Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review - PC Perspective

1. Introduction and Technical Specifications
   1. We take a detailed look at the Noctua’s massive air cooler, the NH-D14 cooler…
   2. Features and Cooler Design
   3. Included Accessories
   4. Testing Configuration and Benchmarks Used
   5. Cooler Comparison Testing
   6. Conclusion

Introduction and Technical Specifications

We take a detailed look at the Noctua’s massive air cooler, the NH-D14 cooler…

Introduction

Courtesy of Noctua

Noctua is a well known name in the enthusiast world for its high-end CPU cooler products. Their flagship cooler, the NH-D14, features a nickel-plated copper base with dual radiator towers actively cooled by low noise 120mm and 140mm fans. The NH-D14 can be used with all current Intel and AMD CPU offerings. The cooler was put to the test against other similarly classed air and water-based cooling systems to see just how well Noctua's design would hold up. The Noctua NH-D14 does not come cheap with a retail price at $99.99, but its performance and utility should make up for that initial outlay.

Courtesy of Noctua

Courtesy of Noctua

The Noctua NH-D14 cooler is everything you would expect in a premium CPU cooler – nickel-plating for corrosion resistance, twin-tower radiators for massive heat dissipation potential, and copper / aluminum hybrid design for optimal heat transfer from the CPU. Noctua designed the NH-D14 with a total of six heat pipes, laid out in a U-shaped design which passes through the copper base plate and terminates in the radiator towers. The bottom of the copper base plate leaves the factory ground flat and polished to a mirror-like finish, ensuring optimal interfacing with the CPU surface.

Courtesy of Noctua

Noctua included the following components in with the base cooler: SecureFirm2™ multi-socket mounting kit, NF-P14 140mm fan, NF-P12 120mm fan, four fan mounting brackets, a dual-ended fan power cable, two single-fan low power cables, a case badge, and NT-H1 thermal compound.

Technical Specifications (taken from the Noctua website)

Heat Sink Specifications
Socket compatibility	Intel LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150, LGA775, LGA2011 on request, Asus X-socket™ & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2 (backplate required)
Dimensions (without fan)	160 mm x 140 mm x 130 mm (H x W x D)
Dimensions (with fan)	160 mm x 140 mm x 158 mm (H x W x D)
Weight (without fan)	900 g
Weight (with fan)	Single fan – 1070 g Dual fans – 1240 g
Material	Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Fan Compatibility	140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes) 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes) 120x120x25
Scope of Delivery	1 x NF-P14 premium fan 1 x NF-P12 premium fan 2 x Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (U.L.N.A.) Y-Split Cable 4 x Vibration-Compensators (for using NF-P12 as case fan) 4 x Fan screws (for using NF-P12 as case fan) NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kits Noctua Metal Case-Badge
Warranty	6 years
Fan specifications
Model	Noctua NF-P14 & Noctua NF-P12
Bearing	SSO-Bearing
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%)	1200 / 1300 RPM
Rotational Speed with U.L.N.A. (+/- 10%)	900 / 900 RPM
Air Flow	110.3 / 92.3 m³/h
Airflow with U.L.N.A.	83.7 / 63.4 m³/h
Acoustical Noise	19.6 / 19.8 dB(A)
Acoustical Noise with U.L.N.A.	13.2 / 12.6 dB(A)
Input Power	1.2 / 1.08 W
Voltage Range	12 V
MTBF	> 150,000 h