Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU Cooler

1. Introduction

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Retail Package
3. Installation process
4. Test Bed - Performance
5. Overclocking results
6. Conclusion

The need for increasing cooling with today's CPU coolers is something that most users are looking for every day. Buying a quality product that will withstand high loads and probably high overclocking is always a challenge. Noctua has released sometime now their latest proposal for the absolute air performance, the NH-D15. At this series the chromax.black edition is a beautiful all-black version of Noctua’s award-winning flagship model NH-D15 CPU cooler.

Thanks to the same proven dual-tower heatsink design and NF-A15 PWM fans, it stays true to the NH-D15’s successful formula of rivalling the performance of all-in-one water coolers while maintaining superb quietness of operation. At the same time, the chromax.black version with its black fans and black coated heatsink combines these assets with a sleek stealth look. Topped off with the renowned SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, Noctua’s enthusiast-grade NT-H1 thermal compound and a full 6-year manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-D15 chromax.black is a deluxe choice for both overclockers and silent enthusiasts who seek an elite-class heatsink that looks just as great as it cools.

Today we will examine what users can expect and if its retail price justifies buying for such high-end CPU cooler.

Features

	Award-winning NH-D15 cooler Tens of thousands of enthusiast users all over the world swear by the NH-D15’s quality and performance. Recommended by more than 200 international hardware websites and magazines, it is renowned for being one of the best high-end coolers on the market.
	chromax.black design The NH-D15 chromax.black is black from head to toe: Featuring a black coated heatsink, black fans with black anti-vibration-pads, black fan clips and black mounting parts, it’s right at home in all-black builds and easy to integrate with other colour schemes.
	Colour-customisable Using the optional NA-HC3 and NA-HC4 heatsink covers as well as the NA-SAVP3 anti-vibration pads (available in black, blue, green, red, yellow, white), the NH-D15 chromax.black can be fully customised to fit popular build colour schemes such as black and red or black and white.
	6 heatpipe dual tower design As compared to conventional single tower heatinks, the NH-D15's fine-tuned six heatpipe dual tower design provides more surface area, better heat-distribution and superior airflow efficiency in dual fan mode.
	Widened fin stack and expanded heatpipe layout Compared to the NH-D14, the NH-D15's fin-stack has been widened from 140 to 150mm and its heatpipes are now spaced further apart, which allows for a more uniform heat distribution over a larger surface area and thus contributes to the NH-D15's superior efficiency.
	High RAM compatibility in single fan mode Thanks to its recessed lower fins, the NH-D15 provides 64mm clearance for tall memory heatsinks in single fan mode, making it compatible with most high end RAM modules on the market. In dual fan mode, the NH-D15 should be used with standard height RAM (up to 32mm). In chassis with more than 165mm CPU cooler clearance, the front fan can be moved upwards to make room for memory modules taller than 32mm.
	Dual NF-A15 140mm fans The NH-D15 features two of Noctua's premium class NF-A15 140mm fans. Complying with Noctua's AAO standard and featuring sophisticated aerodynamic design measures such as Flow Acceleration Channels, the NF-A15 has quickly built up a reputation as one of the best 140mm fans on the market.
	PWM support and Low-Noise Adaptors The NF-A15 premium fans supplied with the NH-D15 support PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the motherboard. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced from 1500 to 1200rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptors for even quieter operation.
	Excellent component cooling Extending below the fin-stacks, the large NF-A15 fans not only contribute to the NH-D15's superb CPU cooling capabilities but also provide massive airflow over surrounding motherboard components and heatsinks, thus ensuring excellent component cooling performance.
	SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system Noctua’s SecuFirm2™ mounting systems have become synonymous with quality, safety and easy installation. Supporting Intel LGA1200, LGA115x (LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156) and LGA20xx (LGA2066, LGA2011-0, LGA2011-3), as well as AMD AM4, AM3(+), AM2(+), FM2(+) and FM1, the SecuFirm2™ mounting included with the NH-D15 is straightforward to install, provides perfect contact pressure and will stand the test of time even under heavy use.
	Compatibility with past and future sockets Thanks to Noctua’s SecuFirm™ ecosystem, the NH-D15 can be made compatible with the older LGA1366 and LGA775 sockets using the optional NM-I3 mounting kit, which is provided free of charge. If technically possible, Noctua will also provide upgrade kits for future sockets, which makes the NH-D15 a safe long-term investment.
	NT-H1 thermal compound Noctua’s much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding reliability. Chosen again and again by overclockers and enthusiast users worldwide, it has established itself as a benchmark for premium-quality thermal compounds.
	Soldered interface between heatpipes and fins With many heatsinks, the fins are press-fitted to the heatpipes. Due to the different thermal expansion coefficients of copper and aluminium, this fit can loosen over years of thermal cycling, which may lead to reduced performance. By contrast, the NH-D15’s fins are soldered to the heatpipes in order to guarantee a superior thermal interface that doesn’t deteriorate even after many years of usage.
	6-year manufacturer’s warranty Noctua products are renowned for their impeccable quality and outstanding longevity. Like all Noctua fans, the supplied NF-A15's feature an MTTF rating of more than 150.000 hours and the entire NH-D15 package comes with a full 6-year manufacturer's warranty.