The Noctua NL-LC1-36 is a 360mm all-in-one liquid CPU cooler that represents the company’s first venture into the liquid cooling market, and it has arrived with a level of execution that reviewers describe as setting a new benchmark for the category. Priced at $249.99, the cooler is built in partnership with Asetek, yet the reviewer emphasises that Noctua has taken the same components available to other brands and delivered a product that is “so vastly superior and distinctly different” that it deserves its own category. The cooler supports Intel sockets LGA1954, LGA1851, and LGA1700, as well as AMD sockets AM5 and AM4, using Noctua’s SecuFirm2+ mounting hardware.
At the heart of the NL-LC1-36 is an Asetek Emma V2 pump, which stands 70mm tall and features a three-phase motor spinning on a ceramic shaft and bearing. The pump draws at most 6W and 0.5A, and includes a physical switch that allows users to select between quiet, balanced, and manual modes, with pump speeds reaching up to 3400 RPM in manual mode. Maximum acoustic noise from the pump is rated at just 14.9 dB(A), a figure the reviewer highlights as a significant achievement given that many AIOs have pumps louder than their fans. The cold plate is made of 99.95% pure CU1100 copper with skived microchannels, and the head unit incorporates a vibration-dampening system with multiple layers of foam to absorb noise and vibration.
The radiator measures 399.5mm by 120mm by 30mm, with aluminium fins and tubes and a steel frame. The fin density is 20 FPI, which the reviewer notes is slightly more open than the typical 22-23 FPI seen on most Asetek-based coolers. Cooling is provided by three NF-A12x25 G2 PWM fans in Noctua’s traditional brown colourway, which have a speed range from zero to 1800 RPM, deliver 63.15 CFM of airflow and 3.14 mmH₂O of pressure, and are rated at 22.5 dB(A). The cooler carries a six-year warranty, which the reviewer notes is approximately double the warranty length of most other AIOs and three times or more the warranty of many competitors.
The packaging and accessories are characteristic of Noctua’s attention to detail. Inside the box, users will find the SecuFirm2+ mounting hardware with Torx-driven screws, a three-way fan splitter cable, an extension cable, a tube of NT-H2 thermal paste, a Noctua case badge, and an NM-SD1 T-20 Torx driver. The reviewer also notes the inclusion of an NA-CW1 CPU IHS cleaning wipe and an AM5 NA-TPG1 shield for the CPU, which are described as thoughtful additions that other manufacturers do not provide. The use of Torx screws throughout the installation process is praised for making the experience “silky smooth” and easier to feel the tension when tightening.
An optional NL-AFC1 80mm fan is available separately, designed to mount magnetically onto the pump head unit to provide additional airflow to the surrounding VRMs, RAM, and SSDs. The reviewer notes that this fan can deliver a seven-degree advantage for VRM temperatures and also cools the RAM by three degrees. The NL-AFC1 is priced at approximately $28 in Canada, though it was not yet in stock at the time of the review.
In thermal testing, the NL-LC1-36 delivered an idle temperature of 36.8°C in quiet mode, dropping to 36.3°C in manual mode. Under load, the cooler achieved 59.9°C in quiet mode and 58.9°C in manual mode, besting the next cooler by two degrees. The reviewer notes that the maximum temperatures during testing were kept within a couple of degrees of the average, demonstrating the cooler’s consistency and build quality. The CPU speed reached 5.245GHz out of the box and 5.253GHz in manual mode.
Noise levels are described as exceptionally low, with the NL-LC1-36 peaking at 25 dB in quiet mode and the larger NL-LC1-42 reaching just 22 dB. The reviewer states that the fans were so quiet they had to visually confirm they were spinning. The optional NL-AFC1 added only two dB to the overall noise ceiling. The reviewer concludes that the NL-LC1 coolers are suitable even for HTPC use or for users who cannot tolerate fan noise while sleeping.
The reviewer awards the NL-LC1-36 perfect scores of 100% for Performance, Quality, and Value, with a 99% score for Features, resulting in an overall score of 100%. The verdict is that the NL-LC1 AIOs are “so vastly superior and distinctly different, they deserve a different category, as all previous solutions fail to compare”. The reviewer emphasises that everything from the hardware and accessories to the use of Torx screws and the inclusion of thoughtful extras like the CPU cleaning wipe and thermal paste splash guard demonstrates a level of refinement that other manufacturers have not achieved. While acknowledging that the brown fan colour may not appeal to everyone, the reviewer states that for $249.99, “you have got the best product this segment of the market has to offer” and that “there isn’t a better option”.
Source: TweakTown