As a further follow up to the Tom’s Hardware Noctua low profile cooler article, I decided to retest my Noctua L12 Ghost Edition (GE) with a variety of fan configurations on both an open test chassis as well as in a very small (5.9 liter) PC case. I used a Ryzen 7 5700G with integrated graphics and no separate GPU. I ran a 10 minute test simultaneously using CPU-Z stress test and Unigine Valley Benchmark to heat up all components. Results from CPUID HWMonitor were noted in the included spreadsheet. Microphone was 30 cm from & 19 cm in height from left front corner of both the open chassis & the PC case front.
I used the following components:
Aorus B550 Motherboard @Temp 27C
Ryzen 7 5700G
32GB Corsair LPX 3200
Noctua L12 Ghost Edition
Noctua NTH-1 Thermal Paste
Fan(s) 100%
There was some question as to how much using dual downdraft fans on the cooler would improve its cooling performance in a tight SFF case. I chose my smallest case – the Yiluka YLK-01 at 5.9 liters. You can find my full review of this case at: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/yiluka-ylk-01-apu-pc-case.16165/
The YLK-01 is a excellent fit for the L12GE with a 120x25mm fan mounted atop the cooler. There is 10mm of space between the top of the fan and the top case panel substantially reducing any fan intake noise. Earlier tests with the 30mm Phanteks T30 on the L12GE or the L12S with a 120x25mm fan at 95mm height were too close to the top case panel causing significant fan intake noise in both instances.
The dual numbers under CPU temperature indicate: First number – temperature during last minute of test; second number – highest temperature recorded during testing. The first in-case test using only the A9x25 – the 5700G will at times throw an error message when being stressed with both programs at once. This happened during the last two minutes of this test causing the noted CPU temperature spike. The other motherboard components are significantly higher in temperature than when using the A12x25 fan.
The single A9 performs significantly better than the single B9 on the open test chassis. The included 92x25mm B9 fan should not be used in dual fan cofiguration with the Noctua A12x25 – there is an annoying harmonic between the two fans at high RPM. You will also note that the B9’s maximum RPM is reduced when paired with the A12x25. Using the A9x25 fan with the A12x25 increased the A9’s maximum RPM above that when used alone. No testing of the B9 fan in the SFF case was conducted.
The dual fan configuration provides only the slightest cooling improvement of motherboard components with no reduction in CPU temperature at a significant increase in noise levels.
My preferred configuration with the L12GE is a single A12x25 fan.
HWMonitor Results:
I used the following components:
Aorus B550 Motherboard @Temp 27C
Ryzen 7 5700G
32GB Corsair LPX 3200
Noctua L12 Ghost Edition
Noctua NTH-1 Thermal Paste
Fan(s) 100%
There was some question as to how much using dual downdraft fans on the cooler would improve its cooling performance in a tight SFF case. I chose my smallest case – the Yiluka YLK-01 at 5.9 liters. You can find my full review of this case at: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/yiluka-ylk-01-apu-pc-case.16165/
The YLK-01 is a excellent fit for the L12GE with a 120x25mm fan mounted atop the cooler. There is 10mm of space between the top of the fan and the top case panel substantially reducing any fan intake noise. Earlier tests with the 30mm Phanteks T30 on the L12GE or the L12S with a 120x25mm fan at 95mm height were too close to the top case panel causing significant fan intake noise in both instances.
The dual numbers under CPU temperature indicate: First number – temperature during last minute of test; second number – highest temperature recorded during testing. The first in-case test using only the A9x25 – the 5700G will at times throw an error message when being stressed with both programs at once. This happened during the last two minutes of this test causing the noted CPU temperature spike. The other motherboard components are significantly higher in temperature than when using the A12x25 fan.
The single A9 performs significantly better than the single B9 on the open test chassis. The included 92x25mm B9 fan should not be used in dual fan cofiguration with the Noctua A12x25 – there is an annoying harmonic between the two fans at high RPM. You will also note that the B9’s maximum RPM is reduced when paired with the A12x25. Using the A9x25 fan with the A12x25 increased the A9’s maximum RPM above that when used alone. No testing of the B9 fan in the SFF case was conducted.
The dual fan configuration provides only the slightest cooling improvement of motherboard components with no reduction in CPU temperature at a significant increase in noise levels.
My preferred configuration with the L12GE is a single A12x25 fan.
HWMonitor Results:
Chassis | Open Chassis | Open Chassis | Open Chassis | Open Chassis | Open Chassis | | Yiluka YLK-01 | Yiluka YLK-01 | Yiluka YLK-01 |
Top Fan | | A12x25 | | A12x25 | A12x25 | | | A12x25 | A12x25 |
Bottom Fan | B9x25 | B9x25 | A9x25 | A9x25 | | | A9x25 | A9x25 | |
| | | | | | | | | |
TZ10 | 16.8 | 16.8 | 16.8 | 16.8 | 16.8 | | 16.8 | 16.8 | 16.8 |
TMPIN0 | 47 | 41 | 45 | 40 | 41 | | 54 | 42 | 43 |
TMPIN1 | 48 | 41 | 47 | 42 | 43 | | 54 | 42 | 44 |
TMPIN2 CPU | 75-80 | 68-69 | 72-75 | 68-70 | 66-71 | | 85-87 | 69-71 | 69-71 |
TMPIN3 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | 22 | 21 | 21 |
TMPIN4 | 48 | 41 | 46 | 41 | 42 | | 53 | 42 | 43 |
TMPIN5 | 48 | 42 | 46 | 42 | 43 | | 55 | 43 | 44 |
Top CPU Fan RPM | N/A | 2070 | N/A | 2064 | 2064 | | N/A | 2045 | 2070 |
Bottom CPU Fan RPM | 1890 | 1819 | 1997 | 2014 | N/A | | 2064 | 2012 | N/A |
Pkg Temp | 80.1 | 69.9 | 75.4 | 70.3 | 71.3 | | 87.5 | 71.3 | 71.3 |
Pkg Watt | 75.7 | 76.22 | 76.03 | 76.06 | 75.74 | | 75.33 | 75.78 | 75.9 |
NVMe Top Temp | 46 | 40 | 45 | 40 | 41 | | 53 | 41 | 42 |
NVMe Bottom Temp | 47 | 41 | 46 | 41 | 42 | | 54 | 43 | 44 |
GPU Temp | 60 | 52 | 60 | 52 | 54 | | 63 | 54 | 55 |
GPU Global | 69 | 62 | 69 | 61 | 65 | | 75 | 63 | 64 |
GPU Watt | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | | 75 | 75 | 75 |
30 CM dba | 40.2 | 44.9 | 41.8 | 45.3 | 41.5 | | 42.3 | 47.3 | 42.9 |
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