The Quest for Quiet

[babuganoosh]

So I'm thinking about getting the Cryorig R1 Ultimate or the NH-D15, thoughts on which one to get are welcome. I'll be coming from the intel stock cooler. 

However, I have two main questions:

1. How does the noise level of the R1 or NH-D15 compare to the intel stock cooler at idle and load speeds?
Decibel ratings are nice, but any personal experiences are great, too.

2. Is it safe to use the R1 or NH-D15 heatsinks without the fans mounted for gaming? How bout for OC? 
I've seen large heatsinks without fans work well in cases with adequate airflow, so I'm curious about these two specific coolers. 

[desertcomputer]

What is your current CPU? both of the cooler is overkill for most cpu. 

 

edit: i have NH-D15 it really not even hearable at idle and even at load if you wearing a headphones you should be fine, the noise is not annoying either. It OC really well but you need to watch your voltages you should run fan as these coolers aren't passive towers.  

[xTrixieHD]

i don't get people who worry about silence.

[Goat]

Both coolers are good, especially the NH-D15, which has performance similar to an AIO liquid cooler and is silent. The intel stock cooler's fan can be controlled to keep noise levels down, but can be a bit too noisy for your liking when the pc is under load.

[Deli]

 

No rule you must run whatever default fan profile the BIOS throws at you. As long as the CPU temp isn't outside your preference range. You can lower the fan speed. In 400-500rpm, you can't hear any noise even if you try. But the fan still pushes some air and keep the CPU in safe temperature when idling, instead of going all out to run it fanless.

 

[babuganoosh]

18 hours ago, MrUnknownEMC said:

What is your current CPU? both of the cooler is overkill for most cpu. 

 

edit: i have NH-D15 it really not even hearable at idle and even at load if you wearing a headphones you should be fine, the noise is not annoying either. It OC really well but you need to watch your voltages you should run fan as these coolers aren't passive towers.  

I've got the i5 4690k, no overclock yet. 

Thanks though, good to get real-world perspective. Also that note about passive towers I think is on point, I'll leave the fans on. 

[babuganoosh]

17 hours ago, Goat said:

Both cooler are good, especially the NH-D15, which has performance similar to an AIO liquid cooler and is silent. The intel stock cooler's fan can be controlled to keep noise levels down, but can be a bit too noisy for your liking when the pc is under load.

Ya that little fan just has to run too fast (loud) to provide adequate cooling at load. 

[babuganoosh]

15 hours ago, Deli said:

 

No rule you must run whatever default fan profile the BIOS throws at you. As long as the CPU temp isn't outside your preference range. You can lower the fan speed. In 400-500rpm, you can't hear any noise even if you try. But the fan still pushes some air and keep the CPU in safe temperature when idling, instead of going all out to run it fanless.

 

Yup I think going fanless is not the solution, especially with those coolers. Thanks!

[babuganoosh]

18 hours ago, xTrixieHD said:

i don't get people who worry about silence.

I don't get what you're doing hear. 

aheeeeeeeee

[desertcomputer]

22 hours ago, xTrixieHD said:

i don't get people who worry about silence.

Well having annoying fans is really annoying when you doing work and trying to concentrate on doing something. Once you experience a full silent PC you will never go back.   

[xTrixieHD]

On 03/02/2016 at 3:30 PM, babuganoosh said:

I don't get what you're doing hear. 

aheeeeeeeee

oi you have 6 posts. respect your elders.

[xTrixieHD]

On 03/02/2016 at 7:34 PM, MrUnknownEMC said:

Well having annoying fans is really annoying when you doing work and trying to concentrate on doing something. Once you experience a full silent PC you will never go back.   

that's a desc and a half.