Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.black - CPU Cooler Review - Tech-Legend

3. Testing & Final thoughts1. Introduction & Packaging2. Visual inspection3. Testing Final & thoughts

Testing

The following system was used to test the cooler: – Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz – Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X – RAM: GOODRAM IRDM PRO 16GB DDR4 @ 3600MHz – GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – SSD: Crucial MX500 – HDD: WD 1 TB Blue – PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum – Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White – Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2

Software used for testing the cooler:

– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.30.5500 – Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Prime95 29.1

The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V. Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed. The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error. The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.

The settings of the software used are the following: Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum Prime95 29.1- small FFT AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring. Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.

Idle

Full Load – IntelBurnTestV2

Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache

The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.

The NH-D15S chromax.black will cover the first two RAM slots on a ATX motherboard. Fortunately, there is plenty of space under the heatsink for the RAM modules, approximately 64mm.

The graphics card clearance is good, thanks to the asymmetrical design of the heatsink and heatpipes. The space left between the heatsink and the graphics card is good enough to make the top M.2 socket accessible.

The Noctua SecuFirm2 mounting system applies even pressure over the surface of the CPU. This ensures an equal spread of thermal compound over the CPU die and the cooler baseplate.

Final thoughts

The Noctua NH-D15S chromax.black is one of the most anticipated coolers of this year. As many want the increased clearance offered by the NH-D15S heatsink with the chromax.black treatment. The cooler can be acquired for around 89.99 US dollars or EUR, which is around 10 US Dollars less than the NH-D15 chromax.black, and on average 10 US dollars more expensive than the normal NH-D15S cooler.

The performance is great and the chromax.black coating does not decrease the cooling performance of the cooler. The maximum temperature reached by the NH-D15S chromax.black with the i9 9900K overclocked to 5GHz on all cores was 86°C with an Ambiental temperature of 26°C.

The clearance offered by the cooler is good, thanks to the way the lower fins of the heatsink are shaped, and the asymmetrical design of the heatpipes.

The installation process is very simple thanks to the way the Noctua SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system is designed. The SecuFirm2 uses solid metal components and a metal backplate.

In conclusion, the NH-D15S chromax.black is a good CPU cooler that has a great cooling and clearance. The chromax.black coating is worth the price increase over the regular NH-D15S, as it creates a stunning CPU cooler. The included 140mm fan is silent even at its maximum speed and it matches the rest of the cooler. The only inconvenient with this cooler is the same as it was since the beginning: the size of the heatsink, and you should be mindful of it especially the height, as some cases will not support it.

3. Testing & Final thoughts1. Introduction & Packaging2. Visual inspection3. Testing Final & thoughts

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