The NH-U12A chromax.black is an all-black version of Noctua’s award-winning NH-U12A premium-quality quiet CPU cooler. Thanks to the same proven asymmetrical single-tower heatsink design and state-of-the-art NF-A12x25 PWM fans, it stays true to the NH-U12A’s successful formula of fusing best-in-class cooling performance with superb quietness of operation and outstanding RAM, case and PCIe compatibility. At the same time, the chromax.black version with its black fans and black coated heatsink combines these assets with a sleek stealth look. Topped off with the renowned SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, Noctua’s enthusiast-grade NT-H1 thermal compound and a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-U12A chromax.black is a deluxe choice for customers who seek a highly compatible 120mm heatsink that can rival the performance of 140mm units and looks just as great as it cools.


SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL | NH-U12A chromax.Black |
DIMENSIONS | L: 125 x W: 112 x H: 158mm (including 25mm thick fans) |
MATERIALS | 7x 6mm copper heat-pipes, copper base (nickel coated), aluminium cooling fins |
COMPATIBILITY | Intel: 115X/1200/1700 AMD: AM4/AM5 |
FANS | 2x Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black (2000 max.RPM) |
RAM CLEARANCE | N/A |
TEST SYSTEM

Testing is carried out on BC1 Mini v2 (Open Testbench), using the following hardware in 20°C ambient room temperature.
CASE | BC1 Mini v2 (Open Testbench) |
MOTHERBOARD | Rog Strix B650E-I Gaming WiFi (paid link) |
CPU | R5 7600X / R7 7700X (paid links) |
CPU COOLER | Noctua NH-U12A chromax.Black (paid link) |
PSU | Extreme 850R (paid link) |
RAM | 32GB Gskill DDR5, 6000MHz, CL30 (paid link) |
THERMAL BENCHMARKS
We use Cinebench R23 multicore (stability test), for CPU thermal testing. This provides worse case scenario for given CPUs thermal output.