NH-D15 vs NH-U12A for 9700k

[villur]

So im building a whole new system, and the only part im on the fence about is the cpu cooler. It will be cooling a 9700k in a Define C case. Id like to OC it to ~4.5Ghz atleast and possibly more depending on the silicone lottery.

 

Anyway these two are what it came down to for me. Looking at youtube reviwes they seem almost identical in performance, with the bigger NH-D15 being a few degrees cooler than the NH-U12A. However a few also said these new fans on the U12A have a lower pich noise and are one of the least annoying ones to listen to.

 

Having read a few topics here it seems people are a bit more in favor of the D15 saying its quieter.

I thought about going with the U12A for the aesthetic reasons but im not sure anymore. Price isn't an issue. Can a few people chime in with their experience?

Thanks in advance!

[Guest]

I have both and being able to see my RAM was a plus with the U12A lol.

If it can handle my 3900X, it can handle your 9700K.

[WoodenMarker]

What makes the NH-U12A better aesthetically?

[JohnnyDiggs]

3 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

What makes the NH-U12A better aesthetically?

The beige sandwich doesn't look good. But it's the best performer.

[villur]

4 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

What makes the NH-U12A better aesthetically?

I find the smaller and more compact size more aesthetically pleasing, so personal preference I guess.

Noctua isn't knows for its looks, but I dont really mind the look on the NH-U12A

[WoodenMarker]

4 minutes ago, villur said:

I find the smaller and more compact size more aesthetically pleasing, so personal preference I guess.

Noctua isn't knows for its looks, but I dont really mind the look on the NH-U12A

If you're aiming for a compact, high performance cooler, the NH-U12A is among the best. It's probably overkill for the 9700k at 4.5ghz which should be pretty easy to cool. 

The NH-U14S would perform similarly while being cheaper and slimmer. 

[villur]

3 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

If you're aiming for a compact, high performance cooler, the NH-U12A is among the best. It's probably overkill for the 9700k at 4.5ghz which should be pretty easy to cool. 

The NH-U14S would perform similarly while being cheaper and slimmer. 

Well I want to get it somewhere ~4.7 ideally as a baseline and push it from there, but didn't want to set unrealistic goals too early.

If the NH-U12A is good enough for that, I'll go for it

[WoodenMarker]

1 hour ago, villur said:

Well I want to get it somewhere ~4.7 ideally as a baseline and push it from there, but didn't want to set unrealistic goals too early.

If the NH-U12A is good enough for that, I'll go for it

Either cooler should be plenty for 5ghz.

[villur]

2 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Either cooler should be plenty for 5ghz.

Cool, cool. Thanks for the feedback!