The heat pipes featuring the "C" shape design
The Noctua utilizes 6 heat pipes for maximum heat transport and these are bent into hook shapes to lower the height of the cooler. Unlike the "U" shaped design of the tower coolers, the "C" shape means that all the heat pipes only come out from only one side of the base. The shape also means that there's plenty of clearance for surrounding components such as RAM and Mosfet/North bridge heatsinks.


The heat pipes all spread out across the heatsink for maximum heat dissipation
The heat pipes are all spread out so that heat dissipate over a larger area. It's very similar to an NH-D14 cut in half and placed on its side...


The base of the cooler
The base of the cooler is fairly flat but lacks a mirror finish but this is due to the nature of CPUs not being flat either. The base has micro grooves that help disperse high viscosity thermal pastes to create a uniform layer. The end of the heat pipes are tightly packed in the base, making the most of the space available to help transport heat away. We can also see the pre-installed mounting bracket that attaches to the Secufirm2 kit.


Up and running...
Unlike the NH-D14, this cooler is not a behemoth, making it ideal for smaller HTPC cases. Using the same standard wire clips as found on the old design and the NH-U12P, fan installation could not be any easier. It does not take up much real estate and the design provides enough clearance for all other neighbouring components.