The new NH-C12P SE14 is a nice refresh to the old design. By simply implementing the new fan to the proven design, Noctua have improved the product by quite a bit, especially considering that the cost will remain the same. Although it may not be topping our results chart, that\\\'s not its purpose because Noctua\\\'s flagship offering the NH-D14 takes care of that. This cooler is targeted to consumers who have strict height limitations in their cases or just want a lower profile cooler and in that regard, the NH-C12P delivers tremendous performance. Shaving off to 3 degrees from the previous model, Noctua have another winner on their hands.

As a top down cooler, the cooler has its limitations and this is reflected in the results, which is somewhat unfair on this review. Despite that, I wouldn\\\'t wait to recommend one, seeing as it maintains a 4ghz overclocked i7, no mean feat in itself. However, if you don\\\'t have those space restrictions, then a proper tower heatsink is the way forward and for that look no further than the NH-D14.

Pros

[+]Excellent performance despite its size
[+]Excellent compatibility with modern motherboards including LGA1156
[+]Extremely quiet
[+]Supplied with an NF-P14 140mm fan.
[+]Very easy to install
[+]U.L.N.A adapters
[+]High quality finish

Cons
[-]Performance is limited by its design
[-]Can\\\'t compete with most tower heatsinks

For such an excellently engineered cooler, Noctua deserves yet another Vortez Hardware Gold award from us.