Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review

High Speed Fan Performance Results

2.6GHz


As expected this coolers stock numbers with a single fan downright stink. This really is not surprising as Noctua may have done everything humanly possible to decrease the static pressure loads those two tower fin arrays require, but it still is a lot to ask from ANY 120x25mm fan. For now we are going to assume that this cooler was designed for massive heat loads and only “shows its stuff” when other coolers have surpassed their thermal envelopes.


3.42GHz


While not great, these numbers are certainly better than the stock cooling numbers the D14 posted. Also of note is the fact that it appears that we were right when we said that this cooler’s stock fans are just too slow for this beast. To us when a single fan equipped HDT cooler can beat the pants of a dual fan wielding giant like the Noctua D14….something isn’t quite right.


3.8GHz


When you look at the chart the single fan results obviously are not great and this was expected but what is unexpected (and certainly interesting) was the stock fan results versus the Prolimatech’s high speed fan results. We mused earlier that A) this cooler was designed to really only start to come into its own when the heat was turned up and B) the stock fans are just too darned slow for a cooler of this size. As you can see this cooler in its stock configuration beats (albeit by the slimmest of margins) the Prolimatech, when the Megahalems is matched to a high speed, high static pressure fan. If the dual fan vs dual fan results are the same or similar we may just be looking at a new king of air coolers!