Why it matters: Intel's Alder Lake is on its way, and with it comes the switch from the current-gen LGA 1200 socket to LGA 1700. If you're one of the many people who own a Noctua cooler and intend to update your CPU, here's some good news: the company is giving away free-of-charge mounting upgrade kits for the hybrid processors.
Noctua says its new NM-i17xx-MP83 and NM-i17xx-MP78 SecuFirm2 mounting kits will allow its coolers with both 83 and 78mm mounting pitch to work with LGA 1700. The kits are said to offer straightforward installation and don't require any pre-assembly or adjustment.
The mounting kits come in standard chrome and all-black Chromax editions. They'll be available for free via Noctua's website once the Alder Lake CPUs and motherboards go on sale. Those who want to take advantage of the offer must provide proof of purchase for an eligible Noctua CPU and either an LGA 1700 CPU or LGA 1700 motherboard.
"Using a CPU cooler across several platform generations instead of buying a new heatsink for each generation is not only economical, it also helps to reduce unnecessary waste and save precious resources," said Noctua CEO Roland Mossig. "By upgrading rather than replacing your cooler, you're actively contributing to a more sustainable PC industry!"
Noctua is also in the process of updating its most recent coolers to include LGA 1700 mounting hardware---the new parts are already available with some models.
Unfortunately for NH-L9i series owners, there will be no upgrade kits due to "severe compatibility issues." Noctua will release revised versions this October.
Check out these recent Alder Lake leaked benchmarks that compare DDR5-4800 with DDR4-3200 memory when paired with one of the processors, likely a Core i9-12900 or i9-12900K.