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ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 vs Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black: Comparison
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 vs Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black: the airflow difference
On airflow the spread is 18%, ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 72.84 CFM against Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black 60.09 CFM, so ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 takes it. Add max speed to that, 1700 RPM on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 2000 RPM on the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black, and the pattern holds.
Who each one is for
Buy the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 for value-focused 280mm-radiator builds and motherboards with modest VRM cooling, though it is not built for RGB showcase builds (see ARCTIC's ARGB variants instead) and cases needing thin (<30mm) radiators. Take the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black for buyers who want near-flagship cooling in a case too tight for a full dual-tower cooler. It is equally the pick for builders who want tall RAM clearance without giving up much thermal capacity. It is not the one for the heaviest overclocking, where the larger Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black, covered elsewhere on this site, has more headroom. Our rating of the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 (8.5/10): outstanding thermal value at 280mm, the VRM fan is a genuinely useful extra most AIOs lack. Our rating of the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black (8.8/10): Noctua's compact flagship proves a well-engineered single-tower can rival dual-tower coolers, at a real premium.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, fan count, rgb lighting, pwm control, lighting and warranty included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 and Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black differ on cooler type?
Yes. Cooler Type reads AIO Liquid on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 versus Air Tower on the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AIO Liquid
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Air Tower
Series
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
Model Number
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ACFRE00066B
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- NH-U12A chromax.black
Socket Compatibility
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Not Applicable
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Single-Tower
Fan Count
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 2
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 2
RGB Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- No
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- No
Cooler Weight
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1572 g
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 1220 gBest
Fan Size
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 140 mm
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1700 RPM-15%
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 2000 RPMBest
Airflow
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 72.84 CFMBest
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 60.09 CFM-18%
PWM Control
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Yes
Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- None
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- None
Warranty
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 6 years
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 6 years
Which one should you pick?
Choose ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 if you want the higher fan count (2 vs 2), the higher airflow (72.84 CFM vs 60.09 CFM) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 6 years).
Choose Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black if you want the higher max speed (2000 RPM vs 1700 RPM).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 | Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
Outstanding thermal value at 280mm, the VRM fan is a genuinely useful extra most AIOs lack.
Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
8.8 / 10 Expert Rating
Noctua's compact flagship proves a well-engineered single-tower can rival dual-tower coolers, at a real premium.