Noctua NH-D15 Dual-Tower CPU Cooler Review

« Intro | Page 3 »

A Closer Look at the Noctua NH-D15

Thankfully the NH-D15 is not as large as the box implied.

Measuring 165 x 150 x 135 mm (H x W x D), the Noctua NH-D15 is designed with superior RAM compatibility compared to its predecessor. The six 6mm heatpipes distribute heat to 45 aluminum fins. The bottom seven aluminum fins are clipped so as to provide the 64mm RAM module height clearance. Like the NH-D14, the NH-D15’s heatpipes are arranged in a row, although now spaced further apart across the wider 150mm body.

The four middle heatpipes protrude out of the topmost fin while the outer heatpipes are recessed. The fin design has also changed to help with thermal efficiency as well as lowering turbulence. The fins now slope into a center point to minimize airflow deadzone caused by the center fan hub and the sides are folded so airflow is concentrated on the center area.

The contact surface is flat, reflective and has visible round micro-machine marks which makes it suitable for more viscous thermal compounds such as Noctua’s NT-H1. The surface area measures 40 x 38mm, suitable for coverage of even the large LGA2011 CPU integrated heatsink surface area. The nickel plate finish prevents oxidation of exposed copper and also contributes to the premium feel of the build quality.

The bundled fans are NF-A15 fans which has a 140mm frame but has dual mounting holes for standard 140mm and 120mm with 105mm spacing. One comes pre-installed and thus already comes with a pair of wire fan mounting clips. The retail NF-A15 can be purchased for around $25-$30 USD so both these fans alone are worth half of the NH-D15 retail price if bought separately. Both fans NF-A15 fans feature the latest in Noctua fan technology including SSO2 bearing, inner surface microstructures, stepped-inlet design, and flow-acceleration channels. SSO2 stands for 2nd generation Self-Stabilizing Oil-pressure bearing technology which is essentially an oil-based hydrodynamic bearing with a self-stabilizing magnet in the rear of the brass bearing shell. The stepped-inlet design of the frame allows more air to be drawn in while the flow-acceleration channels on the seven-bladed NF-A15 works in conjunction with the inner-surface micro-structures to improve airflow while minimizing noise caused by turbulence.