By: Jonathan Kwan
July 31, 2026
In my be quiet! Power Zone 2 750W review introduction, I talked about how a big tradeoff of running a central AC at my parents' old house was the noise. The early 2000s Lennox installed on the side yard rumbles all the primary living space in the house like you are sitting next to a running washing machine. What I did not talk about, however, was the neighbors' AC unit. It was installed on the same side yard, and when their unit turns on, I can hear it from every bedroom at my parents' old house. Normally, that is not an issue, since it gets pretty cold at night here in Calgary and the AC does not run. I actually never paid attention to it until new neighbors moved in a decade after we started living there. The neighbors broke the AC unit, causing the compressor to run non-stop 24/7. I tried explaining to them their unit is broken and I could not sleep at night due to the constant droning from their AC, but no matter what methods I tried, they simply refused to care. In fact, professional HVAC technicians have told them their AC is non-functional despite turning on and should be replaced. Unfortunately, while noise emissions of this kind would have been a bylaw violation in many cities, Calgary is basically unregulated. There was nothing I could do about their AC when I could not sleep, so I ended up spending those nights reporting them for every other violation they had, including running an unlicensed business, which ended up costing them tens of thousands of dollars in fees and operational costs and still counting. Fortunately, noise -- and the cost of eliminating them -- does not cost nearly the same amount in your PC. Noctua is a company that understands and obsesses with computer acoustics like no other, and their air coolers have always been the best in the market in every metric. However, they have yet to produce an AIO, which has been the rage for at least a decade now. Well, this is no longer, as Noctua released their first AIO, the NL-LC1-24. Based on the Asetek Emma V2 platform and loaded with Noctua-engineered acoustic optimizations, will it continue to dominate every chart? Read on to find out!
Our review units of the Noctua NL-LC1-24 liquid cooler arrived in a large brown corrugated cardboard box from the company's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The company also threw in their NL-ACF1 auxiliary fan for testing. After making its trip across Europe and most of North America with the Atlantic Ocean in between using UPS Saver, the package arrived in good condition to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Everything inside was well protected, and as you will see, all the contents inside came in pristine condition.
The Noctua NL-LC1-24 and NL-ACF1's packaging ensures Noctua-ness never goes away despite the changes in design by retaining Noctua's fundamental brown color scheme. There is a good chance a chromax.black version is coming down the pipeline. There were multiple layout updates for a modernized look over the years, but if you see them all next together at a retail store, no member of the family will look or feel out of place. While some people may not be big fans -- no pun intended -- of the Noctua color palette, it is hard to argue against its overall clean and distinguished appearance when placed on the shelves at your favorite local retailer. The packaging for both products is sleek yet practical, as you can see in our photo above. For the NL-LC1-24, a photo of the AIO cooler in three-quarter view occupies the majority of the space. The product name, Noctua NL-LC1-24, can be seen prominently displayed in white text at the bottom right, while a short product description is printed immediately below. At the top right, you will find the Noctua logo. A badge at the bottom left corner shows this is based off an Asetek platform. Meanwhile, feature highlights, product specifications, and specifications are on the remaining sides of the box. The NL-ACF1's packaging follows the same design template.
Before we move on, let us take a look at the specifications of the Noctua NL-LC1-24 and NL-ACF1, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
Noctua NL-LC1-24
Key specifications
Pump model: Asetek Emma V2
Socket compatibility: AM5, AM4, LGA1700, LGA1851, LGA1954
Radiator form factor: 240 mm
Fan configuration: 2x NF-A12x25 G2
NSPR: 210
Warranty: 6 years
Scope of delivery
- NL-LC1-24 closed-loop liquid cooler with NL-PNA1 pump noise absorber
- Metal Noctua logo faceplate
- 2x NF-A12x25 G2 PWM fans with speed-offset (PPA/PPB)
- 2x NA-AVG1 anti-vibration gaskets (pre-installed)
- NA-YC1 splitter cable
- NA-EC1 30 cm extension cable
- Fan and radiator mounting screws (Torx® T20)
- SecuFirm2+™ multi-socket mounting system with offset options for AMD AM5/AM4 and Intel LGA1851/1700
- NM-SD1 Torx® T20 screwdriver
- NT-H2 thermal compound
- NA-CW1 cleaning wipe
- NA-TPG1 thermal paste guard for AMD AM5
- Noctua metal case badge
Pump Block Specifications
Pump model: Asetek Emma V2
Pump block height: 70 mm
Motor type (phases): Three phase
Impeller type: Centrifugal (closed)
Bearing: Ceramic sleeve and shaft
Rated voltage: 12 V
Starting voltage: 9.5 V
Max. operating voltage: 13.2 V
Input power (max): 6 W
Input power (typical): 2 W
Input current (max): 1.7 A
Input current (typical): 0.5 A
Max. rotational speed (manual mode): 3400 rpm
Max. rotational speed (balanced mode): 2600 rpm
Max. rotational speed (quiet mode): 2100 rpm
Rotational speed @ 20% PWM: 750 rpm
Rotational speed @ 0% PWM: 750 rpm
Max. acoustical noise (manual mode): 14.9 dB(A)
Max. acoustical noise (balanced mode): 7.8 dB(A)
Max. acoustical noise (quiet mode): <5 dB(A)
Cable length: 500 mm
Connector type: 4-pin PWM
Pin configuration:
- Pin 1: Black: Ground (GND)
- Pin 2: Black: Voltage (Vcc)
- Pin 3: Black: RPM Signal
- Pin 4: Black: PWM Signal
Cold plate material: Copper CU1100 (99.95% high-purity)
Cold plate size: 55.5 x 55.5 mm
Construction: Skived fin micro channels
Mounting system: SecuFirm2+
Mounting hole pitch: 78 mm
Pump noise absorber: NL-PNA1
Auxiliary cooling fan: Optional (NL-ACF1)
Coolant specifications
Composition: 22% propylene glycol, 78% water
Inhibitors: Anti-freeze, Anti-corrosion, Antibiological
Compatibility: Non-toxic, Electrically conductive
Tube specifications
Material: EPDM (braided)
Tube length: 400 mm
Outer diameter: 12.5 mm
Inner diameter: 7 mm
Min. bend radius: 26 mm
Radiator specifications
Form factor: 240 mm
Material (fins): Aluminium
Material (tubes): Aluminium
Material (frame): Steel
Fins per inch (FPI): 20
Radiator size: 279.5 x 120 x 30 mm
Fan configuration: 2x 120x120x25 mm
Screw threads: UNC 6-32
Safety, compliance & environmental specifications
Safety standards: EN62368-1
CE: Yes
UKCA: Yes
REACH: Yes
RoHS: Yes
Operating temperature: 2°C to 50
Logistical specifications
Packaging dimensions: 452 x 224.5 x 145 mm
Packaging weight (including product): 2621 g
EAN: 9010018000542
UPC: 841501100543
Packaging unit: 6 pcs
Packaging unit dimensions: 476 x 468 x 477 mm
Packaging unit weight: 17.1 kg
Unit weight (without packaging): 1608 g
Noctua NL-ACF1
Key specifications
Dimensions: 93 x 88 x 33 mm
Colour: Brown
Weight: 95 g
Speed range: 0 - 2200 rpm
Airflow (max.): 55.5 m³/h (32.67 CFM)
Acoustical noise (max.): 17.7 db(A)
Static pressure (max.): 2.37 mm H₂O
Connector: 4-pin
Cable length: 550 mm (21.65 inch)
Warranty: 6 years
Scope of delivery
- NL-ACF1
- NA-YC1 splitter cable
- NA-STM1 Magnet and tape set for attaching the NL-LC1 faceplate to other surfaces
Out of the Noctua NL-LC1-24 box, you will be greeted by the NL-LC1-24 AIO liquid cooler and two more boxes. Both boxes are raw corrugated cardboard boxes, and are printed and labeled in black ink to show you what is inside. The bigger one of them holds the fan kit, which contains two Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 PWM Sx2-PP units. The smaller box holds the mounting accessories with everything nicely separated into their own bags placed in separate partitions. The SecuFirm2+ mounting kit allows the NL-LC1-24 to work with Intel's LGA1700 and LGA1851 sockets as well as AMD's AM5 and AM4 sockets.
Accessories tagging along include the NA-EC1 30cm extension cable, NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable, NA-TPG1 thermal paste guard for AM5, NA-CW1 cleaning wipe, NM-SD1 Torx screwdriver, metal Noctua logo faceplate, and a case badge. As always from the company, the included bundle is not just about the heatsink itself. It is also about the included excellent high-performance fans and thermal paste. Cooling fans such as the NF-A12x25 G2 PWM Sx2-PP are not exactly cheap when you buy them separately in retail. The NL-LC1-24 also ships with a 3.5g tube of Noctua's excellent NT-H2 thermal compound, which we covered back in 2019.
One installation poster is included with concise and clear instructions. Noctua has always led the game in clear instructions and great accessories organization. It makes life just that much easier with the accessories very cleanly distinguished for each application.
The NL-ACF1 auxiliary fan bundle is much simpler. You will get the fan itself and an NA-YC1 splitter cable.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Installation and Test Results
4. Conclusion
