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  Removing the stock retention module 

 

  Putting the backplate in place

1

If your motherboard comes with a pre-installed CPU cooler  
retention module, please first remove it by unscrewing it from 
the backplate. The Se™ mounting system will install  
directly to the stock backplate, so please keep it in place.

Noctua NH-P1| Installation manual

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Required mounting parts:

AMD stock backplate

(included with the motherboard)

4x NM-APS4 

plastic spacers for

AM4

4x NM-ALS1-TX

long screws

4x NM-APS5 

plastic spacers for

AM2(+)/AM3(+)

FM1/FM2(+)

2x NM-AMB8 

mounting bars

Please first choose the correct set of plastic spacers and the correct 
set of holes on the mounting bars depending on whether you are 
using a socket AM4 or a socket AM2(+)/AM3(+)/FM1/FM2(+) 
motherboard:

  Attaching the mounting bars

2

NM-APS5 (white)

AM2(+)/AM3(+)

FM1/FM2(+)

NM-APS4 (grey)

AM4

Use the grey NM-APS4 plastic spacers for AM4 and the white  
NM-APS5 plastic spacers for AM2(+)/AM3(+)/FM1/FM2(+).

Use the set of holes marked with “4” for AM4 and the set of holes 
marked with “3” for AM2(+)/AM3(+)/FM1/FM2(+).

First put the plastic spacers onto the screw threads of the backplate, 
then fix the mounting bars using the four long screws.

AM2(+)/AM3(+)

FM1/FM2(+)

AM4

While the NH-P1 provides first-rate performance for a passive 
cooler, it is not suitable for overclocking or CPUs that create high 
heat loads. Please note that the TDP (Thermal Design Power) 
rating or amount of heat dissipation that the cooler can handle 
not only depends on the chassis and various other factors such as 
ambient temperature or other components inside the system, but 
also generally varies from CPU model to CPU model. 

For this reason, we specify cooling performance using the  
Noctua Standardised Performance Rating (NSPR) instead of  
giving a general TDP specification. In addition, we refer to our 
CPU compatibility list where we indicate how well the cooler can 
be expected to work on a particular CPU in a fully optimised 
setup (see our setup guidelines): 
https://ncc.noctua.at/s/nh-p1-cpus

If necessary, Noctua recommends adding a near-inaudible 
120mm fan like the NF-A12x25 LS-PWM to the heatsink for 
improved performance headroom.

If your motherboard does not come with a pre-installed CPU cooler 
retention module, the AMD stock backplate should be included with 
the motherboard accessories. Please put the backplate on the rear 
side of the motherboard so that the screw threads of the backplate 
stick through the mounting holes of the motherboard as shown  
below. If your motherboard does not include a stock backplate, 
please contact Noctua customer support at [email protected].

Dear customer,

Congratulations  on  choosing  the  Noctua  NH-P1. 

The NH-P1 is Noctua’s first passive CPU cooler and has been 
custom-designed for fanless operation from ground up: In  
enclosures with good natural convection, its six heatpipes and 
thick, widely spaced heatsink fins enable it to cool modern 
high-end CPUs with low to moderate heat dissipation 

 

completely passively. Please take a look at our setup guidelines 
in order to make sure that you will get optimal results.
 
Enjoy your NH-P1! 

                             Yours sincerely,

 

 

Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO

This manual will guide you through the installation process of the 
Se™ mounting system step by step. 

Prior to installing the cooler, please consult the compatibility list 
on our website (www.noctua.at/compatibility) and verify that the 
cooler is fully compatible with your motherboard. 

Please also make sure that your PC case offers sufficient clearance 
for the cooler and that there are no compatibility issues with any 
other components (e.g. tall RAM modules). 

Double check that the heatsink and fan clips do not make  
contact with the VGA card or other PCIe cards. 

Noctua cannot be held responsible for any damage or losses caused 
by compatibility issues. Should you encounter any difficulties, 
please check the FAQs on our website (www.noctua.at/faqs) and 
don’t hesitate to contact our support team at [email protected].

Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our website: 
www.noctua.at/manuals

  AMD

!

Caution: In order to get optimal results when building passively 
cooled systems using the NH-P1, it is important to follow some 
general guidelines. 

Please refer to the following page for detailed guidelines and 
recommendations on how to set up your system for best results: 
https://noctua.at/en/nh-p1-setup-guidelines

The NH-P1 strictly requires either a fanless PC case with good 
natural convection, an open benchtable type setup or a PC case 
with fans in order to achieve its full performance. 

We offer a list of recommended cases for completely fanless 
systems using the NH-P1: 
https://ncc.noctua.at/s/nh-p1-case-recommendations

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