INTRODUCTION
Tower CPU Coolers may have been around for roughly a decade now but dual tower CPU coolers (also known as sandwich CPU coolers) are quite new in and only count 5 years in the market (at least consumer models). Of course in these 5 years pretty much every single manufacturer has tried their luck such a solution but Noctua was the very first to do so with their massive NH-D14 back in late 2009 a CPU Cooler which is still considered as one of the best to date. Noctua did make some slight improvements on the NH-D14 in late 2011 and since they also made it compatible with the latest Intel LGA2011 socket they renamed it as the NH-D14 SE2011. Having known Noctua since the beginning however we knew that this wouldn't be their last attempt in the dual tower arena and since they just released the NH-D15 it seems that we were on the spot and what better way to celebrate than checking it out?
Designed in Austria, Noctua's premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 3000 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua's fans and heatsinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe. Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.
The first thing one will notice when taking a look at the NH-D15 is its size and since it's also larger compared to its predecessor the NH-D14 it's easy to realize why that is. Numbers have a way of speaking for themselves so to be more precise size wise the brand new NH-D15 measures 165x150x135mm and weighs a total of 1kg while the NH-D14 measures 160x140x130mm and weighs 900g. Both the NH-D15 and the NH-D14 feature six 6mm nickel plated heatpipes so not much have changed in this regard but clearly to make up for that Noctua has equipped the NH-D15 with two of their latest NF-A15 PWM 140mm fans (1500RPM/82.5CFM/24.6dBA) instead of the 120mm/140mm combo they used with the NH-D14 so that too should help increase the cooling efficiency of the unit. As you can all see the improvements Noctua has made are not massive so time to see just how much better the NH-D15 is compared to its predecessor the mighty NH-D14.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
The box of the NH-D15 has the main features listed at the front right next to a sticker stating it's based on the award winning NH-D14.
You can read a few words about the product in 9 languages over at the left side.
The specification tables are placed on the right side of the box.
The features of the NH-D15 are explained at the rear with the use of 11 drawings.
Noctua has once again used small cardboard boxes to store the bundle.
Well the bundle is very rich which is not surprising considering we're talking about a product by Noctua. So along with the NH-D15 and the one pre-installed NF-A15 fan you will also get a second NF-A15 fan, two fan mounting clips, 4 rubber fan mounts, 4 fan case screws, NT-H1 thermal paste tube, two low noise adapters, fan y-splitter, Noctua case badge, screwdriver, backplate and all the necessary bits and pieces required to install the NH-D15 onto Intel LGA1150/1155/1156/2011 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards.
THE NH-D15
The NH-D15 comes with one of the two AF-15 140mm PWM fans pre-installed and measures 165mm in height, 150mm in width and 135mm in length with a weight of 1150g.
Both towers have a total of 45 aluminum fins 7 of which are cut in half to allow for placement of memory modules with tall heatspreders.
All 45 fins are closed on the sides to keep air from leaving the heatsinks left and right.
Noctua has placed their name and logo ontop of both heatsinks.
Just like with the NH-D14 the NH-D15 packs a total of six 6mm thick nickel plated heatpipes.
Once again the base of the cooler has a nice mirror-like finish (Noctua’s trademark in a way).
With both NF-A15 fans installed the NH-D15 is now 161mm long and weighs 1314g.
TEST BED
TESTING METHODOLOGY
We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).
To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).
TEST RESULTS
CONCLUSION
I've been following and testing products made by Noctua since the very beginning so when they announced the NH-D15 to us we immediately knew that it would be a worthy successor to the highly acclaimed NH-D14. Sure we didn't expect miracles since in their current state dual tower CPU Coolers have pretty much reached their maximum cooling efficiency but we did expect something more from Noctua and so surpassing the Silver Arrow Extreme by Thermalright was a very pleasant surprise. Noise levels play a significant role in the end game and so having the best possible cooling efficiency (it did dominate the chart) with relatively low noise levels is always the best possible scenario thus the NH-D15 has placed Noctua back at the top of CPU Air Coolers, for now at least.
It's very normal for Dual Tower CPU Coolers to be more expensive than single tower ones and even more when we are talking about the current king of the hill. So the NH-D15 by Noctua currently has a recommended retail price tag set at around USD99.90 inside the USA and 89.90Euros inside the EU so once available widely you should be able to find it for even less. Granted the price tag is set quite high but it's not the first time we see such numbers and when we're talking about the best CPU Air Cooler currently i don't think it's much. Of course just like many other people i still hope that Noctua will one day design their very own Liquid CPU Cooler but with solutions like the NH-D15 i don't know if they will ever find a serious reason to do so. For excellent and unsurpassed performance by todays CPU Air Coolers the NH-D15 by Noctua gets our Platinum Award.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design (Limited Clearance Issues)
- Superior Cooling Efficiency (Top CPU Air Cooler In Our Charts)
- Dual 140mm 1500RPM Fans
- Ability to Add An 3rd Fan
- Noise Levels
CONS
- Price (For Some)