Nice review. I am using the NH-L12 Ghost Edition in mine and one of the main reasons is so I could fit my G Skill TridentZ, also works really well cooling my delidded 8700k.
I just bought the Alphenom Black Ridge Cooler, replaced its LOUD default 90mm fan with a slim Noctua nf-a9x14, and took the 120mm fan and the two SecuFirm2 mounting pieces from my NH-12s and installed it on the front of the Black Ridge and BOTH fans can fit with no modding whatsoever. I find it to be a tad quieter and can perform a good deal better than any Noctua option at the moment.
@@poobalu No, into the case. I got about 2 degrees better cooling pulling cooler ambient air from outside the case rather than pushing very little warm air out of the case. The hot air comes out the top just fine.
Sweet build! I especially love the extra fan under the psu. I also got a mk2 ghost when the og nh-l12 was out of production. I ended up getting the Alpenfohn Black Ridge, which is like the L12 however it has more heat pipes and I personally have it oriented with a 120 slim Noctua fan on top and it has room for a 92 fan underneath, still with plenty of clearance. It’s priced to compete with Noctua’s offerings too. So if you haven’t considered it, give it a shot.
just a side note, I would recommend against using the NH-L9X65. the fan is so close to the side panel that it makes a lot of turbulence, which makes it way louder then it really is, I had to use it without a side panel because of the noise, until I got the NH-L12s
Great vid. The L12S fit on my aorus X570i. Had to try différent rotations... it's tight... but fit. So i stick with as it manage to cool the 3700X and is very quiet. When i will décide to swap moto, i will not choose a new one with to big heatsink or panel that would block the L12S
You should try the Thermalright axp-100 full copper, that CPU cooler sits between the L9 and the l12s (it did overlaps the memory slots and is 59mm tall with its included 14mm fans, but you can mount a slim Noctua 120mm fans with its included bracket) in terms of size but can cool my r9 3900x with slight undervolt (1,225v at 4.2ghz, 85c full load, gaming usually sit at 60c)
Thanks for sharing! I have a few more coolers and combinations that I am testing out and while I don’t have a Big Shuriken 3, I’ll keep that option in mind going forward!
great video! i'm currently stuck at which cooler to choose. since i'm prioritising a quiet pc for my build with the s1 i would love a video where you compare noise levels and thermals between these coolers you showed of :) subbed aswell
IS-60 EVO works good too. It works with tall RAM sticks, you can use 120mm fan on it. It's cools better than the L9x65 and a lot more quieter. It's not a copy of Alpenfohn Blackridge, but rather a thinner version of Big Shuriken 3.
I actually bought an IS-60 EVO for prime day to test this out and it’s a no-go for the Ghost S1. It sits near the bottom of the case so 1/3 of the fan is obstructed by the non-vented side panel. Idle temps are high and a 10 minute run of cinebench with a 10600k will hit 93c. It might be good for other cases though, thank you for the recommendation regardless!
@@poobalu ah, that is one aspect that i didn't consider. i'm using one of the ghost s1 clones case from taobao. what motherboard did you use? i'm using b550i gigabyte, their CPU socket is placed much higher than other manufacturer, which makes it placed lower inside a left hand side sandwich case. the edge of the fan sits nicely at the start of the side panel ventilated part. so i can imagine how it will gets blocked with other motherboard.
In this situation the CPU cooler is intake, case fans should be exhaust. Optimum Tech has videos about negative pressure in this case for more info on that!
Personally i iwould buy the ghost s1 cooler and a slim big fan and try to squeeze it in... if it doesnt fit i would then use that fan as an exhaust under the psu or grind some fins to make it fit
What were the temperatures that you were getting from the CPU coolers? What were the min/max temps during your daily use? And which Noctua fan were you rocking below your PSU? Have you ever thought about using feet on the bottom to prop up your case and maybe improve thermals? I currently have a 10700k (undervolted by 50, no plans on overclocking) with a 5700xt and I'm not sure if the ghost s1 will become an oven with my parts.
I will be releasing future content that goes a little further into temps, but all of the coolers in this video managed safe temps under regular use and even during stress tests. I swapped out the stock feet for much taller silicone dome feet used for speakers, the bottom fan is an exhaust NF-A12x15 PWM.
@@sampletext42069 I can tell you now that I tried to do this prior to uploading this video and I had mixed results. The L12 is a slightly different shape underneat with ridges on the sides that actually make clearance worse for the 120mm fan. The L12s is more 'flat' on the bottom, giving it better clearance. I think you would have to bend the L12 to get a bottom fan to fit.
I find it helpful for dust and general airflow, but it does not seem to have any notable thermal benefit in most instances. With higher power components, going from zero case fans to an exhaust does help dissipate trapped hot air, but again it is not a significant upgrade.
Hey there, great content here. I've seen in a couple of forums people fitting a A12x15 120mm slim fan from Noctua with the NH-A12, and it is supposed to be the best performer. Have you ever tried this? Can you try to fit your bottom slim fan on it? Thanks!
The A12x15 simply doesn't fit underneath the L12 or L12s on the Asrock Z490M ITX due to the really tall VRM heatsink which is a popular choice for the i5-10600k. That said, you can likely add a 12x15 under the L12 for other motherboards, but consider that you will be out $75+ for that combination when the L12s is effectively what you are describing for $50 and a slight bend in the heat pipes!
Hey there, I’m planning a doing a s1 build but would love to know more about what I can use in terms of MOBO and Intel CPU’s along with their coolers? Any recommendations will be appreciated. Great Vid by the way.
I can only speak toward intel 10th gen, but avoid asrock and asus for cooler compatibility issues and go with the Gigabyte or MSI Z490 ITX boards. To be honest, the best coolers for this case have a hard time with anything over 95 watts, so if you need an i7 I might avoid the 10700k and go for the non-k SKU.
@@tristanbam3951 Alder Lake runs insanely hot and doesn’t look like it is going to work well in SFF ITX builds. For the Ghost S1 specifically, I think Ryzen would be the way to go due to thermal constraints alone. The performance of the new i9 and i5 looks insane, but keep in mind that air coolers for the Ghost are mostly rated for a TDP between 65w and 95W
Do you happen to own a 5950X? I'm really curious to see the results (temps, sound, etc.) when pairing the 5950X with the NH-L12 Ghost S1 Edition in the Ghost S1 without a TopHat. Or even with one.
I don’t have any Ryzen CPUs currently but I wish I did! Optimum tech just released a video about cooling that chip with a Black ridge in the sky reach case, so maybe go check that out for a worst-case scenario. The Ghost should fair better as there is more space for taller CPU coolers with better fans.
@@poobalu That's exactly the reason I asked you. Already watched the video and I wanted a more detailed experience with specifically this case and cooler. He also claimed the motherboard is partly the blame for the low clocks and I plan on running an X570-I Strix. I just wonder if all this could lead to a meaningful difference in temps and clocks. Guess I'll have to go for it myself. Thanks anyway! Good video!
Hi I’m looking to purchase the ghost s1 myself, wanted to kindly ask if the corsair dominator platinum rama or the vengeance pro rgb rams would fit with the L12s or would it be too tight? Kind regards, Lam
Great question! The L12s can only fit the Vengeance LPX ram or smaller because the 120mm fan obstructs the memory height. I would check out the Ghost S1 Edition NH-L12 because it uses a 92mm fan, granting more RAM clearance. Just double check the memory height and compatibility on Noctua’s website!
@@poobalu Thank you for the response, according to their noctua page on the ghost s1 L12s, the ram height clearance is up to 48mm, also with corsairs listing on their ram heights, vengeance rgb pro is 51mm and vengeance lpx is 50.4mm. I'm assuming both methods, would fit and I just think noctua could just be listing it as 48mm to keep people aware of the height clearance, as I've seen some builds with LPX but have yet to see VENG RGB PRO. In conclusion it's best to just go with their stated height clearance ''if you were going for the GHOST S1 L12S edition cooler.'' Kind regards, Lam
I'm still deciding between coolers and your video was very helpful! Question -is it possible to attach a slim 120mm fan to the nhl12 ghost edition? and if so, whats the ram/mobo clearance like?
You might find the reply to another user, but the 120mm fan doesn’t fit well under the “Loctua” cooler because the fin stack is a different shape underneath, making clearance several mm worse than the L12s. It might be possible but not recommended.
@@poobalu thanks bruv gotcha. absolutely loving these ghost related videos as they are so so helpful. have already subscribed and anticipating more content from you!
@@sorkrot Get the Alpenfohn Black Ridge with dual noctua a12-15 fans with VLP memory. It keeps my 9700k under 60c on full load and isnt even that loud.
@@Allhype214 thats impressive! i was initially hesitant about the black ridge as it doesn't have universal mobo compatiblity... whats your mobo/VLP memory combo like?
@@sorkrot I have the azrock z390i phantom itx and a single 16gb crucial DDR4-2400 VLP RDIMM. I did have to shave off some of the VRM heatsink to make it fit though. :(
It’s hard to say without knowing specifically which ram you are using, but 1mm could probably be achieved with the little flex that this cooler has when screwing it into place. I would check Reddit for your specific parts to see if someone has done it already!
@@sand6008 so it looks like it might not fit without a TINY bit of bending, but if you’re okay with that it should be doable. Otherwise the L9x65 would be the way to go in this instance
Johnny Laygo nope - their website says it is a 2.2 slot card and the S1 really only fits 2 slot cards. It looks like it should fit bigger GPUs but the clearance where the side panel slides on is tighter than the rest of the space on the GPU side. Keep an eye on Reddit for compatibility lists.
That's what I thought at first, until I actually build in one of these premium case. That being said, taobao 'copy' cases are way ahead of Ghost S1 in term of price and quality.
@@poobalu I mean, if the l12 isn't even as good as the l9x65, it's not even worth the trouble. But Optimum Tech suggests that the l12 just beats the l9x65 by a slim margin.
@@poobalu oh and I found that Louqe's own testing results suggest that the L12 is better than the l9x65.www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=louqe.com/img/heatsinktest.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwixqbbH15nsAhUrJTQIHZ-CDJYQFjABegQIDhAJ&usg=AOvVaw1Z0NsU64F6RTNF2mEc9_VG
Nice review. I am using the NH-L12 Ghost Edition in mine and one of the main reasons is so I could fit my G Skill TridentZ, also works really well cooling my delidded 8700k.
I'm glad to hear the TridentZ ram can fit with the L12!
Clear, concise, pleasant to watch and good info.. subbed
Couldn't have said it better myself. Did the same.
Well made video. Super informative and thanks for sharing your experience, helped a ton!
Thank you!
I just bought the Alphenom Black Ridge Cooler, replaced its LOUD default 90mm fan with a slim Noctua nf-a9x14, and took the 120mm fan and the two SecuFirm2 mounting pieces from my NH-12s and installed it on the front of the Black Ridge and BOTH fans can fit with no modding whatsoever. I find it to be a tad quieter and can perform a good deal better than any Noctua option at the moment.
That’s amazing! I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on one. I assume both fans are directing air out of the case?
@@poobalu No, into the case. I got about 2 degrees better cooling pulling cooler ambient air from outside the case rather than pushing very little warm air out of the case.
The hot air comes out the top just fine.
@@jw_25 that’s awesome thanks! This is definitely worth checking out, I’ll see if I can place an order for this soon. I appreciate the follow up!
Sweet build! I especially love the extra fan under the psu.
I also got a mk2 ghost when the og nh-l12 was out of production. I ended up getting the Alpenfohn Black Ridge, which is like the L12 however it has more heat pipes and I personally have it oriented with a 120 slim Noctua fan on top and it has room for a 92 fan underneath, still with plenty of clearance. It’s priced to compete with Noctua’s offerings too. So if you haven’t considered it, give it a shot.
I just received mine in the mail! I’m working on a different cooler comparison atm but I will be testing out the Black Ridge very soon!!!
Each video you drop is gonna get me one step closer to finally building a pc!
Kudrat Patel 😈
just a side note, I would recommend against using the NH-L9X65. the fan is so close to the side panel that it makes a lot of turbulence, which makes it way louder then it really is, I had to use it without a side panel because of the noise, until I got the NH-L12s
Totally agree. That was my first choice too and i had the same conclusion. So i swap for a bended L12S. It performs better and quieter
Great vid. The L12S fit on my aorus X570i. Had to try différent rotations... it's tight... but fit. So i stick with as it manage to cool the 3700X and is very quiet. When i will décide to swap moto, i will not choose a new one with to big heatsink or panel that would block the L12S
You should try the Thermalright axp-100 full copper, that CPU cooler sits between the L9 and the l12s (it did overlaps the memory slots and is 59mm tall with its included 14mm fans, but you can mount a slim Noctua 120mm fans with its included bracket) in terms of size but can cool my r9 3900x with slight undervolt (1,225v at 4.2ghz, 85c full load, gaming usually sit at 60c)
Corsair vengeance pro RT fits fine under the lh12 s1 edition
I use Big Shuriken 3 here and it has excellent performance. Works very well, but you need to change the fan fixing screw for one with a "flat head".
Thanks for sharing! I have a few more coolers and combinations that I am testing out and while I don’t have a Big Shuriken 3, I’ll keep that option in mind going forward!
great video! i'm currently stuck at which cooler to choose. since i'm prioritising a quiet pc for my build with the s1 i would love a video where you compare noise levels and thermals between these coolers you showed of :) subbed aswell
I’ve received a few requests about noise so I’ll start planning a video around it. Thanks for your feedback and subscription!
@@poobalu awesome! looking forward to it man :)
Did the same thing with a CCD MI-6 with an L12S. Touching the side just means more heat distribution.
thanks for this review :-)
IS-60 EVO works good too. It works with tall RAM sticks, you can use 120mm fan on it. It's cools better than the L9x65 and a lot more quieter. It's not a copy of Alpenfohn Blackridge, but rather a thinner version of Big Shuriken 3.
You’re the 2nd person to recommend this cooler - I might have to make an updated video soon including some more options!
I actually bought an IS-60 EVO for prime day to test this out and it’s a no-go for the Ghost S1. It sits near the bottom of the case so 1/3 of the fan is obstructed by the non-vented side panel. Idle temps are high and a 10 minute run of cinebench with a 10600k will hit 93c. It might be good for other cases though, thank you for the recommendation regardless!
@@poobalu ah, that is one aspect that i didn't consider. i'm using one of the ghost s1 clones case from taobao.
what motherboard did you use? i'm using b550i gigabyte, their CPU socket is placed much higher than other manufacturer, which makes it placed lower inside a left hand side sandwich case. the edge of the fan sits nicely at the start of the side panel ventilated part. so i can imagine how it will gets blocked with other motherboard.
Could you please clarify whether the fans in this build are being used for exhaust or intake? Thx
In this situation the CPU cooler is intake, case fans should be exhaust. Optimum Tech has videos about negative pressure in this case for more info on that!
Personally i iwould buy the ghost s1 cooler and a slim big fan and try to squeeze it in... if it doesnt fit i would then use that fan as an exhaust under the psu or grind some fins to make it fit
What were the temperatures that you were getting from the CPU coolers? What were the min/max temps during your daily use? And which Noctua fan were you rocking below your PSU? Have you ever thought about using feet on the bottom to prop up your case and maybe improve thermals? I currently have a 10700k (undervolted by 50, no plans on overclocking) with a 5700xt and I'm not sure if the ghost s1 will become an oven with my parts.
I will be releasing future content that goes a little further into temps, but all of the coolers in this video managed safe temps under regular use and even during stress tests. I swapped out the stock feet for much taller silicone dome feet used for speakers, the bottom fan is an exhaust NF-A12x15 PWM.
I never knew the L12 was louder than the L12, thanks
sample text I think it’s due to the smaller fan running at different RPMs. Could be an interesting follow up video 🤔
Poobalu if you do make a follow up video could you please test if it’s possible to swap the fans from the L12s to the L12
@@sampletext42069 I can tell you now that I tried to do this prior to uploading this video and I had mixed results. The L12 is a slightly different shape underneat with ridges on the sides that actually make clearance worse for the 120mm fan. The L12s is more 'flat' on the bottom, giving it better clearance. I think you would have to bend the L12 to get a bottom fan to fit.
great video
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)
would you say that the bottom fan is worth it?
I find it helpful for dust and general airflow, but it does not seem to have any notable thermal benefit in most instances. With higher power components, going from zero case fans to an exhaust does help dissipate trapped hot air, but again it is not a significant upgrade.
Does the L12 Ghost Edition come with fan clips to top mount either an A12x15 or A12x25 fan? Thank you in advance.
It does not
Hey there, great content here. I've seen in a couple of forums people fitting a A12x15 120mm slim fan from Noctua with the NH-A12, and it is supposed to be the best performer. Have you ever tried this? Can you try to fit your bottom slim fan on it? Thanks!
The A12x15 simply doesn't fit underneath the L12 or L12s on the Asrock Z490M ITX due to the really tall VRM heatsink which is a popular choice for the i5-10600k. That said, you can likely add a 12x15 under the L12 for other motherboards, but consider that you will be out $75+ for that combination when the L12s is effectively what you are describing for $50 and a slight bend in the heat pipes!
Hey there, I’m planning a doing a s1 build but would love to know more about what I can use in terms of MOBO and Intel CPU’s along with their coolers? Any recommendations will be appreciated. Great Vid by the way.
This would be with the newer CPU generations and thoughts on an i7?
I can only speak toward intel 10th gen, but avoid asrock and asus for cooler compatibility issues and go with the Gigabyte or MSI Z490 ITX boards. To be honest, the best coolers for this case have a hard time with anything over 95 watts, so if you need an i7 I might avoid the 10700k and go for the non-k SKU.
@@poobalu Thanks so much! I am wondering if waiting for Alder lake is a good idea?
@@tristanbam3951 Alder Lake runs insanely hot and doesn’t look like it is going to work well in SFF ITX builds. For the Ghost S1 specifically, I think Ryzen would be the way to go due to thermal constraints alone. The performance of the new i9 and i5 looks insane, but keep in mind that air coolers for the Ghost are mostly rated for a TDP between 65w and 95W
Heck yea! FIRST COMMENT :P. but for real tho this is super good info.
Thanks friend!!!
Do you happen to own a 5950X?
I'm really curious to see the results (temps, sound, etc.) when pairing the 5950X with the NH-L12 Ghost S1 Edition in the Ghost S1 without a TopHat. Or even with one.
I don’t have any Ryzen CPUs currently but I wish I did! Optimum tech just released a video about cooling that chip with a Black ridge in the sky reach case, so maybe go check that out for a worst-case scenario. The Ghost should fair better as there is more space for taller CPU coolers with better fans.
@@poobalu That's exactly the reason I asked you. Already watched the video and I wanted a more detailed experience with specifically this case and cooler. He also claimed the motherboard is partly the blame for the low clocks and I plan on running an X570-I Strix. I just wonder if all this could lead to a meaningful difference in temps and clocks. Guess I'll have to go for it myself. Thanks anyway! Good video!
Hi I’m looking to purchase the ghost s1 myself, wanted to kindly ask if the corsair dominator platinum rama or the vengeance pro rgb rams would fit with the L12s or would it be too tight?
Kind regards,
Lam
Great question! The L12s can only fit the Vengeance LPX ram or smaller because the 120mm fan obstructs the memory height. I would check out the Ghost S1 Edition NH-L12 because it uses a 92mm fan, granting more RAM clearance. Just double check the memory height and compatibility on Noctua’s website!
@@poobalu Thank you for the response, according to their noctua page on the ghost s1 L12s, the ram height clearance is up to 48mm, also with corsairs listing on their ram heights, vengeance rgb pro is 51mm and vengeance lpx is 50.4mm.
I'm assuming both methods, would fit and I just think noctua could just be listing it as 48mm to keep people aware of the height clearance, as I've seen some builds with LPX but have yet to see VENG RGB PRO.
In conclusion it's best to just go with their stated height clearance ''if you were going for the GHOST S1 L12S edition cooler.''
Kind regards,
Lam
I'm still deciding between coolers and your video was very helpful!
Question -is it possible to attach a slim 120mm fan to the nhl12 ghost edition? and if so, whats the ram/mobo clearance like?
You might find the reply to another user, but the 120mm fan doesn’t fit well under the “Loctua” cooler because the fin stack is a different shape underneath, making clearance several mm worse than the L12s. It might be possible but not recommended.
@@poobalu thanks bruv gotcha. absolutely loving these ghost related videos as they are so so helpful. have already subscribed and anticipating more content from you!
@@sorkrot Get the Alpenfohn Black Ridge with dual noctua a12-15 fans with VLP memory. It keeps my 9700k under 60c on full load and isnt even that loud.
@@Allhype214 thats impressive! i was initially hesitant about the black ridge as it doesn't have universal mobo compatiblity... whats your mobo/VLP memory combo like?
@@sorkrot I have the azrock z390i phantom itx and a single 16gb crucial DDR4-2400 VLP RDIMM. I did have to shave off some of the VRM heatsink to make it fit though. :(
Do u have thermal benchmarking?
I recorded some benchmarks and plan to include some in future content!
@@poobalu nice! Will be waiting for that
Hey, I like your videos! Can you tell me what mic did you use for voice recording?
Casper Unhaunted Samson Q2U
Rode NT-USB would be a good choice too.
I'm considering between NH-L12 Ghost Edition and ID-Cooling IS60 EVO ARGB with thin 92 and 12x15 Noctua. Any thoughts?
Hieu Bui I’m not overly familiar with this cooler but on paper it looks like it could be a decent option.
My ram height’s 49 mm, do you think it might just squeeze by with the ghost edition or is 48 just the max?
It’s hard to say without knowing specifically which ram you are using, but 1mm could probably be achieved with the little flex that this cooler has when screwing it into place. I would check Reddit for your specific parts to see if someone has done it already!
@@poobalu it’s the team group delta rgb ram, thanks for replying so fast too!
@@sand6008 so it looks like it might not fit without a TINY bit of bending, but if you’re okay with that it should be doable. Otherwise the L9x65 would be the way to go in this instance
Do you think an EVGA XC3 3080 would fit?
Johnny Laygo nope - their website says it is a 2.2 slot card and the S1 really only fits 2 slot cards. It looks like it should fit bigger GPUs but the clearance where the side panel slides on is tighter than the rest of the space on the GPU side. Keep an eye on Reddit for compatibility lists.
@@poobalu i see.. it sucks that FE is our only choice..
Johnny Laygo absolutely - we might see more cards in time but the launch options are limited in compatibility at the moment.
Look on reddit. Someone installed an rtx3080 evga xc3 its tight but works
honestly, who buys this case? it’s nearly 300€
ballers then theres the generic public that buys aliexpress copies of this case for 100 less... market inivations always lead to copies
That's what I thought at first, until I actually build in one of these premium case. That being said, taobao 'copy' cases are way ahead of Ghost S1 in term of price and quality.
Just wanted to confirm- does the l12 ghost s1 edition perform better than the l9x65? I've read on multiple sources that it doesn't
王孝慈 I’m going to test this in an upcoming video, but my experience thus far has suggested you are correct.
@@poobalu I mean, if the l12 isn't even as good as the l9x65, it's not even worth the trouble. But Optimum Tech suggests that the l12 just beats the l9x65 by a slim margin.
@@poobalu oh and I found that Louqe's own testing results suggest that the L12 is better than the l9x65.www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=louqe.com/img/heatsinktest.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwixqbbH15nsAhUrJTQIHZ-CDJYQFjABegQIDhAJ&usg=AOvVaw1Z0NsU64F6RTNF2mEc9_VG