Noctua recently announced two new products, a fully passive CPU coolers (NH-P1) and the optional NF-A12x25 LS-PWM 120mm fan. Noctua has a long tradition of releasing high-end products and this attempt for passive cooling is for sure a great opportunity to test this product and write down our thoughts about it.

Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO) comments about the NH-P1 product “...It’s our very first passive cooler, and it should be easy to see that we didn’t just take a regular heatsink and omit the fan. A lot of engineering work went into designing this unit for fanless operation from the ground up and we’re truly proud of the end result. In our completely fanless demo system, the NH-P1 cools an Intel Core i9-11900K running Prime95 at more than 3.6GHz – this is a lot of processing power and a whopping 125W kept in check with zero fan noise!” Great performance for sure from the Noctua NH-P1 product.

The NH-P1 features much thicker, much more widely spaced fins, and achieves both the mass and the minimal airflow resistance that are required in order to excel in natural convection cooling. In fully optimized fanless systems, the NH-P1 is capable of cooling high-end CPUs with low to moderate heat dissipation using natural convection only. This makes it ideal for powerful builds that have no moving parts and run absolutely silent. Topped off with the new, Torx-based SecuFirm2+ mounting system, Noctua’s award-winning NT-H2 thermal compound and a 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-P1 is the ideal cornerstone for premium-grade fanless or semi-passive builds.

In addition to the NH-P1, Noctua released the optional NF-A12x25 LS-PWM 120mm fan, a low-speed, PWM-enabled variant of the award-winning NF-A12x25 that is ideal for enhancing the performance of the NH-P1 in semi-passive systems. At a maximum noise level of only 12.1dB(A), the NF-A12x25 LS-PWM is nearly inaudible but will still significantly boost the performance headroom of the cooler. As the fan stops at 0% PWM, it can easily be set up for semi-passive operation so that it will only spin up when necessary. This way, the system will work fanless most of the time but still provide the flexibility to make better use of the turbo modes of more powerful CPUs that require some extra airflow to be cooled adequately under full load conditions.

Features

	Fanless cooling for high-end CPUs In fully optimised fanless systems, the NH-P1 is capable of cooling high-end CPUs with low to moderate heat dissipation using natural convection only (see setup guidelines and CPU compatibility list). This makes it ideal for powerful builds that have no moving parts and run absolutely silent.
	Increased performance headroom with extra fan The NH-P1 can be fitted with an extra 120mm fan such as the near inaudible NF-A12x25 LS-PWM in order to increase its maximum dissipation capacity significantly (see setup guidelines and CPU compatibility list): ideal for short spikes of higher heat loads or semi-passive systems that only start their fans when necessary!
	No noise, less dust, 100% fail-proof Fanless cooling doesn’t only have the advantage of being completely silent: if you’re relying on natural convection only and don’t have case fans pushing air through a case, less dust will accumulate in filters or inside the system. Last but not least, with no moving parts such as fans or pumps that could possibly fail, the NH-P1 is as fail-proof as it can be.
	Asymmetrical layout for optimal PCIe compatibility As many current motherboards have the top PCIe x16 slot sitting close to the socket, bigger heatsinks tend to block it. Due to its asymmetrical layout, the fin-stack of the NH-P1 is offset towards the upper edge of the motherboard when installed in standard orientation. This allows it to clear the top PCIe x16 slot on most current µATX and ATX motherboards (see motherboards compatibility list).
	100% RAM clearance on LGA1200 and AM4 Due to its asymmetric design, the NH-P1 does not overhang the RAM slots on Intel LGA1200, LGA115x and AMD AM4 based motherboards, which ensures easy access to the modules and 100% compatibility with tall heat-spreaders. On LGA2066, it overhangs the RAM slots on the left-hand side of the socket, so RAM modules should not exceed 45mm in height.
	SecuFirm2+™ Torx-based multi-socket mounting system Noctua’s SecuFirm2™ mounting systems have become synonymous with quality, safety and easy installation. Torx-based, the professional SecuFirm2+ version with its included screwdriver provides even better handling and durability. Socket support includes Intel LGA1200, LGA115x (LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156) and LGA20xx (LGA2066, LGA2011-0, LGA2011-3), as well as AMD AM4, AM3(+), AM2(+), FM2(+) and FM1.
	Compatibility with past and future sockets Thanks to Noctua’s SecuFirm™ ecosystem, the NH-P1 can be made compatible with the older LGA1366 and LGA775 sockets using the optional NM-I3 mounting kit, which is provided free of charge. If technically possible, Noctua will also provide upgrade kits for future sockets, which makes the NH-P1 a safe long-term investment.
	NT-H2 next-gen thermal compound In high-end passive cooling, every degree counts. This is why the NH-P1 includes a tube of Noctua’s next-generation NT-H2 thermal compound that provides even better performance than the award-winning NT-H1, allowing you to achieve the best possible passive 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-P1’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.
	6-year manufacturer’s warranty Noctua products are renowned for their impeccable quality and outstanding longevity. Like all Noctua CPU coolers, the NH-P1 is built to the highest standards and comes with a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty.