Date: August 21st, 2009
Article by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Noctua
<--SHOP FOR GREAT PRICES ON AN INTEL I7 COOLER
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES
The NH-U12P SE1366 is a special edition for Intel Core i7 that includes the highly reliable, easy-to-use SecuFirm2™ mounting system for LGA1366 as well as Noctua's pro-grade NT-H1 thermal compound and two NF-P12 120mm fans for superb quiet cooling performance on Core i7 CPUs.
Award-winning NH-U12P Heatsink
The NH-U12P SE1366 is built around Noctua's premium quality NH-U12P heatsink that is renowned for its excellent quiet cooling performance and has received more than 100 awards and recommendations from leading international websites and magazines.
SecuFirm2™ for LGA1366
Designed to combine outstanding reliability, optimal contact pressure and easy, straightforward installation, SecuFirm2™ is an enthusiast-grade mounting system that meets the highest demands in safety, performance and ease-of-use.
2x NF-P12 Premium Fan
Including two of Noctua's award-winning NF-P12 120mm fans with Low-Noise and Ultra-Low-Noise-Adaptors, the NH-U12P SE1366 offers full flexibility in fine-tuning the cooler for supreme quietness and maximum performance in push-pull mode.
NT-H1 Thermal Compound
Noctua's much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease-of-use and outstanding reliability.
Special Edition Premium Kit
Bundled with a tube of NT-H1, two top quality NF-P12 fans and SecuFirm2™ for LGA1366, the NH-U12P SE1366 forms a complete premium value package that's backed up with 6 years manufacturer's warranty and contains everything you need in order to achieve superb quiet cooling performance on Intel Core i7 CPUs.
PRODUCT COMPOSITION
So what do you get for around US$70 for this touted top of the line cooler?
The hardware and documentation kit contained within this cooler nothing less than excellent. As you see above you get your installation manuals, two Noctua NF-P12 fans, the mounting hardware, a small plastic bag with a generous amount of thermal paste, the fan speed adapters (low and ultra low noise). Everything needed is available and they even supplied a screw driver. It's a small, but much appreciated addition.
And at last, you have the actual heatsink. As with most tower heatpipe heatsinks made today, they all basically follow the same arrangement. You have a baseplate that is cooled via heatpipes which are connected to a large heatsink above. This method is very simple and effective for transporting the heat away from the core.
Overall first impressions are overall good with good build quality, but the materials are lighter than I have seen with some other heatsinks I have used in the past. For example, the NH-U12P is 200 grams lighter than the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme I have used in the past. This cooler also has 2 less heatpipes than Thermalright's competition. But also note that Thermalright's cooler is worth US$50 more to buy. Keep that in mind when it comes to performance for the dollar.
But overall, the kit and cooler are at first glance quite promising for the money. Let's move on to see how easy it is to install.
