Jump to content

Noctua D15 Chromax Black Review

Krassimir

Noctua D15 Black Review

I finally got my hands on the Noctua D15 Chromax Black and decided to tryout its cooling performance on my new Intel 12900k. On the forums people initially complained about the hot temperatures of the 16 core CPU, and having owned a Ryzen 5950x in the past, I know just what a nightmare that can be. I initially had a Deepcool Assassin 3 which failed to cool the 5950x in every measurable way - disappointing but understandable. Speaking of which, Noctua seems to have created their own TDP (Thermal Design Power) like rating system, they call it the Noctua's Standardized Performance Rating (NSPR) - I recommend you guys check it out. 

 

Upon initially unboxing the cooler I was very happy to be confronted by a lot of cardboard, it's always great seeing companies actually try to be environmentally friendly in their packaging, it really makes the user feel better about buying a product and their general environmental footprint. The radiator unit and fans have both seen perfections since their last debut with the very popular NH-D14. Overall we get more ram clearance, a higher rated TDP, support for LGA 1700, the NF-A15 fans seem to be more aero dynamic as well, and lastly we get 4 pin PWM support for those looking to gain more noise control with their fans.

 

The assembly of the mounting bracket was fiddly at best, I got there in the end. It was somewhere in the ball park complexity of a moderate jigsaw puzzle or perhaps assembling a basic Lego truck - not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination, but also not as bad as piecing together and mounting an AIO. 

 

Performance was stellar. I had no issues. It cooled the 12900k just fine. I loaded up 3D Mark the CPU profile test and stressed and pushed it a few times. Honestly for me it never even went to 70c. I own a NZXT Kraken X63 and I've also tested this and I can safely say that their performance is about the same - really great for an air cooler!

 

The downsides we all know and despite Noctua's best efforts to adjust and refine their cooler, they are still there. You will have a fan covering your pretty ram, some aesthetic issues for those of you who are very sensitive. The radiator weighs about 1.3 kilos, so lugging it around isn't fun, nor is the lack of clearance between the graphics card and the radiator itself. If you can live with these things however, you will have a cooling solution which will literally "never" fail. My old Noctua D-14 from way back when dinosaurs roamed the land is still working just fine!

 

Price is something that we should also discuss, it is expensive, but if you like air coolers then I can't see a better solution than this, you are paying for the best. The unit is also not loud, and not as loud as my NZXT Kraken X63 either. I actually forgot to measure the audible DB because, well, It wasn't an issue.

 

Lastly, the color black is a welcoming addition to the established Noctua color schematic. I would highly recommend that Noctua create an all white D15 cooler design as well.

 

Overall

I'm very happy with it, would recommend it. I bought it and wasn't even slightly disappointed. 

 

If you guys enjoyed or hated this review then please let me know - I'm always looking to improve!

 

Positives

+ Phenomenal cooling on demanding 16 core CPUs like the 12900k

+ Great design and build quality, it's air-cooling perfection at its finest

+ PWM Support for those of you who care

+ It's quiet, quieter than an AIO

+ Easy to install and mount

+ It's ugly in a beautiful way, like a pug

 

Negatives

- It's large and heavy, 1.3 kilos

- Covers up the ram

- Not much space between the graphics card and the radiator

- I wish it came in an all white color, although black is decent

- Takes up a lot of case real-estate

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×