Noctua's hulking passive CPU cooler delayed to Q1 2021

[HEXUS]

And the next generation NH-D15 (launched 2014) isn't coming until later next year.

Read more.

[DevDrake]

Wow, it looks like 12x1mm alu fins ... I like it

What for are these windows in fins?

[Richh]

Re. 'windows' in fins, the stamped out metal has been bent at 90 degrees so there is an increase in surface area, and likely increased turbulence through the fin stack which improves heat transfer.

Edited to add: If and when it appears, it'll be interesting to see whether and how much the retail product differs from that prototype. Strikes me that there is a fair bit more they could do to optimise that design. Passive solutions are always a challenge due to the huge variation in potential installation and airflow scenarios. Trying to do one with this kind of energy dumping capacity is a big ask.

[Xlucine]

I still think it's a dumb design for a cooler. Under natural convection the lower limit on fin thickness is making it robust enough to handle, if the usual fin thickness is fine for the actively cooled models then it's several times thicker than you need for passive operation. If you need to add mass for thermal inertia then just slap a block of billet copper to the top side of the cold plate - no fancy stamping tools needed (they could have brought this to market already) and less stress on the motherboard. The tabs between the fins also look like they'd get in the way of the airflow with a horizontal motherboard.

The redux coolers sound interesting - if they're just the normal noctua heatsinks with grey fans on for less money then they could be good products

[deepblue08]

Looks like something out of a dystopian movie.

[Zak33]

I still think it's a dumb design for a cooler. Under natural convection the lower limit on fin thickness is making it robust enough to handle, if the usual fin thickness is fine for the actively cooled models then it's several times thicker than you need for passive operation. If you need to add mass for thermal inertia then just slap a block of billet copper to the top side of the cold plate - no fancy stamping tools needed (they could have brought this to market already) and less stress on the motherboard. The tabs between the fins also look like they'd get in the way of the airflow with a horizontal motherboard.The redux coolers sound interesting - if they're just the normal noctua heatsinks with grey fans on for less money then they could be good products

this is Noctua we're talking about. They do things right, but it takes time. No one else will ever likely achieve what they finally achieve. So it will be ready when it's ready and if it doesnt quite work, they try again.

But as for being a dumb design - i think it's likely that Noctua know more about this than perhapas anyone else.

[Ozaron]

Was looking for the NH-D15s in chromax only days before this was posted. Good to know my search was only early, not in vain!

[QuorTek]

well the energy does not simply vanish into the cabinet... it accumulate... so I wonder when and how it will overheat and throttle down... or well something I would be interested in would be passive phase changing if any exist and is efficient.

[Primey0]

I still think it's a dumb design for a cooler. Under natural convection the lower limit on fin thickness is making it robust enough to handle, if the usual fin thickness is fine for the actively cooled models then it's several times thicker than you need for passive operation. If you need to add mass for thermal inertia then just slap a block of billet copper to the top side of the cold plate - no fancy stamping tools needed (they could have brought this to market already) and less stress on the motherboard. The tabs between the fins also look like they'd get in the way of the airflow with a horizontal motherboard.

The redux coolers sound interesting - if they're just the normal noctua heatsinks with grey fans on for less money then they could be good products

No offence but Noctua probably knows better than you.

[Ivanhoe123]

I hope they can get it to work, as less fan noise is always a good thing. I suspect it would work best in smaller cases, where the intake case fans are closer to the motherboard. I'll be very keen to read the reviews when this is finally released.

[Xlucine]

this is Noctua we're talking about. They do things right, but it takes time. No one else will ever likely achieve what they finally achieve. So it will be ready when it's ready and if it doesnt quite work, they try again.

But as for being a dumb design - i think it's likely that Noctua know more about this than perhapas anyone else.

When has noctua achieved anything that no-one else has? You're making them sound very apple-like

No offence but Noctua probably knows better than you.

Either I'm right, or every other heatsink noctua makes (and every other company in the business) is a terrible design. Fin efficiency with natural convection is pretty much unity already for practical fins, no fancy tooling needed