoctuaNH-D12L chromax.black is, of course, just a stealthier version of the originalNoctua NH-D12L, which came with Noctua’s signature brown fan design. But since not everyone is a fan of Noctua’s signature beige-and-brown cooling fan designs, the chromax.black series exists as an alternative that should work with more builds. Even in a predominantly white PC build, the contrast of a chromax.black cooler than Noctua’s default color scheme. And Noctua recentlyremoved its white fan plans from its roadmap.
But enough of the basics— what can you expect from the Noctua NH-D12L chromax.black? As-is, the pre-existing NH-D12L is recognized as a strong-performing contender in its niche of short-heightCPU air coolers, though clearance for its 120mm fan may still be too much to ask of some Mini ITX and other SFF PC builds. Let’s dig into some proper specs.
Overall, the Noctua NHD12-L chromax.black seems to be an interesting follow-up to the original NHD12-L, with a small $10 price bump over the original. However, when shopping for coolers at this price point, one can’t help but notice as you start breaching into $80 and above that you may want to consider one of thebest AIO liquid coolersinstead.
However, an AIO may not always be ideal, particularly if your SFF or slim case of choice doesn’t happen to have the free fan slot(s) you need to make the most of it. And finally, performance-wise,reviews suggestthat the original Noctua NH-D12L performs on par with much larger CPU coolers as well, which means it should outperform most 120 mm AIOs.
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Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.
