145mm height for broader case compatibility
While Noctua’s regular 120mm CPU coolers stand 158mm tall, the NH-D12L measures only 145mm. This allows it to fit not only a wide range of 4U rackmount server cases and many tower-style enclosures that are not wide enough for 158mm units, but also some larger Small Form Factor (SFF) and Mini-ITX chassis.
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100% RAM compatibility on LGA1700/1200 and AM4/AM5
Due to its asymmetric design, the NH-D12L does not overhang the RAM slots on Intel LGA1700 (LGA17xx family)/LGA1200/LGA115x and AMD AM4/AM5 based motherboards, which ensures easy access to the modules and 100% compatibility with DIMMs that feature tall heat-spreaders or RGB lighting. On LGA2066, the rear fin stack will overhang the RAM slots on the left-hand side of the socket, so RAM modules must not exceed 45mm height.
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Round-frame NF-A12x25r PWM fan
Introduced in 2018, Noctua’s NF-A12x25 is widely considered to be the best 120mm fan on the market. The round-frame variant used on the NH-D12L provides the same renowned quiet cooling performance yet makes it possible to reduce overall cooler height without risking compatibility issues with tall motherboard heatsinks or shrouds.
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Dual-fan options
The NH-D12L ships with a second pair of fan clips that can be used to install a second NF-A12x25r PWM fan either on the front or on the rear fin stack. However, it must be noted that the second fan will usually sit on top of either the RAM or I/O panel and thereby increase the total height beyond 145mm.
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