Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 37

Thread: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

  1. #1
    HEXUS.admin
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    31,709
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2,073 times in 719 posts

    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    High-end air vs. 360mm liquid cooling on Ryzen 9 3950X. Who wins?
    Read more.

  2. #2
    IQ: 1.42
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    old trafford
    Posts
    1,340
    Thanks
    132
    Thanked
    94 times in 80 posts
    • Tunnah's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus somethingorother
      • CPU:
      • 3700X
      • Memory:
      • 16GB 3600
      • Storage:
      • Various SSDs, 90TB RAID6 HDDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 1080Ti
      • PSU:
      • Silverstone 650w
      • Case:
      • Lian-Li PC70B
      • Operating System:
      • Win10
      • Internet:
      • 40mbit Sky Fibre

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    15 quid for a splash of paint is taking the mickey a bit. Feels very Razer'ish.

  3. #3
    HEXUS.Squirrel Output's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2,220
    Thanks
    986
    Thanked
    437 times in 309 posts
    • Output's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte AORUS Master X570
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
      • Memory:
      • 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Kingston Fury Renegade @ 3600MHz CL16
      • Storage:
      • Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7800 XT
      • PSU:
      • EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3
      • Case:
      • bequiet Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro x64

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Having bought this myself at the start of the year, and also having to move one fan's positioning due to my RAM's height, I was interested to read this review.

    I would point out that it is actually available cheaper than £95 though, namely for £89.99 from Noctua's own store presence on Amazon. Although I can see it certainly is £94.99 on Scan currently. I believe it was Noctua's Amazon store-exclusive initially though, as Scan didn't stock it at the time I bought it.

    From what I understood from comments on the Amazon page at the time, upon its original release in October, there was also a limited run of a Linus Tech Tips edition (which had seemingly long gone by the time I ordered though, as mine was the normal edition).

    I'm happy to see that my choice was vindicated in HEXUS' testing too (I haven't properly tested my own's capabilities yet), as I'd always preferred the idea of staying with air cooling anyway due to the obvious extra maintenance required for liquid (admittedly less so for AIO than custom loop, but I wasn't a fan of the leak risk either anyway).

  4. #4
    Headless Chicken Terbinator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    7,670
    Thanks
    1,210
    Thanked
    727 times in 595 posts
    • Terbinator's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock H61M
      • CPU:
      • Intel Xeon 1230-V3
      • Memory:
      • Geil Evo Corsa 2133/8GB
      • Storage:
      • M4 128GB, 2TB WD Red
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Gigabyte GTX Titan
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX760i
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster 130
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 8.1 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell Ultrasharp U2711H
      • Internet:
      • Virgin Media 60Mb.

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Installed one last week in a Fractal Define Nano S - tight squeeze and I have to run it with 1 fan, but it is excellent.
    Kalniel: "Nice review Tarinder - would it be possible to get a picture of the case when the components are installed (with the side off obviously)?"
    CAT-THE-FIFTH: "The Antec 300 is a case which has an understated and clean appearance which many people like. Not everyone is into e-peen looking computers which look like a cross between the imagination of a hyperactive 10 year old and a Frog."
    TKPeters: "Off to AVForum better Deal - £20+Vat for Free Shipping @ Scan"
    for all intents it seems to be the same card minus some gays name on it and a shielded cover ? with OEM added to it - GoNz0.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    464
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    30 times in 23 posts
    • Bagpuss's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9-9900K
      • Memory:
      • 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3400
      • Storage:
      • Gigabyte 512GB NVMe SSD, Crucial 1Tb NVMe SSD, 6Tb Seagate 7200
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA 2080 Black Edition
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 850 RMx 850 Gold
      • Case:
      • Fractal Meshify C Copper Front Panel
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • LG UK850 27in 4K HDR Freesync/Gsync
      • Internet:
      • Three Mobile 4G Unlimited Data (35-45Mbit)

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Tunnah View Post
    15 quid for a splash of paint is taking the mickey a bit. Feels very Razer'ish.
    Yeah, but Noctua stuff tends to go to the 'Apple' buyers of the air cooling world.

  6. #6
    HEXUS.Squirrel Output's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2,220
    Thanks
    986
    Thanked
    437 times in 309 posts
    • Output's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte AORUS Master X570
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
      • Memory:
      • 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Kingston Fury Renegade @ 3600MHz CL16
      • Storage:
      • Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7800 XT
      • PSU:
      • EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3
      • Case:
      • bequiet Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro x64

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagpuss View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Tunnah View Post
    15 quid for a splash of paint is taking the mickey a bit. Feels very Razer'ish.
    Yeah, but Noctua stuff tends to go to the 'Apple' buyers of the air cooling world.
    For what it's worth, I certainly wasn't aiming for looks over function.

    Personally I saw the extra £10 over the normal cost to be the "new version premium" at the time, and as Noctua have a reputation of making quality air coolers that are great at their job (and reviews for the NH-D15 in particular placing it amongst the bset coolers you can buy), I was happy to pay the extra for the colour change (and it obviously wouldn't be the first type of product that has a price difference for different colours).

    Given the fact that it is still much cheaper than an AIO but still beats it, I am happy to consider my colour choice worth the extra. Plus given Noctua's practice of offering free mounting kits for sockets that come out after purchasing, it's possible that it could still be just as capable to be used in any successive build in future.
    Last edited by Output; 23-04-2020 at 10:06 AM.

  7. #7
    Administrator MLyons's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    473
    Thanks
    310
    Thanked
    156 times in 92 posts
    • MLyons's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS PRIME X470-PRO
      • CPU:
      • 2700x
      • Memory:
      • 16GB DDR4 Corsair RGB
      • Storage:
      • 500GB MX500 500GB HDD 2TB SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA SC2 1080Ti
      • PSU:
      • Corsair tx650
      • Case:
      • Corsair Air 540
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 2 Asus 1080p

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagpuss View Post
    Yeah, but Noctua stuff tends to go to the 'Apple' buyers of the air cooling world.
    Not really. Noctua make the best air cooling for normally the most money although not outlandish prices. It also slaps most AIOs. there's no time I don't recommend a noctua for cooling. No other companies are supporting 10+ year old coolers
    Half dev, Half doge. Some say DevDoge

    Feel free to message me if you find any bugs or have any suggestions.
    If you need me urgently, PM me
    If something is/was broke it was probably me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  8. #8
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    18
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    This is an interesting test but completely contradicts the recent tests by Gamers Nexus. It doesn't even beat the H100i Pro there and as they point out, air cooling is good but it can't beat the laws of physics.

    Also, I think I remember the H150i defaults to quiet mode which is going to run the pump and fans at minimum speeds. Just switching to balanced mode makes a huge difference to performance while still being quiet.

  9. #9
    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    I'm a Jessie
    Posts
    35,176
    Thanks
    3,121
    Thanked
    3,173 times in 1,922 posts
    • Zak33's system
      • Storage:
      • Kingston HyperX SSD, Hitachi 1Tb
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Nvidia 1050
      • PSU:
      • Coolermaster 800w
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Fortress FT01
      • Operating System:
      • Win10
      • Internet:
      • Zen FTC uber speedy

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagpuss View Post
    Yeah, but Noctua stuff tends to go to the 'Apple' buyers of the air cooling world.
    I despise Apple products - I Love Noctua - go figure.

    Apple is like Audi... over marketed, under developed tat that breaks in 3 years

    But Noctua is like the Toyota Hilux of coolers... that'll not let you down and you'll still be using it in 10 years.

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    464
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    30 times in 23 posts
    • Bagpuss's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9-9900K
      • Memory:
      • 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3400
      • Storage:
      • Gigabyte 512GB NVMe SSD, Crucial 1Tb NVMe SSD, 6Tb Seagate 7200
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA 2080 Black Edition
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 850 RMx 850 Gold
      • Case:
      • Fractal Meshify C Copper Front Panel
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • LG UK850 27in 4K HDR Freesync/Gsync
      • Internet:
      • Three Mobile 4G Unlimited Data (35-45Mbit)

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by MLyons View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Bagpuss View Post
    Yeah, but Noctua stuff tends to go to the 'Apple' buyers of the air cooling world.
    Not really. Noctua make the best air cooling for normally the most money although not outlandish prices. It also slaps most AIOs. there's no time I don't recommend a noctua for cooling. No other companies are supporting 10+ year old coolers
    Well, my 9900K @5ghz 1.34vlts, is kept perfectly under control with a £50 (all black) BeQuiet Dark Rock 4.

    ..so you dont need to spend nearly twice as much to get similar results.

  11. #11
    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    I'm a Jessie
    Posts
    35,176
    Thanks
    3,121
    Thanked
    3,173 times in 1,922 posts
    • Zak33's system
      • Storage:
      • Kingston HyperX SSD, Hitachi 1Tb
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Nvidia 1050
      • PSU:
      • Coolermaster 800w
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Fortress FT01
      • Operating System:
      • Win10
      • Internet:
      • Zen FTC uber speedy

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagpuss View Post
    Well, my 9900K @5ghz 1.34vlts, is kept perfectly under control with a £50 (all black) BeQuiet Dark Rock 4.

    ..so you dont need to spend nearly twice as much to get similar results.
    ive got one of those too... great cooler

    But I don't think my Dark Rock 4 could deal with the 3950X with all those extra volts tbh

    It's a 105W TDP CPU 16 core 32 threadchip and overclocked like that puts about another 100W through it I think, so maybe 200W?

    I guess your 9900K is running about what - 150W ? It's a 95w tdp 8 core 16 thread cpu so it's quite a different slice of pie

    great chip mind and a great cooler choice on top

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

  12. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    464
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    30 times in 23 posts
    • Bagpuss's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9-9900K
      • Memory:
      • 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3400
      • Storage:
      • Gigabyte 512GB NVMe SSD, Crucial 1Tb NVMe SSD, 6Tb Seagate 7200
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA 2080 Black Edition
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 850 RMx 850 Gold
      • Case:
      • Fractal Meshify C Copper Front Panel
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • LG UK850 27in 4K HDR Freesync/Gsync
      • Internet:
      • Three Mobile 4G Unlimited Data (35-45Mbit)

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by Zak33 View Post

    I guess your 9900K is running about what - 150W ? It's a 95w tdp 8 core 16 thread cpu so it's quite a different slice of pie
    A ten minute Cinebench 20 run can hit 175W - 185W peak, and the cooler will keep temps below 85c across all cores, so its in 3950X territory.

    ..and I would argue the BeQuiet is far more aesthically pleasing to look at in the case than that big lump Noctua

  13. #13
    Long member
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,427
    Thanks
    70
    Thanked
    404 times in 291 posts
    • philehidiot's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Father's bored
      • CPU:
      • Cockroach brain V0.1
      • Memory:
      • Innebriated, unwritten
      • Storage:
      • Big Yellow Self Storage
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Semi chewed Crayola Mega Pack
      • PSU:
      • 20KW single phase direct grid supply
      • Case:
      • Closed, Open, Cold
      • Operating System:
      • Cockroach
      • Monitor(s):
      • The mental health nurses
      • Internet:
      • Please.

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    The "lick of paint" is a little harsh. I think they had to put this through several extra processes (due to how the heatpipes are soldered on) and went through a lot of R&D to get a coating that didn't drop performance. There's a reason they didn't do this to start with.

    These coolers being better than AIOs has been known for a while. It's nothing to do with the chiplet layout, it's just that the air coolers at this price are way better than standard AIOs, no matter how big the radiator is. I think the problems tend to be in the radiators as they're aluminium and not copper, unless you go to far more expensive AIOs. I'd be interested to see a comparison between this and a copper radiator AIO as really, this is a proper test. You're testing one class of product against another but you're using the mid range AIOs against the top end, money no object air coolers.

    At the price, it's a no brainer to go for air cooling. It saves money, it lasts longer, the parts that fail (fans) are easily replaced, if the mechanical parts fail you don't lose all cooling suddenly as the passive cooling will still work with the airflow in your case and on top of that it is far better. The only advantage to an AIO may be noise but they're close and there's 20% manufacturing tolerance in the RPM of the fans, so really, measuring that depends on your sample.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Xlucine's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    2,160
    Thanks
    297
    Thanked
    188 times in 147 posts
    • Xlucine's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus TUF B450M-plus
      • CPU:
      • 3700X
      • Memory:
      • 16GB @ 3.2 Gt/s
      • Storage:
      • Crucial P5 1TB (boot), Crucial MX500 1TB, Crucial MX100 512GB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA 980ti
      • PSU:
      • Fractal Design ION+ 560P
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ08-E
      • Operating System:
      • W10 pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Viewsonic vx3211-2k-mhd, Dell P2414H

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    I suspect the corsair AIO is not a good example - in the 3950X review an NZXT AIO was able to outperform a single fan D15, and prevent throttling at a higher OC level than used in this review (1.375 V, 4.4 GHz). Any chance Hexus towers could have a look at the Scythe Fuma 2? Other reviewers are finding it comparable to the D15/U12A, and it's a whole lot cheaper and easier to fit in a case (when you can find stock).

    Quote Originally Posted by philehidiot View Post
    The "lick of paint" is a little harsh. I think they had to put this through several extra processes (due to how the heatpipes are soldered on) and went through a lot of R&D to get a coating that didn't drop performance. There's a reason they didn't do this to start with.
    Painting a heatsink isn't super hard - the very low heat flux through the fins means you can get away with some not great thermal conductivity

  15. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    400
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    9 times in 9 posts

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    I am really supprised by the performance of the cooler. Thanks for the review

  16. #16
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    18
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

    Quote Originally Posted by DevDrake View Post
    I am really supprised by the performance of the cooler. Thanks for the review
    The cooler performance is very good, but in this test it is being compared against a Corsair AIO that is running on the MINIMUM speed pump/fan settings. Don't believe this outperforms AIO's in general, because it doesn't.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •