Final Thoughts

Going into this review, from the time I opened the box until I verified my first performance numbers I wasn't sure how the NH-C12P would perform. Maybe it was the change in design of the fact that we just tested two remarkable coolers, but I didn't think the new Noctua was going to be leading the charts after the review, unlike the previous coolers. I couldn't have been more wrong and should have just paid more attention to Noctua's history, knowing that the NH-C12P would be the best to date when it comes to cooling performance.

The NH-C12P is currently leading out performance boards and the factory fan is very quiet. Now that Noctua has a cooler that is not as tall as the Statue of Liberty, I can recommend one of their coolers for use in a home theater PC. Since many HTPCs are only around six to eight inches tall, most of the Noctua coolers will not work in a small enclosure.

The 55 US Dollar price is very attractive for this class of cooler. Many enthusiast coolers cost more, in some cases considerably more and yet they deliver less performance than the NH-C12P.

The only drawback with the cooler and Noctua products in general is availability. With the company only being a couple of years young, many retail and even e-tail locations have been a little slow to pick up on the brand. I would like to see Noctua coolers in more retail locations, maybe with the lower price of the new cooler more retail chains will be willing to dedicate valuable shelf space to Noctua.