For some reason, in the race for high performance, many buyers do not pay attention to the cooling system at all, hoping that regular CPU coolers can easily cope with the task. And only after a time when it is overheating that becomes the weak link in the operation of the entire system, and the hum of the fan in peak loads gets boring, the user begins to look for solutions. The focus of this article is the legend of the world market of computer components in the niche of processor coolers - Noctua NH D15 cooling systems.
The king is dead, long live the king!
The products of an expensive Austrian brand cannot be called consumer goods. If a manufacturer launches something on the market, then this is the result of teamwork of designers, technologists and designers, which does not need further development. This is exactly what happened with the predecessor of the legendary cooler, the Noctua NH D14 model, which is too early to write off.
Naturally, the Noctua NH D15 cooler novelty is a more advanced system that took all the best from an outdated model and, keeping pace with modern technologies, embodied the wishes and needs of users in the final product. In fact, this is a common evolution of processor cooling systems. Definitely, after some time, new products will appear (16, 17th and other versions), no one is safe from this, most importantly, the buyer should know when purchasing products of a very respected manufacturer on the market that he has the best at the time of purchase and the most technologically advanced device in the world.
Sewed on soap?
Definitely, the end consumer is primarily interested in the difference in the technical characteristics of the new cooler from the performance of its predecessor. Therefore, it is time to begin the long-awaited comparison of Noctua NH D15 vs Noctua NH D14 models, a review of which is presented in the form of a comparison.
- The novelty added in size: the width increased from 140 mm to 150 mm, the height - from 160 mm to 165 mm and the depth from 130 mm to 135 mm. This does not mean that now Full ATX cannot be dispensed with, the manufacturer has increased the radiator area with the calculation of installing it in any system case.
- The proprietary SSO-bearing technology has evolved, which has received the corresponding number in the marking - SSO2-bearing. The hydrodynamic bearing, as before, has magnetic stabilization, only new technologies are used in its production.
- Fan airflow increased from 110.3 CFM to 140.2 CFM.
- Now you can change the speed of rotation of the cooler (300-1500 rpm).
- The noise level at maximum revs increased slightly (no more than 24.6 dB).
Serious customer approach
How the manufacturer relates to final consumers can be judged by the packaging and equipment that accompanies the goods. The cooler Noctua NH D15 will definitely attract the attention of any buyer, and the manufacturers of many computer components will surely envy the Austrian brand. A huge box the size of a blender has a conservative appearance. On one of the sides, the manufacturer indicated a complete list of components supplied with the cooler.
Having opened the box, the user will find inside a mass of cardboard boxes on which there are inscriptions and drawings that reflect the contents. Naturally, the kit contains complete instructions for assembling and installing the device with the manufacturer's recommendations. Numerous customer reviews in the media note that you do not need to buy anything to install the cooler in the system, everything you need is in the box, including adapters and thermal grease.
This is a monster!
Without exception, all owners who preferred the Austrian brand recommend immediately after purchase to unpack the box and pick up the Noctua NH D15 cooler. A review of the processor cooler simultaneously causes several feelings - delight, respect and curiosity, because not every day you have to contemplate such a monster.
Six copper tubes are curved in the form of the letter U, at the base of which is a platform in contact with the processor. On the other hand, 45 aluminum plates are planted on the tubes, which look like two towers in appearance.
One fan, using special brackets included in the kit, is mounted between the blocks, and the second is mounted on one of the sides. The manufacturer suggests installing a third fan, which is not supplied, however, user reviews claim that the system performance that the Noctua NH D15 cooler provides is sufficient with two devices.
Mounting Features
And if cooling Noctua NH D15 does not cause any doubts among potential buyers, then about installing the cooler in the system, users have a lot of questions. In the reviews that can be found in the media, the owners note that there are many kinds of adapters for different sockets in the configuration, so there is no reason for concern. Full compatibility with all existing AMD platforms, starting from the current millennium. All available Intel sockets are supported, starting with the LGA775.
The installation system itself is quite convenient. First you need to completely remove all the mounts for the cooler, leaving 4 holes on the motherboard around the processor. By installing special compensators that adjust the height of the cooling system relative to the processor (supplied), the user must install the guides and secure them securely. After that, the cooler Noctua NH D15 is installed. It should be noted that the screws for tightening the cooling system to the processor are spring-loaded, this is done in order not to accidentally damage the processor.
Test results
All potential buyers definitely want to see the potential that the Noctua NH D15 cooler is capable of. Overview, photos and product features are lyrics for many, so it's time to familiarize yourself with the test results. At an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, the Intel Core i7-4770K processor (3.5 GHz) in normal mode shows 25 degrees. Acceleration to a stable 4.5 GHz forced the cooling system to work at maximum speed, increasing the fan speed to the limit. At the same time, the core temperature did not rise above 78 degrees.
A similar test was performed with the Noctua NH D14, Corsair H110i GT and Akasa Venom Voodoo cooling systems. The predecessor of the novelty lost to its fellow only 7 degrees Celsius on acceleration, apparently, a smaller air flow affects. The Corsair cooling system showed slightly better results - 75 degrees, but Akasa Venom Voodoo lost by 11 degrees to the culprit of the Noctua NH D15 review.
Design features
Compared with the previous model, the Noctua NH D15 cooler has small recesses at the base, the manufacturer cut several aluminum plates for this. Thus, the installation of the cooling system is possible on all existing motherboards, and the user can be sure that during installation the radiator will not run into capacitors or memory modules (especially if they have additional radiators).
The manufacturer made changes to the production of fan impellers, adding special serifs, which, in his opinion, reduce the cooler noise. However, this statement is regarded by many experts as a marketing move of the Austrian company, designed to hide the true secrets that contribute to the quiet operation of the entire cooling system.
Error handling
Protection against vibrations of the rotating components of the Noctua NH D15 cooler, an overview of which is given in this article, is designed to provide rubber gaskets located along the edges of the fan casing. Judging by the numerous reviews of IT experts, users have long been using rubber delimiters between the fan and heatsink bodies, cutting them out of the hands at hand, which is why Noctua liked the solution.
The fan speed control was clearly not enough in the previous model, which could produce high-quality cooling even with the cooler stopped. Therefore, many buyers appreciated the manufacturer’s step taken in their direction. However, some owners note that there is still no way to completely disable the Noctua NH D15 cooler programmatically. The characteristics of the device, judging by the reviews of some enthusiasts, have to be changed independently, using a soldering iron and a resistor.
The closest competitor in efficiency
Many potential buyers were unambiguously confused by the comparison of the two media cooling systems: the Noctua NH D15 vs Corsair H110i GT with water cooling. There is no logic: choose between an air cooler and a water cooling system. What about performance and efficiency?
In fact, there is nothing strange in the review, because both systems have almost the same radiators, are equipped with two fans, and the air flow with noise is almost identical. The only difference is in the installation - Noctua is mounted directly on the processor, and for Corsair it is implemented as a platform, which is separated from the radiator by special tubes with liquid and is installed on the motherboard independently. There is a difference in price, an Austrian competitor very expensively evaluates his creation, asking him for almost the double cost of an air-cooled Noctua system on the market, which is about 8 thousand rubles.
Market for similar devices
But many users are trying to compare devices in appearance and price, trying to choose a beautiful and inexpensive solution. For example, in comparisons there is always a wonderful cooler from the budget class Arctic Cooling Freezer i30. Its cooling efficiency is in no way in doubt, especially when it comes to conventional computer systems, where you just need to replace a regular cooler. Naturally, this device will not cope with overclocking the game processor.
If a customer craves comparisons with the Noctua NH D15 Ulmart, then he should definitely be interested in the top models of cooling systems for processors, such as Akasa Venom Voodoo or Prolimatech Megahalems. The listed devices are not only world leaders in sales, but also indicate the direction of development for small companies.
Finally
All existing reviews on the excellent Noctua NH D15 cooling system, which can be found in the media, lead to the idea that the device is perfect. There are no questions regarding the quality of the cooler, and users are in no hurry to leave negative reviews. Many tests conducted in private laboratories only prove the effectiveness of the system. Cooler Noctua NH D15 is by far the best of air cooling systems for gaming stations by the criterion of "price-quality".