The Summer heat is still here and for folks not relaxing in the comfort of air conditioning it’s pretty darn rough. While gaming and surfing the web, a computer’s CPU cooler is working extra hard to keep your processor from shutting down or melting down. If you’re a gamer, chances are that very same CPU cooler is emitting a nice obnoxious whirring sound all day long. Fret not. Noctua has a beast of an air powered CPU cooler that was created specifically to subdue the hottest processors on the planet. It’s called the Noctua NH-D14 and we’ve got it on our test bench today.
Features and Specifications
The NH-D14 sports the latest in CPU cooler technology. We’re talking the best materials used to fabricate and assemble said cooler. It also happens to support all of the latest processors around. But, rather than explain it all in redundant details, check out our unboxing video on Futurelooks’ own YouTube Channel!
It’s really cool that Noctua includes decent, sturdy mounting hardware and everything you could possibly need to install the cooler. Their thermal paste is pretty decent as well. While I’m not sure if they make their own, it isn’t far off (if at any) from the Arctic Silver 5 stuff typically used on the test bench.
The Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler has been available for quite some time now and should be readily available for around $89.99US. This definitely puts this at the upper end of the cost spectrum. Considering that some of the very premium coolers on the market don’t even come with fans supplied and this cooler almost seems like a bargain. We’ll have to see if the performance justifies the price of course.
Handling and Inspection Notes
I would like to emphasize some of the more impressive features of the Noctua NH-D14. For starters the cooler sports six heat pipes that are about 14 inches long and stretch the entire length of the two massive twin radiators. While most massive tower coolers only sport one massive tower, this beast sports two. That adds some weight to the cooler and makes it weighs in at 1070 grams without the cooling fans attached. The size of the NH-D14 is both impressive and concerning though.
It’s massive dimensions mean that not all motherboards will support the cooler properly so it is best to measure before buying. Issues encountered could include bumping into surrounding heat sinks or memory modules. For example, the Patriot ViperII memory with the black flat tipped heat spreaders worked perfectly with the cooler but, my Kingston HyperX 2250MHz memory with the V1 heat spreaders were far too tall to fit under this behemoth.
I like the fact that the cooling fans are rated at 900 to 1300 RPMs depending on the method of fan control. Users have the option of manual, PWM (BIOS monitored), and fan wire control. While using the BIOS settings is the easiest method, the 2 extra 3-pin Ultra Low Noise Adapaters take speed and noise control a step further. Noctua even includes a Y-Split cable to use with the ULNA wires.
To further reduce noise, they even include eight small Vibration Compensators which are basically white colored soft bumpers of sorts that are almost gel like that can indeed absorb fan vibrations. You can even relocate them as you see fit but the stock settings are pretty optimal. Taking it one step further, you can see that even the fan profiling with the little jagged edges are all geared towards the pursuit of quiet performance as is the slightly unconventional 120mm/140mm fan configuration.
The NH-D14’s Base
What you can’t quite see in the video is just how nice a base the NH-D14 sports. Those six lengthy heat pipes all pass right through the base. I held the Philips tool included in the installation kit right up to it for a reflection test. Though it’s not a perfect mirror finish, it’s perfectly smooth and absolutely flawless in shape.
One thing I did notice about the base is that it’s ever so slightly convex. It has a very slight rounded surface which means it should be able to fill in any disconnected spots on the processor’s integrated heat spreader (IHS). It’s not uncommon to see this on some processors. This can rob your CPU cooler of much needed performance due to the limited contact surface so it’s nice to see little touches like this included with the NH-D14.
Test System Setup
I’ve pretty much tested and validated every mainstream, elite CPU cooler on the market using our flagship Intel Core i7-989XE processor so we’ll continue to use INTEL’s hexacore goodness for our testing. If anyone’s flagship cooler can cool this processor under full load, it clearly a front runner. You’ll just have to decide which one you want later on after measuring price, features and your eye for design.
Our test system will consist of the following components:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown
- CPU Cooler 1: Noctua NH-D14 (as tested)
- CPU Cooler 2: Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
- CPU Cooler 3: Thermalright VenomousX
- CPU Cooler 4: Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme
- CPU Cooler 5: Thermaltake Frio
- CPU Cooler 6: Intel Retail (for comparison)
- Motherboard 2: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5 LGA1366 Motherboard
- Memory: ViperII 6GB 2000MHz DDR3 Triple Channel Memory Kit
- Graphics Card: ZOTAC Geforce GTX480 Video Card
- Storage/SSD: Kingston SSDNow V+ 128GB SSD
- Power Supply: Antec TPQ-1000 Watt
- Test Enclosure: DangerDen Torture Rack
All the coolers were tested with the same ambient room temperature of 21C and were all kept in their stock configurations as intended by the manufacturer. Since some of them do feature dual fan configurations, I opted to test them as such using low, high, and BIOS PWM settings to compare. Arctic Silver 5 was applied identically for each cooler to make sure that everything was even across the board though as mentioned, the Noctua compound is quite excellent and may even buy you a couple more degrees.
Installation Notes
As we’ve mentioned in the video and emphasized along the way, this cooler is indeed massive so care must be taken when installing it onto your motherboard. It would not be wise to drop this thing as it could cause serious damage to the PCB of your very expensive motherboard. Also worth noting is the fact that due to the jagged edges and awkward shape, you should be very careful when handling it. We’ve gotten our fingers stuck in between some crevices and at least one of the crew has bled while installing this cooler.
One other thing to note here is that Noctua makes the installation so much easier by including their very awesome L Angle Philips screwdriver in the box. This tool is a time saver and makes it totally possible to install the cooler with only what is included in the box. The long handle also makes securing the cooler to the base plate very easy as the handle of some screwdrivers will bump into the tall towers once the screws are in all the way. We’re keeping this in our tool drawer now by the way.
Finally, the fans are something that provide just as much detail and customization as the rest of the heatsink. The high quality fans are special in that no part is untouched to create low noise. From the special bearings, to the little saw edge winglets, these things are built to cool and quiet. They dismount easily for cleaning, but you also have the option of using one or both, but we chose to keep both installed as this is how the cooler is assembled at the factory. The only other thing you need to decide is whether to use one of the RPM limiting devices to further reduce noise to nothingness and even then Noctua has provided all the details like the Y-Cable to make that so.
Now that we’ve gone through what makes the Noctua NH-D14 special and how the user experience is with the assembly, it’s time to see how it performs!
Thermal Testing
Since we’re only testing for cooling performance, OCCT Linpack high priority was used to potentially melt down the processor. This test was allowed to run for 2 long monotonous hours. Yep, that’s 12 hours total of redundant cooking and baking of my beloved Core i7-980XE processor. Let me say up front that every one of these impressive coolers survived, but some clearly rose to the top.
I can’t say I’m surprised to see the Noctua NH-D14 leading the pack thanks to its dual radiators and unique 120mm/140mm fan combination. The only place were there is little difference is idle temperatures. Really, this is just the natural laws at work and not a problem with any of the coolers. What is most important is how the coolers perform when it’s time to go full throttle.
Noise Testing
When a CPU is crunching away, it’s not uncommon for the fans to gradually spin up especially when you’re letting the BIOS manage the temps. Thus, I included the average fan noise experienced when using the BIOS to manage temps whilst running some BFBC 2, desktop writing, and SANDRA CPU benchmarks.
As you can see, the NH-D14 is a pleasant soft lullaby compared to the others with the exception of the Tuniq. However, the Tuniq’s low noise comes at a price with higher temperatures. Overall, the Noctua is fantastic on the ears and would work very, very well for A/V users who need near silent performance. What’s even better is the fact that the Noctua NH-D14 can go lower without giving up much performance.
Final Thoughts
What can we say that you’ve no doubt already figured out on your own? The Noctua NH-D14 is indeed the best performing CPU cooler money can buy. It’s even more impressive that the money isn’t an amount that will cripple you. The fact that it includes completely everything you need to install it makes it somewhat of a bargain. To further add to that value proposition, it’s also one of the largest on the planet so you get plenty of cooler for the money. But therein lies the trade off as it can limit your installation options.
While the two dual radiators make you more careful when selecting this cooler as you’ll need to make some measurements, it’s also the key to being able to dissipate more heat using a unique balance between a larger 140mm fan in the middle and a smaller 120mm fan at the front. Both of which are dead quiet thanks to Noctua’s design. In the end you get a massive, yet very quiet CPU cooler that all but guarantees your computer will be running cooler than you in the Summer heat.
What you may not know is that the ND-D14 currently holds the highest overclocking record set by UnknownTeam.cl out of Chile. The cooler made it possible to achieve a 5372MHz frequency using an Intel Core i5-655K unlocked processor. That’s pretty freaking impressive for an air cooler to say the least. It’s also impressive to think that for $89.99US you’re giving water cooling a run for its money and you’ve got the same cooler that elite overclockers are using. It’s definitely a product in a league of its own and that’s why it earns our very hard to earn “Editors’ Choice Award”.
Pros:
- Superb performance CPU cooler
- Excellent performance with slower RPM fans
- Extremely low noise
- High quality materials and engineering
Cons:
- Large size may limit compatibility with some motherboards
- Forward fan requires shorter RAM heatsinks to fit
Overall Rating: 9.0 / 10.0
