Tuesday, March 16th 2021

Noctua Presents Redux line CPU Cooler and Second Fan Kit

Noctua today presented the NH-U12S redux, the first CPU cooler within its redux line of products. True to the spirit of the redux line, the NH-U12S redux takes the proven concept of the original, award-winning NH-U12S and reduces it to its essential core: a quiet, quality-made 120 mm cooler with streamlined accessories that is highly compatible, easy to install and accessibly priced. With the NA-FK1 second fan kit, the NH-U12S redux can be upgraded to a push/pull dual-fan configuration for further improved performance.

"Our redux line fans have earned an excellent reputation for providing trusted Noctua quality without breaking the bank", says Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). "Today, we're proud to present our first redux line CPU cooler, which does exactly the same thing. We're confident that the NH-U12S redux will be a perfect choice for anybody who has always wanted a Noctua heatsink but couldn't quite justify the investment."
The NH-U12S redux is a streamlined, accessibly priced version of the iconic NH-U12S that has established itself as a benchmark for slim, highly compatible 120 mm CPU coolers. The redux version uses the same proven heatsink layout that guarantees 100% compatibility with tall RAM modules as well as excellent case and PCIe compatibility. Thanks to the popular NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan that supports automatic speed control through the motherboard, it provides high performance under load and runs whisper-quiet at idle. At the same time, Noctua's renowned, professional SecuFirm2 mounting system and the pre-applied NT-H1 thermal compound make installation a breeze. Backed up with Noctua's trusted 6-year manufacturer's warranty, the NH-U12S redux is a smart, affordable choice for a quiet, high-quality 120 mm cooler.

Just like with Noctua's more expensive coolers, future mounting upgrade kits for the NH-U12S redux will be provided free of charge if technically possible, making it a safe long-term investment.

Users who would like to further improve the cooling efficiency of the NH-U12S redux can do so with the newly introduced, optional NA-FK1 kit that contains a second NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan, fan clips, anti-vibration pads, a y-cable and Low-Noise Adaptors. By upgrading the cooler to a push/pull-style dual-fan setup, the NA-FK1 makes it possible to achieve even better performance or to reduce noise levels by having two fans running at lower speeds.

Suggested retail prices
The manufacturer's suggested retail prices are EUR/USD 49.90 for the NH-U12S redux and EUR/USD 16.90 for the NA-FK1.

Availability
Both the CPU cooler and the second fan kit are available as of today via Noctua's official Amazon stores.

For more information,visit the product pages of the NH-U12S redux and NA-FK1.
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28 Comments on Noctua Presents Redux line CPU Cooler and Second Fan Kit

#26
ebivan
I have four Arctic P12 on my Radiators. I can confirm that they make a Noise at two certain rpm levels, but with the right software (I use Argus Monitor) it is easy and takes about 5 min to evaluate and implement just leave out these two small areas of the PWM spectrum.

As I said, I bought 5 of them for 17€ so a single one costs less then 3,50€. So yes, they are not as good as Noctua, but for about a third of the price of Noctuas Redux line (~10€ for a 120mm fan) or even a fifth of a brown fan (~17€), they are pretty damn perfect! Remember that Arctic gives 10 years of warranty on these, while Noctua gives 6.
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#27
80-watt Hamster
Chrispy_Oh yeah. Then that's a pass. You can pick up decent 4-heatpipe 120mm heatsinks from €20.

€50 for a compromised heatsink and Noctua's second-rate fans isn't anything to be pleased with. Perhaps these will drop to under €40 street price where they will look more competitive with other decent 120mm quad-heatpipe offerings like the Arctic Freezer 34, Deepcool Gammax, Hyper212 Black Edition, or BQ Pure Rock 2 or 3 all at the sub-€40 price point and two of those using higher-quality fans, better aesthetics with anodised fins and top covers/heatpipe covers.

At €50 it's a worse proposition than some of the Thermalright or BeQuiet stuff, but as already mentioned, it looks like a much worse deal than Noctua's own NH-U12S.
It really does seem like this should warrant a larger discount than 10USD/EUR. I'd be on board for 40. As far as second-rate fans, aren't the only differences between the standard and Redux the color and lack of anti-vibe pads?
curiosityThere are other budget coolers, not just the Freezer 34 Duo, you know? I'd bet you can still have the BioniX running slower and cooling as well as this "budget cooler", though.
Yes, more 10€ here, more 10€ there, and the all mighty customer support for... a heatsink and some fans. Noctua fans (the people) are starting to sound a lot like Apple's. :rolleyes:
Not gonna lie, I've never been as impressed out-of-the-box by a fan as I have by Noctua's Redux (80- and 120mm). The motors/bearings are quiet, the acoustics are pleasant across the entire RPM range, and they perform well to boot. My sample size is small so far, but will be growing until I discover a reason for it not to.

Edit: spelling
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#28
Unregistered
ebivanI have four Arctic P12 on my Radiators. I can confirm that they make a Noise at two certain rpm levels, but with the right software (I use Argus Monitor) it is easy and takes about 5 min to evaluate and implement just leave out these two small areas of the PWM spectrum.

As I said, I bought 5 of them for 17€ so a single one costs less then 3,50€. So yes, they are not as good as Noctua, but for about a third of the price of Noctuas Redux line (~10€ for a 120mm fan) or even a fifth of a brown fan (~17€), they are pretty damn perfect! Remember that Arctic gives 10 years of warranty on these, while Noctua gives 6.
I'll wait until Arctic releases a fan that doesn't have those abhorrent noises. They said they're "looking into it". Let's see how long they will be looking into it.
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