At Computex 2026 Noctua showed a prototype 70mm AM5 cooler with six heatpipes and an NF-A12x25 G2 fan, described as a rethink of the NH-L12 line. Retail is targeted for Q2 2027, so anyone building a small-form-factor PC this winter is still choosing from today’s coolers. These five cover everything from a 37mm cooler for slim cases to a 77mm six-heatpipe tower for ITX builds that have a little more room.
| Spec | Noctua NH-L12Sx77 9.2/10 | Thermalright AXP120-X67 9/10 | Noctua NH-L9x65 8.9/10 | Noctua NH-L9i-17xx 8.6/10 | Thermalright AXP90-X53 8.4/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| height | 77mm | 67mm | 65mm | 37mm | 53mm |
| heatPipes | 6 | 6x 6mm | 4x 6mm | — | AGHP copper heatpipes |
| fan | 120mm NF-A12x15 PWM | 120mm TL-C12015 PWM, 1800 RPM | 92mm NF-A9x14 PWM | 92mm NF-A9x14 PWM | 92mm TL-9015 slim PWM |
| ramClearance | 44mm standard, 56mm with fan on top | — | — | — | — |
| sockets | AM4/AM5, LGA1700/1851 and older Intel | AM4/AM5, LGA1700/1851/1200/115x | AM4/AM5, LGA1700 and older Intel | Intel LGA1700/1851 | AM4/AM5, LGA1700/1851 and older Intel |
| Rating | 9.2/10 | 9/10 | 8.9/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.4/10 |
Prices change daily — tap Check Price for the current Amazon price.
Prices change daily — tap Check Price for the current Amazon price.
Quick Picks
- Best performance: the Noctua NH-L12Sx77 has six heatpipes and a 120mm fan, the largest cooling surface on the list for a cooler under 80mm.
- Best value: the Thermalright AXP120-X67 uses the same 120mm fan and six-heatpipe layout at 67mm, and costs a fraction of the Noctua.
- Slimmest option: the Noctua NH-L9i-17xx is 37mm tall, for Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 builds in thin cases.
Buying Guide
Measure case clearance first. Every cooler here is sold by height, and the number that matters is the case’s CPU cooler limit, not the cooler’s footprint. Slim HTPC cases often cap at 37mm to 40mm, while many SFX-based ITX cases allow 65mm to 77mm. If the case lists a limit of 70mm, the 77mm L12Sx77 will not fit even though it is “low profile.”
Match the cooler to the CPU’s heat output. A 37mm cooler with a 92mm fan is sized for efficient chips. A Ryzen 5 or Core i5 at stock fits that tier. A Ryzen 7 9800X3D or a Core Ultra 7 will lean on the 65mm to 77mm coolers. Chips with unlocked power limits can thermally throttle on the smallest coolers, so check your CPU’s TDP against the cooler before buying. Pairing a low-profile cooler with a high-power flagship is the most common mistake in SFF builds.
Check socket support in the listing title. AM5 and LGA1851 support is not universal. The NH-L9i-17xx is Intel only, and the AMD equivalent is the NH-L9a-AM5. Thermalright’s Amazon listings cover several revisions of the same cooler with different socket lists in the title, so read the title before ordering.
Think about RAM height. The L12Sx77 allows modules up to 44mm tall with the fan underneath, or up to 56mm with the fan mounted on top of the fins. The L9 models have no RAM overhang at all. Tall RGB DIMMs are the usual reason an otherwise valid install fails.
Plan for airflow, not just the cooler. Low-profile coolers push heat into the case instead of out of it. A small case with a hot GPU needs good exhaust, so pair these coolers with a well-ventilated case. See our Mini-ITX case roundup for cases that suit them, and our small form factor GPU roundup for graphics cards that fit alongside.
Pairs well with thermal paste. The Noctua coolers ship with NT-H1, and the Thermalright coolers include their own paste. If you plan to remount a cooler, Noctua NT-H2, Noctua NT-H1 or Arctic MX-6 are common choices for a fresh application.
Detailed Reviews
1. Noctua NH-L12Sx77
The Noctua NH-L12Sx77 is the cooler to buy if your case allows 77mm. Six heatpipes feed a fin stack topped with a 120mm NF-A12x15 slim fan, and the six-heatpipe layout is what separates it from the four-heatpipe L9x65. It supports AM5 and LGA1851 along with older sockets through the SecuFirm2 mount.
The flexibility is the useful part. With the bends of the heatpipes facing the I/O panel, it clears 44mm RAM. Flip the fan to the top of the fins and clearance rises to 56mm, which opens up tall kits at the cost of added overall height. Noctua backs it with a 6-year warranty.
The trade-off is cost and size. It is the most expensive cooler in this list, and a case with a 70mm limit rules it out. Choose the Thermalright below if you want similar hardware on paper for much less.
2. Thermalright AXP120-X67
The Thermalright AXP120-X67 matches the L12Sx77’s formula of six 6mm heatpipes and a 120mm fan, in a 67mm package. The TL-C12015 fan is 15mm thick, spins to 1800 RPM, and is rated at 59 CFM and 26.1 dB(A), according to the manufacturer. Sockets include AM4, AM5, LGA1700 and LGA1851.
Spec for spec, this is the strongest value in the roundup, and it is why many SFF builders look at it first. The compromises are in the details: owner reports describe the mounting hardware and fan as a notch below Noctua’s, and Thermalright sells several lookalike variants on Amazon (black ARGB, white ARGB, plain). Read the listing title for the socket list and color you want.
3. Noctua NH-L9x65
The Noctua NH-L9x65 is the middle step. It stays within the 95x95mm L9 footprint, so it does not overhang RAM or the PCIe slot on an ITX board, but grows to 65mm tall with four 6mm heatpipes and a 92mm NF-A9x14 PWM fan. Noctua lists AM5 support, and a single cooler covers both AMD and Intel.
That makes it a safe choice for a case limit between 65mm and 76mm. It trails the 120mm-fan coolers on raw airflow because the fan is smaller, so it suits chips that sit near 65W to 105W. It is also an older design than the L12Sx77, so confirm that your specific socket is covered in Noctua’s compatibility list.
4. Noctua NH-L9i-17xx
The Noctua NH-L9i-17xx is the answer when height is the constraint. At 37mm it fits cases that reject everything else here, with a 92mm fan, no RAM or PCIe overhang, and NT-H1 paste included. It is built for Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851.
It is a cooler for sensible chips. Pair it with a locked or lower-power Core i5 or Core Ultra 5, and do not expect it to hold an unlocked Core Ultra 9 or Core i9 at its limits. For an AMD board, Noctua’s equivalent is the NH-L9a-AM5, not this one.
5. Thermalright AXP90-X53
The Thermalright AXP90-X53 sits at 53mm, between Noctua’s 37mm and 65mm models, and it costs less than either. It uses a 92mm TL-9015 slim PWM fan with AGHP heatpipes and covers AM4, AM5, LGA1700 and LGA1851 through multiple revisions.
The 92mm fan has to spin faster than the 120mm fans above to move comparable air, so expect more noise under load. For an office or media PC with a modest CPU it is a sensible budget pick. For a gaming build with a hotter chip, step up to the AXP120-X67 if the case allows it.
FAQ
Can a low-profile cooler handle a Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
It depends on the size. The 120mm-fan coolers with six heatpipes (the L12Sx77 and AXP120-X67) are the better fit for a high-end Ryzen chip. A 37mm cooler is a poor match for a gaming-class CPU. If the case only allows 37mm, a lower-power chip is the safer pairing.
Is the Noctua NH-L12Sx77 worth the price over the Thermalright AXP120-X67?
The hardware on paper is close: six heatpipes, a 120mm fan, and similar heights. What Noctua adds is RAM clearance flexibility, a 6-year warranty and Noctua’s SecuFirm2 mounting system. If budget matters most, the Thermalright is the stronger value.
Do these coolers fit AM5 and LGA1851?
The L12Sx77, L9x65, AXP120-X67 and AXP90-X53 list AM5 support, and the L12Sx77, AXP120-X67 and AXP90-X53 also list LGA1851 or newer Intel sockets. The NH-L9i-17xx is Intel only (LGA1700 and LGA1851). Confirm socket support in the listing before ordering.
What if my case has only a 70mm CPU cooler limit?
That rules out the 77mm L12Sx77. The AXP120-X67 (67mm) and L9x65 (65mm) fit under that limit.
The Bottom Line
The Noctua NH-L12Sx77 is the best low-profile cooler if your case has 77mm of space and you want the most headroom with the best warranty. The Thermalright AXP120-X67 is the better buy for most SFF builders, with similar hardware on paper for much less. For very slim Intel builds, the Noctua NH-L9i-17xx is the only option here at 37mm.