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.

I\'d like to thank Noctua yet again for providing us with one of their first review samples! To discuss this product or give us feedback, please visit our forums.