Noctua's NH-D15 Versus Five High End Closed Loop Liquid Coolers

[4960X]

In this review, we will pit the NH-D15 against five high end liquid coolers to see who has the best cooling, lowest noise and greatest value. The NH-D15 is going head-to-head against the Corsair H100i GTX, NZXT Kraken X61, Cooler Master Nepton 240M, DEEPCOOL Gamer Storm Captain 240 and Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme S. These are some of the popular high end closed loop coolers on the market right now so it will be a great way to test them against the NH-D15.

 

 

http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/noctua/nh-d15-versus-closed-loop-liquid-coolers/1

 

 

 

 

kraken x61 looks like a beast. I'm getting it for my bday.

[2FA]

This seems kind of late, I remember looking at these types of comparisons month ago.

[Enderman]

x61 and h110igtx are really good AiOs

just different aesthetics each

[4960X]

x61 and h110igtx are really good AiOs

just different aesthetics each

yup, the x61 is a complete monster. I want to get one but they are expensive where I live.

[Enderman]

yup, the x61 is a complete monster. I want to get one but they are expensive where I live.

o hey i just noticed youre the guy who linus said your username would go out of date lol

hows it feel to be a generation (almost 2) old?

[4960X]

o hey i just noticed youre the guy who linus said your username would go out of date lol

hows it feel to be a generation (almost 2) old?

lmao my 4960x is still holding up great. I plan on keeping it for another 2-3 years.

[GlassBomb]

Not really surprising that a 280mm rad outperform a 240mm setup.

I would go with the Noctua either way. Because I enjoy not having a loud system.

[Zackfoo]

but the noise level at load is such a super damn freaking huge difference lol. im rocking custom cooling with 360 rad so probably beat that noise level at load but costing 3 times as much and 10 times more maintenance tho. 

[VagabondWraith]

Would be nice if Noctua got into liquid cooling. They got a lots of clout in the industry. I think they would make a fantastic product.

[4960X]

but the noise level at load is such a super damn freaking huge difference lol. im rocking custom cooling with 360 rad so probably beat that noise level at load but costing 3 times as much and 10 times more maintenance tho. 

 

that's probably because the fans of the nh-d15 run at 1500rpm wheares the other coolers fans go all the way up to 2300rpm.

[Zackfoo]

that's probably because the fans of the nh-d15 run at 1500rpm wheares the other coolers fans go all the way up to 2300rpm.

but the load temperature is real close too tho. i can give up that slightly higher temperature(4 to 6 degrees higher if i remember correctly) for the way lower noise more than 20db which is very significantly audible tho. 

[WilliamDB]

Running these coolers with stock fans is fair and all, but I want to know what happens when I throw on some Noctua Fans on those Liquid coolers, and how much of a difference it will really make. That would make for an interesting Article IMO.

[silberdrachi]

Would be nice if Noctua got into liquid cooling. They got a lots of clout in the industry. I think they would make a fantastic product.

 

I find it pretty unlikely they would do anything other than license someone else's cooler and slap their fans on it which doesnt do anything to actually improve the market at all.

 

What we really need is more than 2-3 makers of AIO systems that everyone else rebrands. Its the same shit for like most computer parts. There are only a few companies who actually make memory or psus and things of the like. Not enough competition to actually improve the market.

[Clyne]

I was going to buy NH-D15 for Christmas/Black Friday but ran out of stock at the site I wanted to buy at.

[Samfisher]

Running these coolers with stock fans is fair and all, but I want to know what happens when I throw on some Noctua Fans on those Liquid coolers, and how much of a difference it will really make. That would make for an interesting Article IMO.

Corsair fans aren't THAT much behind, and the SPL's that come with the GTX are pretty good.

[crystal6tak]

Running these coolers with stock fans is fair and all, but I want to know what happens when I throw on some Noctua Fans on those Liquid coolers, and how much of a difference it will really make. That would make for an interesting Article IMO.

soo, like, what Linus did more than a year ago lol? (Skip to 4:49 for the graphs)

[VagabondWraith]

I find it pretty unlikely they would do anything other than license someone else's cooler and slap their fans on it which doesnt do anything to actually improve the market at all.

What we really need is more than 2-3 makers of AIO systems that everyone else rebrands. Its the same shit for like most computer parts. There are only a few companies who actually make memory or psus and things of the like. Not enough competition to actually improve the market.

That's very true about needing more competitors. I didn't realize Noctua didn't design their own coolers in house. Thank you for that. Their fans are awesome though hence why my system is all Noctua fans.

[WilliamDB]

soo, like, what Linus did more than a year ago lol? (Skip to 4:49 for the graphs)

I saw that video, it's what convinced me to buy the H110. I was thinking about the noise levels part of the article when I wrote my post. I should have been more specific! 

[silberdrachi]

That's very true about needing more competitors. I didn't realize Noctua didn't design their own coolers in house. Thank you for that. Their fans are awesome though hence why my system is all Noctua fans.

 

Their tower coolers are actually their own designs (So far as im aware). Its just designing a new system for AIO coolers costs millions of dollars and more man hours than most companies want to spend. That's why most companies license out one of the existing designs. Seeing as it took them years and years to give us black fans (and even then not totally) when everyone begged for them and they could see they would sell a lot, it doesn't seem super likely that they will be willing to drop huge amounts of cash for something that no one is asking for more of.

 

I think the current market for AIOs is way too saturated until someone comes up with something that is actually new and adds something needed to the market.

[crystal6tak]

Their tower coolers are actually their own designs (So far as im aware). Its just designing a new system for AIO coolers costs millions of dollars and more man hours than most companies want to spend. That's why most companies license out one of the existing designs. Seeing as it took them years and years to give us black fans (and even then not totally) when everyone begged for them and they could see they would sell a lot, it doesn't seem super likely that they will be willing to drop huge amounts of cash for something that no one is asking for more of.

 

I think the current market for AIOs is way too saturated until someone comes up with something that is actually new and adds something needed to the market.

Imagine Noctua releasing a, relatively speaking, small phase change cooler with a reasonable price. Noctua can make it as brown as they want and I'd still buy the heck out of it O_O

[Bsmith]

very interesting, so see such AIO coolers see their asses being kicked by a simple air-cooling unit.

[Bojamijams]

very interesting, so see such AIO coolers see their asses being kicked by a simple air-cooling unit.

 

And people will pay more money, have more noise, get less cooling around the VRM and other nearby components and a million fold increase in failure/damage risk for.... what? To be able to fit taller heatsinks for their RAM? 

 

Never understood AiO appeal

[Bsmith]

And people will pay more money, have more noise, get less cooling around the VRM and other nearby components and a million fold increase in failure/damage risk for.... what? To be able to fit taller heatsinks for their RAM? 

 

Never understood AiO appeal

 

I can understand the appeal of it looking more elegant and less huge in a case with a window or when you are limited on cooler height it might be appealing, but when it comes to a situation where the case is closed and everything fits, it is hard to find a appealing factor in my eyes.

[Lethal Seraph]

I was going to buy NH-D15 for Christmas/Black Friday but ran out of stock at the site I wanted to buy at.

 

Tried Newegg over at eBay? Also, why not get the NH-D15S since it addressed some of the d15's clearance issues.

[Sharkyx1]

I dropped my pc and bent my NHD-14 now it hits 80+ c at 4.6@ 1.26v :'(