Noctua NH-L12Sx77 Low Profile CPU Cooler

The NH-L12Sx77 is a slightly taller variant of the award-winning NH-L12S, offering improved cooling performance as well as enhanced motherboard and RAM compatibility. With six instead of four heatpipes, it provides additional thermal headroom while maintaining the same default fan setup with the fan installed below the fin stack blowing upwards, which not only guarantees optimal acoustics in situations with perforated case panels right above the cooler, but also helps to exhaust hot air from the case. Due to the increased height, clearance for tall motherboard heatsinks or RAM modules could be improved significantly, yet at a height of 77mm, the NH-L12Sx77 is still compact enough to fit popular Small Form Factor (SFF/SFX) cases such as the Fractal Design Terra, Silverstone Milo ML12 or Louqe Raw S1. Topped off with the renowned SecuFirm2™ mounting system, Noctua’s award-winning NT-H2 thermal compound and a 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-L12Sx77 is the perfect choice for SFF builds that require strong cooling performance but cannot fit the larger NH-C14S or NH-D9L.

Better performance, better compatibility

The NH-L12Sx77 not only improves performance but also motherboard and RAM compatibility versus the original NH-L12S: Due to the x77 version’s taller construction, clearance for RAM modules as well as motherboard heatsinks and shrouds could be increased significantly, which makes the cooler an easy fit in most configurations.

44mm RAM clearance

In its standard orientation with the bends of the heatpipes facing the I/O panel of the motherboard, the NH-L12Sx77 supports RAM modules of 44mm height, making it fully compatible with a wide range of high-end modules (see the Noctua Compatibility Centre).

Exhaust airflow direction

The NH-L12Sx77 has its fan pre-installed underneath the fin stack blowing upwards, which is ideal in compact cases that typically have a perforated panel right above the cooler as hot air can be exhausted directly instead of accumulating inside the case. At the same time, this setup avoids noises from influx turbulences that occur when fans are drawing in air through perforated panels. 

Ideal for Fractal Design Terra, SilverStone Milo ML12, Louqe Raw S1 and other cases

At a height of 77mm (7mm taller than the original NH-L12S’ 70mm), the NH-L12Sx77 is a perfect fit for Fractal Design’s Terra (with the maximum space setting for the CPU cooler) or Louqe’s unique, award-winning Raw S1 chassis as well as many other cases that cannot fit the larger NH-C14S (115mm in low-profile mode) or NH-D9L (110mm).

High clearance mode

Run with the NF-A12x15 fan installed on top, the NH-L12Sx77 provides extended clearance underneath the fin stack. This way, it is fully compatible with chipset coolers and RAM modules with up to 56mm in height (compared to 44mm in the default configuration with the fan installed underneath the fin stack).

NF-A12x15 slim 120mm premium fan

Featuring sophisticated aerodynamic optimisations such as Flow Acceleration Channels, the NF-A12x15 is a premium-grade slim 120mm fan. Its outstanding efficiency enables the NH-L12Sx77 to combine excellent cooling performance with superb quietness of operation.

PWM support and Low-Noise Adaptor

The NF-A12x15 120mm fan supplied with the NH-L12Sx77 supports PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the motherboard: full performance under load, virtually silent at idle. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced from 1850 to 1400rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptor for even quieter operation.

120x25mm fan support

The fan clips supplied with the NH-L12Sx77 work not only with the slim NF-A12x15 fan but also with 25mm thick 120mm fans. Users who have extra room inside their cases can thus boost the cooler’s performance by using a standard 120x25mm fan on top (increases total height to 102mm).

SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system

Noctua’s SecuFirm2™ mounting systems have become synonymous with quality, safety and easy installation. Supporting Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x (LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156) as well as AMD AM5 and AM4, the SecuFirm2™ mounting included with the NH-L12Sx77 is straightforward to install, provides perfect contact pressure and will stand the test of time even under heavy use.

Offset mounting option for AMD AM5

The NH-L12Sx77 includes Noctua’s offset mounting bars for AM5 that make it possible to install the cooler shifted towards the south side of the socket by 7mm, thereby achieving better contact quality right above the Core Complex Die(s), CCD(s). This can help to reduce CPU temperatures by 1-3°C.

Compatibility with past and future sockets

Thanks to Noctua’s SecuFirm™ ecosystem, the NH-L12Sx77 can be made compatible with the older LGA20xx (LGA2011-0, LGA2011-3, LGA2066), LGA1366 and LGA775 sockets using the optional NM-I3 and NM-i20xx mounting kit, which is provided free of charge. If technically possible, Noctua will also provide upgrade kits for future sockets, which makes the NH-L12Sx77 a safe long-term investment.

NT-H2 next-gen thermal compound

For high-end builds in compact cases, every degree counts. This is why the NH-L12Sx77 includes a tube of Noctua’s next-generation NT-H2 compound that provides even better performance than the award-winning NT-H1, allowing you to achieve the best possible cooling results.

Soldered interface between heatpipes and fins

With many heatsinks, the fins are press-fitted to the heatpipes. Due to the different thermal expansion coefficients of copper and aluminium, this fit can loosen over years of thermal cycling, which may lead to reduced performance. By contrast, the NH-L12Sx77’s fins are soldered to the heatpipes in order to guarantee a superior thermal interface that doesn’t deteriorate even after many years of usage.