Performance Results
Both the Noctua NH-U12P and the SilverStone Nitrogon NT06-Lite were tested using our new testing methodology that we developed during our EPIC heatsink roundup last month. We now have results for ten heatsinks included for comparison.
Without further ado, lets see the results!
As you can see above, the Noctua NH-U12P was able to nudge its way to the top of our Intel chart, outperforming the Thermalright SI-128SE. The Nitrogon NT06-Lite came in just a degree or two behind the Tuniq Tower 120, putting it in the middle of the chart. With lower heat loads, the Nitrogon does especially well and is only two or three degrees away from the Noctua NH-U12P. The above results were taken from CoreTemp 0.95.4.
We see an almost identical trend with temperatures reported by Asus PC Probe. The Noctua is the clear leader with the Nitrogon just one degree away from the Tuniq Tower 120.
As we discovered during the last heatsink roundup, Prime95 “Small FFT” testing puts significantly more strain on modern Intel processors. Even with the increased load, the Noctua NH-U12P was able to maintain a clear first place lead. The Nitrogon, however, displayed some very odd behavior during our 3.4GHz test. It still managed to perform well up to 3.2GHz but it simply could not handle the heat load at 3.4GHz and 1.4V. The temperature gradually climbed until I stopped testing at 90’C. Out of curiosity, I mounted a 100CFM Panaflow fan to see if lack of airflow was the issue—it was not. This leads me to believe that once a certain heat load is exceeded, the heatsink can no longer transfer additional heat up towards the fins. I’m not too sure what is to blame for this behavior but buyers need to be cautious of this if they are planning to do any heavy overclocking. I discussed this issue with SilverStone and even had a replacement NT06 sent to me in case this was a defect of some kind. The issue persisted across both heatsinks, unfortunately. None the less, the Nitrogon NT06 still does very well so long as vcore is increased minimally.
Asus PC Probe gives us a similar trend with Prime95 Small FFTs.
System idle measurements are not very important but are included for reference.
As you can see, the Nitrogon NT06-Lite is very effective at keeping mainboard components cool. It is the second best we’ve tested to date in this regard. The Noctua NH-U12P trailed the lot–not a huge surprise given the slightly higher fin bank and the overall “tower” design type. Adequate case ventalation is important when using upright coolers like the NH-U12P.
I was very happy to see that the Noctua NH-U12 was just as potent on the AM2 platform as it was on the LGA 775 platform. Excellent work, Noctua! The Nitrogon was unfortunately unable to complete our 3.3GHz @ 1.55V test. Clearly, this is a very high heat load that exceeds the Intel Q6600 @ 3.4GHz and 1.4V. It displayed the same slow increase until Prime95 failed at around 70’C. It performs fairly well in our 3.0 and 3.1GHz tests coming out in the middle of the pack.
Smart Guardian paints a similar picture. It is amazing just how much of a lead the Noctua NH-U12P has over the Scythe Mugen according to Smart Guardian. Even more impressive is that it is only about 60% of the weight.
Please keep in mind that Smart Guardian reports temps below ambient when the CPU is at idle. Refer to our testing methodology for more information.
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