Understanding Noctua’s product naming scheme

While our line-up has expanded to include new series, accessories, and product families, the underlying naming system has remained stable, predictable, and designed to help users navigate our range with confidence. This article provides an overview of the logic behind our prefixes, series identifiers, size classes, and variants. 

Core product categories

Each core product category is designated by a dedicated prefix. We currently have eight active core categories: 

• Noctua Fans: NF 
• Noctua Heatsinks: NH 
• Noctua Thermal interface materials: NT 
• Noctua Accessories: NA 
• Noctua Mounting: NM 
• Noctua home Ventilation: NV 
• Noctua Promotion: NP 
• Noctua Chipset Coolers (legacy): NC 

For our partner products, we generally follow the naming conventions of our partner brand and add “Noctua Edition”, e.g. Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition or ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua Editon.

NF-category: fans

The NF prefix stands for Noctua Fan. The general naming structure is: 
NF - series identifier - size x thickness (if applicable) - variant 

Examples

• NF-A12x25 PWM 
• NF-F12 PWM 
• NF-P14 FLX 

Series identifiers 

• A-series: Advanced all-round designs that perform excellent in all usage scenarios from low to high airflow impedance, covering both airflow-oriented applications (e.g. case ventilation) and static pressure-demanding use cases (e.g. heatsink and radiator cooling). 
• F-series: Focused Flow™ fans optimized for high static pressure, only used on NF-F12. 
• S-series: Straight-blade designs intended for low-impedance ventilation. 
• P-series: Earlier-generation pressure-optimized models, still used in the redux range. 
• R-series: “Raised blade design”, only used on NF-R8, which is still available in the redux product-line. 

Round-frame versions

A lowercase r right after the model name denotes a round-frame variant of an existing square-frame design (e.g. NF-A12x25r = round frame variant of NF-A12x25), that is typically used on a CPU cooler. 

Size and thickness 

• The size indication (4, 6, 8, 9, 12,14, 20) refers to the nominal frame width in centimetres (e.g. NF-A8 = 8cm frame width). 
• Thickness (x25, x15, etc.) is specified in millimetres, not centimetres. A thickness designation is usually added whenever there is more than one option per size (e.g. NF-A4x20 and NF-A4x10). If no thickness is specified, the fan typically uses a standard 25mm thick design (e.g. NF-A8, NF-F12, NF-P12).  

Voltage 

In our naming scheme, 12V is considered standard and not explicitly designated. By contrast, 5V and 24V variants have dedicated suffixes. For example, NF-A4x10 PWM is 12V without explicit suffix, whereas NF-A4x10 5V PWM has a dedicated suffix. 

Variants 

• PWM: 4-pin versions that support Pulse Width Modulation based speed control. 
• Sx2-PP: Dual fan set with speed-offset for acoustic optimisation in push-pull and side-by-side applications. 
• HS-PWM: High-speed 4-pin PWM versions with increased RPM headroom compared to the regular PWM models. 
• LS-PWM: Low-speed 4-pin PWM versions with reduced maximum RPM speed for ultimate quietness of operation. 
• 5V PWM: 5V version with 4-pin interface for PWM control. 
• 5V: 5V version with 3-pin interface. 
• 24V PWM: 24V version with 4-pin interface for PWM control. 
• FLX: Short for “Flexibility”, 3-pin voltage-controlled with selectable speeds through included Low-Noise Adaptors. 
• ULN: Ultra-low-noise variants, 3-pin voltage-controlled with reduced RPM speed for maximum quietness of operation. 

Product line variants 

• chromax.black: all-black version with black anti-vibration pads and regular accessories (extension and splitter cables). 
• chromax.black.swap: all-black version with included swappable anti-vibration pads in various colours. 
• redux: Cost-optimised editions of classic models with streamlined accessories, RPM speed is encoded directly into the name (e.g. NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM = 1700rpm). 
• industrialPPC: Heavy-duty versions with high RPM and optional IP67 protection encoded directly in the model name (e.g. NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 IP67 PWM). 

G2 variants

The G2 suffix indicates a second-generation, further improved design (e.g. NF-A12x25 G2 PWM, NF-A14x25 G2 PWM).

NH-category: CPU coolers 

The NH prefix stands for Noctua Heatsink. The naming structure is: 

NH – series type – size class/version – variant 

Examples 

• NH-D15 
• NH-D15 G2 
• NH-U12S redux 
• NH-L9i chromax.black 
• NH-C14S 
• NH-P1 

Series types 

• D-series: Dual-tower designs. 
• U-series: Single-tower coolers with U-shaped heatpipes. 
• L-series: Low-profile coolers. 
• C-series: Top-flow coolers with C-shaped heatpipes. 
• P-series: Passive coolers. 

Size classes 

• The number refers to the approximate heatsink/fan size class in centimetres (e.g. NH-U12 = 120 mm class, NH-D15 = 150mm class). In case of some low-profile coolers, a height indication in millimetres is added separated by an “x” (e.g. NH-L12Sx77). 
• Exception: NH-P1, where “1” is a sequential number, not a size indication. 

Versions and variants 

• a: AMD socket specific 
• i: Intel socket specific 
• Socket-specific versions for one or multiple sockets, e.g.:  
• • NH-L9a-AM5 = for AMD AM5 
  • NH-L9i-17xx = for Intel LGA17xx (and LGA1851, since it uses the same mounting) 
  • NH-U14S TR4-SP3 = for TR4 and SP3 
• S: Slim and/or single-fan (e.g. NH-D15S, NH-U12S, NH-L12S) exceptions are workstation-oriented coolers (e.g. NH-U14S DX-4677, NH-U12S DX-4677, NH-U14S TR5-SP6) that use the same heatsink but dual fans. 
• L: Used for traditional tower coolers that are lower height (e.g. NH-D12L, NH-D9L) 
• SE: Special Edition, combined with an extra designation (e.g. SE2 = dual fan special edition, SE-AM4 = special edition for AM4) 
• DX: for Intel Xeon® sockets (originally “Dual Xeon”), e.g. NH-U14S DX-4677 
• chromax.black: all black variants 
• redux: streamlined, cost-optimised redux versions 
• LBC: Low base convexity 
• HBC: High base convexity 
• G2: Second-generation, further improved design (e.g. NH-D15 G2)

NT-category: thermal pastes 

The NT prefix stands for Noctua Thermal interface materials. 

• H in NT-H1 and NT-H2 indicates a hybrid formulation. 
• The number designates the generation, e.g. H2 is our second-generation hybrid compound. 
• Sizes are indicated in Grams, e.g. 3.5g or 10g. 
• AM5 Edition: includes NA-TPG1 thermal paste guard. 

NA-category: accessories 

The NA prefix stands for Noctua Accessories.  

It is divided into two main groups: accessories for coolers and accessories for fans. It covers a wide range of products, many of which are available in sets and are therefore using an S before the identifier (e.g. NA-SAV3 for a Set of Anti-Vibration mounts, see below for more info on set naming). 

• Anti-vibration mounts, anti-vibration pads and anti-vibration gaskets (e.g. NA-SAV2, NA-SAVP1, NA-SAVG2) 
• Extension and y-splitter cables (e.g. NA-SEC3, NA-SYC1, NA-SC1) 
• Adaptor cables (e.g. NA-SAC5) 
• Fan controllers (e.g., NA-FC1) 
• Fan hubs (NA-FH1) 
• Voltage converters (NA-VC1) 
• Fan grills (NA-FG1 series, the number after the identifier gives the size in centimetres, e.g. NA-FG1-12 = 120mm) 
• Fan ducts (NA-FD1) 
• Inlet spacers and fan mount adapters (NA-IS1 series and NA-SFMA1) 
• Cleaning wipes and thermal paste guards (NA-SCW1, NA-STPG1) 
• Heatsink covers (e.g. NA-HC3) 

Some accessories are part of the chromax product line and are available in several colours. This is designated by the chromax.colour suffix, e.g. NA-SAV2 chromax.red or NA-SEC1 chromax.white. In case colour features are swappable, the product is designated as chromax.black.swap (e.g. NA-HC1 chromax.black.swap). 

NM-category: mounting kits 

NM denotes Noctua Mounting. This category comprises our famous SecuFirm™ mounting kits. The mounting kit names are built up as follows: 

• Socket manufacturer: “i” is prefixed for Intel sockets that are designated by pin-count, e.g. NM-i4677 for the Intel LGA4677 socket. The “i” prefix was also used for the legacy NM-i3 kit that supported 3 different Intel platforms (LGA775, LGA1366 and LGA115x/1200). 
• Socket name(s): For sockets that are not commonly designated by pin-count such as AMD AM5, (s)TR5 or SP6, we use their common name instead of the pin-count plus manufacturer prefix. If a kit supports multiple sockets, they can either be abbreviated (e.g. NM-AM5/4-MP83 for AM5 and AM4) or separated by a dash (e.g. NM-TR5-SP6). 
• “xx” wildcard characters are used to highlight compatibility with multiple sockets (e.g. NM-i20xx fits both LGA2066 and LGA2011). 
• Mounting pitch: Recent mounting kits for desktop CPU platforms are available both with a mounting pitch of both 83mm (MP83) and 78mm (MP78). 
• NM-M1 kits: Multi-socket kits supporting several current platforms. 
• Cooler-specific mounting kits bear a dedicated suffix, e.g. NM-AM5-L9aL9i is an AM5 mounting upgrade kit that’s exclusively compatible with NH-L9a and NH-L9i series coolers. 

If you want to find out which mounting kit you need to use your Noctua cooler on a specific socket or if you would like to order a mounting kit, please use our mounting kit selector and order form. 

In addition to complete mounting kits, the NM category also comprises other mounting related parts and sets: 

• Offset mounting bar sets for AMD (NM-AMB12, NM-AMB13, NM-AMB14, NM-AMB15) and Intel (NM-IMB8) 
• Screwdrivers (NM-SD1 and NM-SD2) 
• Direct die mounting kit for AMD AM5 (NM-DD1) 

Black variants are designated as chromax.black. 

NV-category: Noctua HOME 

The NV prefix stands for Noctua Ventilation and identifies Noctua HOME products, which cover home, office and multipurpose ventilation: 

• Fan sets (e.g. NV-FS1) 
• Powered hub sets (NV-SPH1) 
• Fan mounts (NV-FM1) 
• Fan hubs (NV-FH2) 
• Power supplies: (NV-PS1) 
• Airflow amplifiers (NV-AA1-12) 
• Multi-purpose gasket (NV-MPG1) 
• Multi-purpose pads (NV-MPP1) 

NP-category: promotion 

The NP prefix is used for promotion and merchandise items, for example: 

• Desk mats: NP-DM3 
• Hoodies: NP-H1.brown and NP-H1.grey 
• T-shirts: NP-T1 and NP-T2 

Set naming conventions 

Especially the NA accessories category contains many product sets. We generally use two different designations for sets: 

S-prefix sets 

These use S directly after the category and often group different items together, for example: 

• NA-STPG1: set of thermal paste guard and cleaning wipes 
• NV-SPH1: set of fan hub and power supply (powered fan hub) 

Sx2, Sx5, etc. multi-packs 
Used for multiple identical items, for example 

• NA-FG1-12 Sx5: Set of five NA-FG1-12 fan grills 
• NA-IS1-14 Sx2: Set of two NA-IS1-14 inlet spacers 

This scheme was introduced later, so older sets like the NA-SEC1 use the earlier naming convention despite bundling multiple identical items.