Noctua has finally entered the all in one liquid cooler market with the NL LC1 series, bringing its first AIO coolers after years of relying on air cooling products. The company is best known for coolers such as the NH D15 and NH U12, so expectations were high for its first liquid cooling lineup.
The NL LC1 series is available in 240mm, 360mm, and 420mm versions. The reviewed models were the 360mm and 420mm variants, priced at $249 and $279. That puts them in premium territory, but Noctua is clearly aiming at buyers who care about low noise, long term quality, strong cooling, and careful engineering.
The design uses a black pump and radiator, paired with Noctua’s familiar brown fans. For builders who prefer an all black look, Chromax Black versions are planned for later this year. The coolers support AMD AM4 and AM5, along with Intel LGA 1700, LGA 1851, and the upcoming LGA 1954 socket.
Noctua combines Asetek’s latest pump platform with its own fan and noise control design
The NL LC1 uses the Asetek Emma V2 pump, paired with Noctua’s fans and sound dampening work. The pump can run up to 3400 RPM, with balanced and quiet modes lowering that to 2600 RPM and 2100 RPM. Noise is listed at 14.9 dBA in manual mode, 7.8 dBA in balanced mode, and under 5 dBA in quiet mode.
Noctua also includes a 99.95 percent copper cold plate, its SecuFirm 2 Plus mounting system, an internal noise absorber, and long sleeved tubes. The 420mm model uses a 459.5mm radiator with three 140mm fans, while the 360mm model uses a 399.5mm radiator with three 120mm fans.
The company also offers an optional NL ACF1 auxiliary fan that mounts on the pump area and helps cool nearby motherboard parts such as VRMs, memory, and M.2 SSDs. In testing, this small add on fan reduced VRM temperatures by around 4 to 6 degrees Celsius while staying nearly inaudible.
| Feature | Noctua NL LC1 360mm | Noctua NL LC1 420mm |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249 | $279 |
| Radiator size | 399.5 x 120 x 30mm | 459.5 x 143.7 x 30mm |
| Fan setup | Three 120mm fans | Three 140mm fans |
| Pump platform | Asetek Emma V2 | Asetek Emma V2 |
| Socket support | AM4, AM5, LGA 1700, LGA 1851, LGA 1954 | AM4, AM5, LGA 1700, LGA 1851, LGA 1954 |
| Warranty | 6 years | 6 years |
Performance is where the NL LC1 makes its strongest case. The test system used an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D on an AORUS X670E Xtreme motherboard inside a Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL case. At idle, the 420mm model reached 28 degrees Celsius, while the 360mm model reached 29 degrees Celsius.
Under a multi threaded CPU workload at maximum RPM, the 420mm version reached 62 degrees Celsius and the 360mm version reached 65 degrees Celsius. Both were ahead of several other 360mm and 420mm AIOs in the test group. Gaming temperatures were also strong, with the 420mm model at 44 degrees Celsius and the 360mm model at 46 degrees Celsius.
Noise performance was even more impressive. At 75 percent normalized fan speed, the 420mm version measured 29 dBA at idle and 40 dBA under load. The 360mm version measured 29 dBA at idle and 38 dBA under load. That made both Noctua models some of the quietest AIO coolers in the comparison.
The main drawbacks are price, cable clutter, and the brown fan color, which may not fit every build. The coming Chromax Black versions should solve the color issue for many buyers, but the price will still be a factor.
Noctua took a long time to enter the AIO market, but the NL LC1 does not feel like a rushed first attempt. It offers strong cooling, excellent noise control, easy installation, wide socket support, and a 6 year warranty. For buyers who want a quiet premium liquid cooler and are willing to pay more, the NL LC1 series looks like one of the strongest new options in the AIO space.
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