The Noctua NH-D15 is broadly considered one the very best CPU coolers on the earth because of its mixture of unbelievable cooling efficiency and whisper quiet operation, and now it lastly has a successor. The Noctua NH-D15 G2 incorporates a decade of analysis and growth, fine-tuning the unique’s method to offer much more cooling capability with even decrease noise.
In our Noctua NH-D15 overview we famous that its six heatpipes and two huge 140mm followers mix to make it the one greatest CPU cooler on the planet, at the least so far as typical air coolers go. You will get much more cooling efficiency with all-in-one liquid coolers and customized water-cooling however these are expensive and infrequently noisier choices.
The brand new Noctua NH-D15 G2 ups the ante on its predecessor in a single very apparent means, which is that it goes from having six to eight heatpipes. These small copper tubes use a liquid that frequently evaporates out of your CPUs warmth then cools down and liquifies once more on the heatsink, pulling warmth away from the CPU. Utilizing capillary motion, the liquid then is drawn again to the CPU plate to be heated once more in a steady loop.
The transfer to eight heatpipes instantly enhances the flexibility of the cooler to rapidly pull warmth away out of your CPU the place it may be dissipated by the large heatsink and followers.
Different enhancements embody using new NF-A14x25r G2 followers which incorporate a number of design tweaks similar to a progressive bend impeller with a centrifugal turbulator hub and winglets. These options assist the fan “push extra air in the direction of the outer blade areas the place effectivity is larger” in addition to making certain even loading throughout the blade, to maintain it from distorting.
The NH-D15 G2 makes use of these new followers at the side of a reconfigured heatsink fin stack that makes use of a 5mm thinner stack on the entrance to steadiness the general load with the center fan within the push-pull fan configuration used. The upper strain/airflow efficiency of the brand new followers additionally permits Noctua to cut back the spacing between the fins from 1.9mm to 1.6mm.
Because of this, the NH-D15 G2 reveals a barely disappointingly small distinction in efficiency to the G1 cooler. So good was that cooler that the G2 will solely “usually translate right into a 2-3°C temperature discount” in comparison with the G1 with present CPUs. That stated, Noctua’s checks present it does have considerably extra total thermal dissipation capability, having the ability to dissipate 620W in comparison with the G1’s 460W for a sustained 15-minute load.
The brand new cooler is offered in three principal variations, with Noctua’s signature brown and beige colour scheme the one choice proper now. There’s the usual base plate model then one with a excessive base plate curve (HBC) that’s optimized to be used with Intel thirteenth and 14th gen CPUs that profit from the middle of the cooler pushing down more durable on the CPU. There’s additionally a low base curve (LBC) model that’s good for AMD AM5 CPUs or different flat CPUS similar to AM4, LGA2066, LGA2011, and lapped or customized flat heatspreaders.
So how a lot will this marvel of CPU cooling set you again? Lots. With an MSRP of $150, it’s some of the costly non-liquid-based coolers you should purchase. However, if you would like the very best – particularly in case you don’t care an excessive amount of about inner PC aesthetics – its efficiency is unlikely to be overwhelmed. You’ll be able to already purchase the brand new cooler on retailers similar to Amazon US and Amazon UK.
When you’re not eager on fairly such an expensive CPU cooler, take a look at the Cooler Grasp Hyper 212 Halo, which has sufficient cooling capability for low to mid-range CPUs whereas costing simply $40. Or take a look at our greatest AIO CPU cooler information for extra expensive choices which have much more cooling capability than the Noctua and make for better-looking PCs.
