Review: Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler

Posted by Will Smith

Wednesday, 04 August 2010 00:03

Article Index
Review: Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler
Specifications and Features
Installation and Photo Gallery
BIOS and Windows Temps
Idle Temps
Load Temps
Verdict and Conclusion

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Introduction

Believe it or not, the market for CPU coolers, heatsinks and fans are extremely lucrative. Profit margins can be attractively high, despite the rising cost of raw materials/metals such as copper and aluminum. For this reason, we have seen numerous manufacturers producing thermal products, hoping to capture some of this market share. Big brands already dominate this market, including Coolermaster, Thermaltake, Thermalright, Scythe, Akasa and Zalman. So is there any room for more? ... Possibly.

Let me ask you this question ... how many of you actually use the stock CPU cooler that came with the processor? The answer is ... probably only a few. I, myself would definitely go for a more powerful CPU cooler, with quieter fans that's capable of cooling an overclocked CPU. And this is where Noctua comes in. They have been selling super quiet CPU coolers for quite some time now. And it is their special combination of large heatsinks cooled by their low noise fans, that make them a hit amongst mainstream users and enthusiast alike.

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For those who are not familiar with Noctua products or the company itself ... here's a little blurb taken from their website.

"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."

In this review, we'll be taking a look at the Noctua NH-D14 CPU cooler. It's designed for both AMD (AM2, AM2+, AM3) and Intel processors (LGA 775, 1156, 1366), and features dual radiator design and 6 heatpipes. It comes with 2 LNA cables (low noise adaptor) and 2 low noise fans, one measuring 120mm, while the other measures 140mm. The whole CPU cooler absolutely massive. Weighing in at an astonishing 1.2Kg and measuring 160x140x158mm, it's by far one of the largest CPU cooler we've seen to date. But does big mean better ... we're about to find out.

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We'll be testing the Noctua NH-D14 on our test rig which consist of an Intel Core i5 - 650 @ 3.2Ghz, Gigabyte P55 USB3 motherboard, Geforce GTX 460 OC, 4Gb Crucial Ballistix Tracer and a Silverpower 650w power supply. All-in-all, a decently spec'd computer system.

It'll be interesting to see if the Noctua NH-D14 can compete with other coolers we've got in our labs. But what I'm more concerned about is its size ... it's absolutely huge. Will it fit in most ATX cases?

Anyway, enough of the talk ... let's take a closer look at the specifications and features on the next page.