Noctua NH-U Series User manual

First remove the motherboard’s stock CPU cooler retention module
by unscrewing it from the backplate. The SecuFirm2™ mounting
system will install directly to the stock backplate, so please keep
it in place.
Removing the stock retention module −
putting the backplate in place
1
Dear customer,
Congratulations on choosing the Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4.
Continuing the legacy of our classic NH-U-series, which has received
more than 500 awards and recommendations from international
hardware websites and magazines, the NH-U12S has become a
benchmark for slim, highly compatible 120mm single tower coolers.
The SE-AM4 version is a dedicated special edition for AMD’s AM4/
AM5 platform, featuring the latest SecuFirm2™ mounting system for
AM4/AM5.
Enjoy your NH-U12S SE-AM4!
Yours sincerely,
Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO
This manual will guide you through the installation process of the
SecuFirm2™ mounting system step by step.
Prior to installing the cooler, please consult the compatibility list
on our website (www.noctua.at/compatibility) and verify that the
cooler is fully compatible with your motherboard. Please also make
sure that your PC case offers sufficient clearance for the cooler and
that there are no compatibility issues with any other components
(e.g. tall RAM modules). Double check that the heatsink and fan
clips do not make contact with the VGA card or other PCIe cards.
Noctua cannot be held responsible for any damage or losses
caused by compatibility issues.
Should you encounter any difficulties, please check the FAQs on
our website (www.noctua.at/faqs) and don’t hesitate to contact our
support team at [e-mail].
Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our
website: www.noctua.at/manuals
If your motherboard does not include a stock backplate, please
contact Noctua customer support at [email protected].
Attaching the mounting bars
Applying the thermal paste3
Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower heat
conductivity and cooling performance!
AMD (AM4 & AM5)!
Required mounting parts:
2x NM-AMB7
mounting bars
2
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NOCTUA NH-U12S SE-AM4
INSTALLATION MANUAL
Choose either the short NM-AMB6 or the long NM-AMB7 mounting
bars according to the desired final orientation of the cooler.
First put the NM-APS4 plastic spacers onto the screw threads of the
backplate, then fix the mounting bars using the four long screws.
Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use
excessive force (max. torque 0.6 Nm).
Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw
threads of the mounting bars.
Caution: Please first take off the fan as well as the protection cover
at the bottom side of the heatsink.
Fastening the heatsink to the CPU4
4x NM-APS4
grey plastic spacers
4x NM-ALS1
long screws
AMD stock backplate
(pre-installed on the motherboard)
2x NM-AMB6
mounting bars
Orientation NM-AMB7Orientation NM-AMB6
NM-AMB7
(same procedure for NM-AMB6)
For the short NM-AMB6 mounting bars, make sure that the curved
sides are pointing inwards. For the long NM-AMB7 mounting bars,
make sure that the curved sides are pointing outwards.
NM-AMB6 mounting bars NM-AMB7 mounting bars
If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on your
CPU, please clean them off first.
Apply 5 small dots; 4 small dots with ~2mm diameter near the
corners plus 1 dot with 3-4mm diameter in the centre:

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NOCTUA NH-U12S SE-AM4
INSTALLATION MANUAL
Fan setup5
Reattach the fan to the heatsink using the supplied fan clips:
3.
Adding a second fan
The NH-U12S SE-AM4 includes an extra set of fan clips and an
extra set of thicker anti-vibration pads for installing a second
NF-F12 fan in push/pull mode in order to further improve cooling
performance.
Please use the thicker anti-vibration pads on the rear NF-F12 fan
for improved acoustics if space allows. The y-cable supplied with
the retail NF-F12 fan can be used to control the speed of both fans
via the same motherboard fan header.
1. Remove standard pads on rear fan
2. Install thick pads on rear fan
Connect the fan to the motherboard´s CPU fan header.
Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case,
you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC6 Low-Noise Adaptor
(L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fan’s operating noise.
Caution: When using the L.N.A., check the temperature of your
CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications
of your motherboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic
throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If
the cooling performance is insufficient, please increase case
ventilation or remove the L.N.A.
While Noctua recommends using an NF-F12 fan for best results in
dual fan mode, the extra set of fan clips can also be used to install
most other fans. In this case, please put the supplied self-adhesive
anti-vibration strips onto the heatsink to avoid vibrations being
transmitted to the cooler.
Clip position for
thick pads:
Clip position for
standard pads:
Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use excessive
force (max. torque 0.6 Nm).
!
Transporting your system!
As it is not possible to reliably calculate or control the forces
that act upon a system during transport (e.g. in shipping), we
generally recommend, for safety reasons, taking the fan off the
heatsink in order to reduce the weight below 700g. Noctua cannot
be held responsible for any damage that may arise due to excessive
stress during transport if you keep the fan installed.
Warranty, support and FAQs
Even with high-grade products and strict quality control, the
possibility of defects cannot be eliminated entirely. Therefore,
we aim at providing the highest possible level of reliability and
convenience by offering a warranty period of 6 years and direct,
fast and straightforward RMA service.
Should you encounter any problems with your NH-U12S
SE-AM4, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team
([email protected]).
Please also consult the FAQ section on our website:
www.noctua.at/faqs
!
1.
2.
Airflow
Airflow
Front fan (standard pads)
Rear fan (thick pads)
Airflow
NM-AMB7
(same procedure
for NM-AMB6)