We extended our database of processor coolers with the notorious NH-D15. It will serve as a key reference point for every upcoming test because it represents some kind of a standard for air coolers. In this review, we analyzed the functional features of the most popular product in its category. How does Noctua do it?
Conclusion
NH-D15 probably still remains (even after three and a half years after the release) the most efficient commercially available CPU cooler. That sounds like a courageous claim, but it is based on my previous work – the great comparison of CPU coolers on ExtraHardware.cz. There were practically all competitors who had the ambition to endanger the position of Noctua, including Raijintek Thisis, and Cryorig R1 Ultimate.
The cooling performance is very high even at low noise levels. And even though the fans can go really wild, the cooler is optimized for exceptionally quiet operation. This is supported by the fact that the temperature variation between the maximum noise level (48 dBA) and really silent 33 dBA is only about 4 degrees Celsius (180 W). The cooling performance decreases linearly as well as the noise level, according to the speed/airflow. Compared with cheaper coolers (for example, SilentiumPC Fera 3), it is clear that D15 is dominant with a lower airflow rate because the big heatsink makes a difference. However, the price for it are various possible collisions.
It is quite complicated to talk about what you get for the money. You get extra details and precise work. Only BeQuiet! can compete when it comes to fans (we are still talking about the same price category), but, for example, Dark Rock Pro 3 is known for its really complicated and difficult assembly. Noctua represents the opposite, SecuFirm is the top-notch mounting system that has been copied many times, but Noctua leads right from the start.
However, despite the fact that NH-D15 is very reasonable choice, it is not a prototype of a perfect cooler. There are some drawbacks. But that is beyond these standard tests. We will give that a closer look in the upcoming bonus review.
| Noctua NH-D15 |
| + excellent cooling performance |
| + balanced performance over the entire speed spectrum |
| + performance does not decrease even after reducing the speed |
| + very quiet PWM, both in idle and in burn |
| + handy assembly |
| + you can use heatsinks for RAM in the first two slots (up to 7 cm) |
| + excellently made heatsink |
| + top-notch fans with a long lifespan |
| + great ssupport from the manufacturer, a possibility of compatibility for several years |
| - collision with higher memory modules (over 34 mm) and, sometimes, with the first PCIe × 16 slot |
| - you can turn the heatsink only in one direction when using AMD CPU |
| - the price |
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