Noctua NH-D14 Review
Testing
Published: 22nd March 2010 | Source: Noctua | Price: £69.99 |

Testing
When it comes to the 1366 socket it’s not hard to realise that the cheapest CPU in the line up the 920 is also the most popular. This is re-enforced by the fact most 920 D0’s will hit the 4ghz milestone if you know your way round your BIOS. Couple this with the £210 price tag and it means they fly off the shelves.
It's this popularity that made us choose the 920 for testing today. It's not quite as simple as you may think though. Over-clocking them can be very simple, keeping them cool however is not. It's not unusual for our forum members to be mentioning over 90degrees when testing on a sub standard coolers and even the CPU’s shutting down because of the increased heat.
When it comes to over-clocking a 1366 we pulled out the old faithful set of equipment that we know inside out and back to front and set our 920 up with a 4ghz overclock (200x20) at 1.35vcore.
Test System
Intel i7 920 D0
Asus Rampage Extreme 2
Corsair Platinum 6gb 1333mhz
Asus ATI 5870
OCZ 1000w Gold Series PSU
Samsung Spinpoint F1 1tb
Overclock settings
200 BCLK
20 x Multiplier
1.35vcore
1.38 QDPI
1.64 VRAM
All tests were carried out in a temperature controlled room at 20degrees, and each of the heat sinks tested 3 times with a fresh mount and application of Arctic Cooling MX3 each time. An average temperature was taken from the 3 tests to provide our results. With each fresh mount of the heat sinks we allowed the system to idle for 30minutes before running Prime 95 on its ‘maximum heat, maximum stress’ setting for a further 30minutes before a maximum temperature was taken.
All tests were run at both 12v and also using the Noctuas ‘quiet fan cables’ (Intel and V8 were left set to maximum fans when using the resistor cables to eliminate the fans running any slower )
We used the new Intel 980x cooler as the first of our heat sinks to compare. It was starting to struggle without being in performance mode, although the faster fan does help it cool much better it is also pretty much unbearable to sit next to. In quiet mode it is a lot more usable, but still not acceptable for late night use and the temperatures were getting very close to the CPU shutting down.
Next in comparison was the Cooler Master V8, much regarded as one of the higher end coolers available and we also tested this at both minimum and maximum fans. The cooler did cope quite well at maximum fans managing to stay below 80c, but in silent mode the temps rose quickly above and the CPU came very close to shutting down.
Now on to the reason why we are here, the Noctua. Even with the fans running at 12v immediately this cooler stands out from the crowd, or rather hides in the shadows, as it is so quiet I even checked to see if the centre fan was actually running. With the fans at 12v the hottest core on the CPU never went above 68 degrees. Yeah that’s right it never even got to 70 degrees! Something that was also very apparent was the sheer amount of heat pouring out the back of the heat sink, just placing your hand near the back of it you could feel the warm air, nothing unusual but the temperature and the amount of air being forced out the back at such an inaudible rate was a massive shock to me.
So stage one went very well, but for some reason I didn’t hold out much hope for the fans being run at silent, especially not with our 4ghz over clock… right? Well put your cup of tea down, swallow that mouthful of sandwich because you about to spit it out or choke in shock.
With the fans on low, which I might add is about as close to silent as you will ever get with 2x 140mm fans pushing over a heatsink, the CPU’s hottest core never went above 72c! A 4ghz overclock on an i7 920 on air, with silent fans at 72c! Not quite believing this I left the sytem running on the final test for the whole day, a total of 6 hours in the end running at 100% and still even after that it never went above 73c!
For all those that didn’t take my warning, clean your keyboard and monitor before heading over to the conclusion.
Most Recent Comments

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_ddr2_pc2_9200_flex_ii_4gb_series
Good review

If you get chance tom you couldnt do me a little favour could you?
If you could get me temps (at the same settings the cpu was at in the review) but with the outside 120mm fan taken off, just the central 140mm running it would be a great help!
Basicaly i built a freind an i7 setup and now he's got the money spair he's looking to get a new cooler so we can get a better overclock (920 @ 3.2 currently iirc), Id love to recomend this to him except he has OCZ Reaper in the system and the heatspreaders on it would get in the way, it would fit fine without the 120 on the side but as it stands it wouldnt fit.
I just need to know the difference in temps between the 120mm+140mm (12v) and just the 140mm (12v) as if its the same or worse than the v8 i will just get him that.
Cheers if you can but its cool if you cant matey.
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Originally Posted by name='I Hunta x'
VERY beastly temps for an air cooler looks like its going to be top choice for a while to come.
If you get chance tom you couldnt do me a little favour could you? If you could get me temps (at the same settings the cpu was at in the review) but with the outside 120mm fan taken off, just the central 140mm running it would be a great help! Basicaly i built a freind an i7 setup and now he's got the money spair he's looking to get a new cooler so we can get a better overclock (920 @ 3.2 currently iirc), Id love to recomend this to him except he has OCZ Reaper in the system and the heatspreaders on it would get in the way, it would fit fine without the 120 on the side but as it stands it wouldnt fit. I just need to know the difference in temps between the 120mm+140mm (12v) and just the 140mm (12v) as if its the same or worse than the v8 i will just get him that. Cheers if you can but its cool if you cant matey. |
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Originally Posted by name='killablade'
Both fans are 140MM, although the middle fan is a bit larger because of it's round design. (I think
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I got confused first time i was looking at it on the noctua site.

if they didnt use fans what closely resemble the morning after the curry house then i might look into one!
but all in all, great review, great product and the videos are tip top!
Meaty!
http://www.overclock3d.net/gfx/artic...160945564l.jpg
http://www.overclock3d.net/gfx/artic...160946554l.jpg
Will the board be able to fit the Noctua NH-D14 without running into problems?
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Originally Posted by name='Steve-O-'
Get this cooler if you can afford it and your mobo is compatible! I bought this beast because of TTL's review and couldn't be happier!
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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/...b82e22decb.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/...d728c420ac.jpg
Temp wasn't going any higher so I didn't complete the Burn Test. Of course Intel Burn usually gets hotter than Prime95 so keep that in mind.
I let it idle for 10 min before taking a screen shot.
Ambient temperature is 75F so about 24-25c with a closed case. Sorry but I don't have a temp reader or I would give you case ambient.
Real glad you are happy though dude

-newbie here, do you think this heatsink will go over my OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 GOLD TRIPLE CHANNEL ram ?
-Prolimatech Megashadow vs Noctua NH-D14, which is better based purely on performance ?
Thanks in advance ;-)
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Originally Posted by name='Kumanosuke'
Hi guys,
-newbie here, do you think this heatsink will go over my OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 GOLD TRIPLE CHANNEL ram ? -Prolimatech Megashadow vs Noctua NH-D14, which is better based purely on performance ? Thanks in advance ;-) |

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Originally Posted by name='killablade'
You don't have hugh heatspreaders on the RAM so that shouldn't be a problem, and as far as pure performance goes, the megahalems don't even get near the D14
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Originally Posted by name='tinytomlogan'
No where near
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what is the recommended retail price in UK ?
btw TTL's reviews are pretty good, keep up the good work
If no, do you recommend any other coolers? Like the Coolermaster V8 or V10? Perhaps Corsair H50 or H70? (Not sure if they are worth getting or not)
Thanks,
Shido
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Does anyone know if this cooler is compatible with say, Corsair Dominator GT memory? What with the high heat spreaders I'm not sure if it would give enough clearance or not without removing the heat spreaders which to me seems like a bad idea. If no, do you recommend any other coolers? Like the Coolermaster V8 or V10? Perhaps Corsair H50 or H70? (Not sure if they are worth getting or not) Thanks, Shido |
Although as Tom states you can remove the top spreaders. Good airflow through your case and the RAM wont cook its self.
As for airflow, I have a Cooler Master HAF X with both top 200mm fans and the side 200mm with plenty of space. I'll take your word on the heat spreaders too Tom, I'll try the spring clips first, if not I'll just have to remove the spreaders I guess
Thanks for the replies guys
- Shido
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I see what you mean about the spring clips lasher, I might be able to do what you suggested though do you think moving the fan will affect performance of the radiators? As for airflow, I have a Cooler Master HAF X with both top 200mm fans and the side 200mm with plenty of space. I'll take your word on the heat spreaders too Tom, I'll try the spring clips first, if not I'll just have to remove the spreaders I guess Thanks for the replies guys - Shido |
By the way, is there any way to put those spreaders back on effectively or are they stuck off forever once removed?
Thanks,
Shido
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Thanks Tom, that's what I was thinking. Do you have any thoughts on a Cooler Master V10 compared to a Noctua, I can't seem to find any comparisons or reviews you've made. By the way, is there any way to put those spreaders back on effectively or are they stuck off forever once removed? Thanks, Shido |
Ordered a 140 for the front of my new build and a 120 for the back. And then money ran out... F**k they're expensive lmao.
I have a 92 in the bay already though, so one more 120 and I have a full set. I look forward to a gentle soothing whoosh.
It looks like a good water cool solution for the beginner as it is a sealed unit requiring no coolant maintenance and fairly easy to fit.
At around £55 it's there will the med to high end air cooling metal fin + fan heatsinks.
Do you know how the CoolIT ECO ALC does / would compare with the Noctua NH-D14 or a more serious custom water loop cooling system?
I am just building my system and I couldn't decide between a serious air cooling heatsink solution or the CoolIT ECO ALC. On the strength of reviews I bought an CoolIT ECO ALC and a ThermalRight MUX-120 so I could have a look at them close up. I haven't found a direct comparison between these two or seen them involved in the same test results.
I have deduced that the ThermalRight MUX-120 can probably take more heat away then the CoolIT ECO ALC but I am not planning extreme overclocking (I am new to this scene - never dared do it with my previous AMDs before). I do like the fact that the CoolIT ECO ALC's processor 'pad' package is quite compact - much smaller then a stonking great heat sink cooler.
The ThermalRight MUX-120 looks too oversized and out of proportion when I hold it over my board. Also I would have to orientate it the other way round to the conventional otherwise it blocks 2 of my memory slots which I need to use. Also I suspect it may not fit in my ATX Midi-Tower box (Apeva X-Cruser) which hasn't been delivered yet.
A final question: With a CPU only water cooled solution would my chipset be at risk of overheating? (I mean with traditional / processor OEM stock fan assisted CPU cooling the some of airflow from the fan passes over the chipset heatsink. My last AMD board died when I hadn't realised a chipset fan had stopped working and it was a slow and gradual demise before I realised what was happening!)
basicly the DH14 is the best air cooler out on the market full stop
if you wanna go watercooling then it has to be done with effort and with money as there is no point goin in half assed,its gotta be done right or not at all
and with your mobo should be a suplied fan for use when watercooling the CPU altho i dont think it needed when there is decent airflow in the case
There's quite a few of us on here with them. Mines in quite a slim case but I have no side fans to foul.
Need full cofigs and rig spec not just ram with these babies.
They do one for GPUs called an Omni.. It costs, wait for it, £180+
Why is it they can make one for a CPU that costs £50 yet £130 more for one that cools a GPU? a*shats.
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If it's a case you already have, give us some dimensions you have available. There's quite a few of us on here with them. Mines in quite a slim case but I have no side fans to foul. Need full cofigs and rig spec not just ram with these babies. |
Asus Crosshair IV Formula
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T BE
Corsair Dominator GT
So anyone buying a Noctua D14, don't set it up vertically, with it intaking air straight from your graphics cards in a 800D and you'll get awesome temps =D
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Sorry for necroing this, but I finally found the review where the claim that an Intel 980x stock cooler can beat a Noctua and how that guy (andyvee) claimed that the H70 would whoop the Noctua's butt. The conditions to do so are idling the CPU, with the Noctua going vertically sucking air directly from a hot graphics card in a 800D. So anyone buying a Noctua D14, don't set it up vertically, with it intaking air straight from your graphics cards in a 800D and you'll get awesome temps =D |
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Sorry for necroing this, but I finally found the review where the claim that an Intel 980x stock cooler can beat a Noctua and how that guy (andyvee) claimed that the H70 would whoop the Noctua's butt. The conditions to do so are idling the CPU, with the Noctua going vertically sucking air directly from a hot graphics card in a 800D. So anyone buying a Noctua D14, don't set it up vertically, with it intaking air straight from your graphics cards in a 800D and you'll get awesome temps =D |
Sadly the fact is that Americans are in love with the H70 and the 800D. In the real world neither of them are really anything special. The H70 does cool quite well but when it can be trounced by an air cooler costing half the money you need to sort of have a word with yourself.
I assume by the use of the word 'whooping' and 'butt' this skewed review was carried out by an American.
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Here on OC3D we call that skewing the results. Sadly the fact is that Americans are in love with the H70 and the 800D. In the real world neither of them are really anything special. The H70 does cool quite well but when it can be trounced by an air cooler costing half the money you need to sort of have a word with yourself. I assume by the use of the word 'whooping' and 'butt' this skewed review was carried out by an American. |
As for me, I'm wise enough to not fall for that ploy and plop down $120 for an H70 whenever I can get a superior NH-D14 for $80, or even a high quality water cooling kit with a 240mm rad for about the same price.
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Indeed. Makes me feel a tad bit embarrassed to be an American, as all I see spec wise anymore for most computers are nothing but Cooler Masters and Corsairs for cases with H50s and H70s being the cooler of choice. For coolers, it's like they try to get what's "cool" instead of what cools. That, and they probably fell for the lie of it being a real water cooling setup. And I'm sure the Corsair badge didn't help things much. As for me, I'm wise enough to not fall for that ploy and plop down $120 for an H70 whenever I can get a superior NH-D14 for $80, or even a high quality water cooling kit with a 240mm rad for about the same price. |
But yeah.. Earlier tonight I was reading some reviews of the Noctua NH on Newegg (mate in MD just ordered his) and one of them had me laughing...
"God these fans are so crap. They're ugly ETC ETC waah waah I replaced them with Yate Loons"
Way to completely miss the point. Did he not like, pick them up and feel how solid and well made they were? course not. First thing was the colour sucks. Who cares? they're beautifully engineered almost silent fans.
And there lies the problem. A lot of Americans don't care how something performs it's all about the looks. When I had my 200WHP Tiburon and it was sleepered down (pre spoiler and all that, I only did that 'cos I had to to sell it, no one wanted a plain fast car) I would get ragged on by V6 Mustang owners. Right up until we got out onto route 55 and I flipped them off and waved them goodbye. But even in defeat they would say "well I would still rather have my car because it LOOKS BETTER".
It's like those plums out there who show their test system with 24gb of ram in. Lmao.
problem:
i sleep...in my bed, in my bedroom, and my computer is on my desk, in my bedroom, and i usually leave it on overnight, and the whine from the cooler, and the fans, is ...well, making it difficult to sleep, i imagine for 939, it would keep it reasonably cool ...
EDIT: and it seems my temps aint too good either, i just remembered about coretemp, id long since forgotten bout it ...here's a shot, of it, just idling, not doing much more than just internet and music....

939 isnt that out of date now is it?
Keeping my q6600 cool as iceeeee
EDIT: acording to this site: http://www.overclock.net/air-cooling/628569-official-noctua-nh-d14-club-70.html
if you order one, and you have 939, and you ring them, they send you a 939 adapter
EDIT2: i have just emailed them, asking, and i will post here with any updates, if they email me back, or if they laugh at me
Anyway, don't those Noctua coolers that support Opteron use K8? Sure it's not a D14, but it should be able to keep your system nice and cool, while remaining quiet
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_313&products_id=13801
EDIT: I also found the adapter it costs a massive $2
theres a lot of threads about that say people email them with 939 or 754 sockets and if you buy a cooler and show them the recept, they will send you one free of charge...sounds good to me
should keep my 939 cool even if i took the fans off i bet
the gigabyte cooler i have on it at the moment isnt exactly....good
lol
btw when's the review coming out?
does it fit on the Asus P8P67 DELUXE at all?
I have seen one on it just depends a bit on what memory spreaders but that can be solved as well...
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do you think you would be able to remove the 120mm fan and put on there 140 mm fan ? also could you with another bracket put on a third fan ???? |
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an extra 140 ram side would stand up loads above the cooler, the other side would be ok depending on your mosfet heatsinks. But honestly dude, just buy the cooler and use it first, it doesnt need extra money spending on it |
(joke)
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do you think you would be able to remove the 120mm fan and put on there 140 mm fan ? also could you with another bracket put on a third fan ???? |
And yes with another bracket you can add on a third fan. In fact the third fan would end up right up against your rear exhaust fan.
EDIT: The third fan will only drop the temps by 2-3*C tops.
http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=186
thanks in advance
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hey tom, will these kits be compatible with the d14? http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=186 thanks in advance |
Sometimes you get away with it if your baord is spaced different but the easy answer is no mate.
Here's a list of compatable/incompatable ram, http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_ram_gen&products_id=34&lng=en
Here are 2 nice kits that will fit under perfectly fine.
Mushkin blackline 1600mhz 6-9-7-24 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226183
Mushkin blackline 1600mhz 7-7-7-20 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226130
I am curious it could possibly out preform other passive fans.
Better audio, lighting, delivery! As a former performer myself i.e. musician I totally get that confidence comes over time and i'm not sure how good I would be talking to myself in front of a camera, Long may it continue.
ps
Just wanted to point out how much better the vids have got though really, I still don't own a Noctua fan never mind the NHD-14.


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