Noctua top-down chladiče NH-L9 vs NH-L12 Ghost S1 vs NH-C14S

Specifications

Let ´s talk a little more about the new Ghost S1. Compared to the classic L12 version, the Ghost S1 edition has got different fan – NF-A12x15 was replaced by a little bit smaller NF-B9. Just like the title says, the size has decreased from 12cm to 9cm. The reason behind this was to fit the cooler right into this case. But it is more about compatibility of mini-ITX boards with the case, RAM vs. the cooler orientation. The smaller fan simply creates more space.

Seeing that the Loque Ghost S has not arrived yet, I can not entirely confirm this fact. According to several people on Reddit, the classic L12 cannot be fitted into the Loque.

It is a pity, that I do not have this version at my disposal for the test as well so I could test the fan ´s impact on the cooler ´s power. My personal guess is that the difference will be maximally 3 degrees Celsius.
The difference between C14S and the rest is now already clear, and we can pick the winner of this test relatively easily. The weight and the fan are simply on the C14S ´s side, there is no doubt of that. But the question is, how much better is this specific cooler and if the NH-L9 and Ghost S1 are also even useful in more powerful setups. Personally, I am curious how will the smaller amount of heat pipes in NH-L9a vs. NH-L12 Ghost S1 express themselves, since both are nearly identical in terms of weight. As a matter of fact, I am going to test Ghost S1 with the 120mm fan NF-P12, which you should be able to attach to the cooler without any problems.