NoctuaNH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown)

I am running an i7 9700k at 4.9 GHz on an MSI Z390 Gaming Plus board (in a standard ATX case), so obviously need a decent cooler. I had previously been able to get 4.5 GHz using a cheaper Arctic cooler, which ran well, but the system was at it's limit. So, my observations:- Not the easiest in the world to fit, but ok. Fitting instructions come in paper form, and are easy enough to follow. It has to be said, I do have some spatial awareness issues, so I'm not the best at this type of thing, but I got it done (maybe in half an hour after having a good read at the instructions and separating out the different fittings to avoid confusion). It's a big beast, and it gets bigger if you add the second fan (which I was not able to at the time of fitting). The second fan might have fitted, but it would have meant crushing the cabling up into a corner, something I wasn't comfortable with. I might be able to sort this out with cable ties at a later time. Do what I didn't, and take out the GPU before fitting! My case also had 2 silly fans built into the case wall, and I had to remove these to get the case closed again. Also, I observed that for my own board, the second fan would only fit onto one side of the radiator nearest the front), as on the other side, the board heatsink impeded this. RAM clearance was not an issue for me. I have one block of regular RAM, and the radiator overhangs it. If you think you will be pushed for space in a standard case, you are quite right!- Performance: Well, first class. My system will now run Handbrake at 4.9 GHz, reaching a maximum of 64C after a while. Previously at 4.5 GHz with the Arctic cooler (a good cooler in it's own right), it was hitting 90-100C immediately. Basically, at 4.9GHz, I'm hitting other issues with the overclock, but heat is not one of them. Bear in mind, this is without the second fan fitted.- Noise: There isn't any, fairly much. Under full load it sounds the same as it does with no load. It's as quiet as a machine at idle. I'm quite amazed by that, since the other cooler I used (like I said, pretty good) was working like crazy at 90C, and was a bit noisy. I have no experience with liquid cooling (nor do I want any), but I gather that this cooler might be as quiet.I wanted a cooler I could throw pretty much anything at, and I appear to have it. It's not cheap, but if you can afford it, and need it, go for it. It has a 6 year warranty as well, so all in I'm pretty pleased. It's probably easier to fit for someone with more experience than me, so I wouldn't let that put you off. Just read the instructions!Comes with thermal paste (which I didn't use as I have some already), a low noise adapter (I have no idea why and I didn't use) and a Y splitter cable to allow 2 fans to be linked to one CPU fan port on the board.Additional information 25 Mar 2023. Been using for 2 years now, does exactly what I need, and has never missed a beat. My clock speed has been increased to 5Ghz recently, temperatures are still in the 70s, maximum. As for my statement regards the noise of the cooler under load, it sounds more like a sales pitch than I'd want. On reflection, there is a bit more noise when running the system under full load, although it is not offensive, and I'm quite noise sensitive. This is possibly a moot point as my GPU is reasonably noisier than this cooler when the system is working hard. And it obviously depends on fan settings in the BIOS. I can never see the noise of the cooler becoming an issue, as it's rare that the CPU is working alone, the TV sound is off etc. In the real world it solved two problems for me: noise and heat. I simply don't have to think about them. I am so pleased I am in the process of getting another for a new PC build, there is no choice for me, this is it.

I begun having issues with my 240mm AIO, temperatures would reach 70°c at idle and would hit 100°c and throttle on any load. Obviously something was wrong and needed to get a replacement.I had seen many reviews of the Noctua NH-D15 online and was sceptical. How can a air cooler come close to the performance of my once beloved AIO? What tipped the balance for me was a change in requirements. My system runs 24/7 almost, and having a pump fail again during the night isn't really an option. Also, the NH-D15 is significantly cheaper than any quality 240mm which made me want to try. That plus Amazon's incredible returns policy meant is was pretty much risk free.The box arrived, it's rather large and heavy for its size. The packaging is mostly cardboard and minimal non recyclables, which is nice to see. Unpackaging the cleverly arranged box is almost a pleasurable puzzle.Installation instructions are simple, to the point and accurate. Just what you want. Out of the box I had Intel and AMD install options which is great. No AM4 support out of the box but you can order the bracket from Noctua free of charge if you require it.Installation goes fairly simple. I installed mine on an ASUS X-99 A 2 (socket 2011-3). Two brackets around the CPU slot, screw in. Add the included Noctua thermal paste. Then screw the cooler to these mounts with the included long reach phillips head screwdriver - a fantastic touch for simplifying the install process. Slight issue getting the second screw in to attach the cooler which took a few moments to sort out - turns out I wasn't pushing down hard enough.Clip on both fans using the metal wire brackets, plug shorter than case fan cables in to your motherboard, you can use the included Y-cable if you don't have the slots for 2 individual cables, you can also install the adaptors to quieten the fans - i personally set a fan curve in my computers BIOS, but it's up to you. You may also have conflict issues with your graphics card and RAM but you can rotate the cooler and move the fans if you do struggle to fit the cooler around your RAM. This cooler is VERY large and to get it in I did have to remove my graphics card to make the install a little easier. And that was it for install. Fairly straight forward, a lot quicker than an AIO.Into the first boot, MSI Afterburner reports a significant drop from the AIO temps to 32°c, some of the lowest temperatures I've ever seen on my system, even during winter.Loading up some benchmarks and stress tests to warm up the cooler proved un-eventful. With temperatures on a 4.2ghz overclock on an Intel 5820K only reaching 59°c. Pushing the overclock further to 4.6ghz (the highest my system has ever gone) got the temperatures to creep just north of 70°c. Doing this whilst remaining whisper quiet at full RPM - I couldn't notice any additional noise over my case fans.Negatives of the cooler:Aesthetics, Noctua does love it's beige and brown fans, it's symbolic to the company and is an instantly recognisable. You can replace the fans with the chromax series, these are all black fans with multiple colour rubber edges to stop vibrations at a cost. Pushing the cooler into quality AIO price territory. You can also get covers for the fin stacks if you'd prefer these to be a certain colour. However, for me that's not really an issue.Size of the cooler. It fits in my system, just. Some may have issues with RAM and graphics cards. Graphics cards can always be moved to another lower slot. RAM however, if you have particularly large RAM modules could be an issue. You can rotate the cooler and move the fans to accommodate the RAM but it is something to be aware of before buying.Overall though, this is a fantastic cooler cannot rate it highly enough. It's exceeded my already high expectations and lived up fully to it's reviews.