With each CPU cooler that we test, a small pea-sized blob of Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste is applied to our CPU ahead of heatsink installation. We choose to use this high-quality paste in all of our CPU cooler reviews, essentially eliminating an unnecessary variable from the subsequent results and comparison graphs.



Installing the Noctua into our system was a breeze, partly due to the integrated Intel LGA 2011 socket and the simplicity of the instructions included with the cooler. The included screwdriver proved to be invaluable in this instance and is a surprisingly high-quality tool.

Due to the blades of the included fan being moveable, obviously, it’s possible to install the cooler with the fan attached, which is essential if mounting underneath but also avoids fiddling about in a tight case if you’re mounting it above. We found that our memory sticks, despite being relatively low-profile, still fouled the fan. If you feel this may be the case for you, be sure to allow for around 90mm of total clearance in your case to mount from above.



Mounting the fan was a little tricky due to the placement of the CPU fan header being underneath the cooler. We persevered and got everything up and running, which was helped by the braided cable being 170mm long.