Stay calm! Dark Rock Pro 3 vs. Noctua NH-D15. Which is the best? (2023)

FAQs

Is NH-D15 still the best? ›

Is it worth buying the NH-D15? Considering the mid-range pricing for a high-end CPU air cooler coupled with the impressive thermal performance, we would say the Noctua NH-D15 is definitely worth it. Arguably, the NH-D15 is one of the best coolers on the market.

Dark Rock TF 2 and Noctua NH-D15 see large bias, but for different reasons. The Dark Rock TF 2 sees very low noise levels and good cooling capacity, while the NH-D15 posts the best air cooling results we've seen and also is nearly silent.

DeepCool Assassin III CPU cooler

The DeepCool Assassin III is a great alternative to the Noctua NH-D15 in the big-size CPU cooler category. It also has a fantastic dual-tone design, huge fin-stacks and a pair of high-performance fans.

Noctua's heavy hitter of air coolers slims down… and goes a little right of centre. The NH-D15 is the Big Daddy of air coolers and the pinnacle of performance. It's generally overkill in most rigs from a performance perspective but it is damn quiet.

Every Noctua fan I've tried has good circuitry and bearings. That means there's no clicking or whirring of motors and bearings when the fan is at low speed, so the only noise the fan makes is really through air movement. Every Noctua fan also has a 6 year warranty...

The Noctua NH-D15 is one of the company's best-performing air coolers. It can handle high-performance CPUs like the Ryzen 9 5950X, thanks to its high cooling capacity due to its size, and has whisper-quiet fans. Noctua's NH-D15 is one of the highest-performing CPU fan coolers available.

6-year manufacturer's warranty

Noctua products are renowned for their impeccable quality and outstanding longevity. Like all Noctua fans, the supplied NF-A15's feature an MTTF rating of more than 150.000 hours and the entire NH-D15 package comes with a full 6-year manufacturer's warranty.

Noctua NT-H1 and NT-H2 thermal pastes have a specified usage time (on the CPU) of up to 5 years. However, you will most likely see excellent results for much longer than that, so we simply recommend checking the temperatures occasionally after passing the 5-year mark.

Chosen by noise-conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class-leading quiet cooling performance.

The Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black is considered by many to be the best air cooler on the market.

What fans beat Noctua? ›

Phanteks' T30-120 merrily beats the Noctua NF-A12x25 with the highest airflow for each noise level. When restricted by a radiator, the difference isn't quite as drastic as in open air, but the T30-120 still wins by a healthy margin.

The new material produces fewer vibrations, which means less noise. But there's another, way more interesting reason for using Sterrox. Noctua's new A-series fan has a tiny tip clearance—the space between the fan blades and the housing—of about 0.5 mm.

Best High-End Silent CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15

The dual fan design drastically increases airflow, which allows your system to run quietly and hassle-free.

Noctua is an Austrian computer hardware manufacturer of CPU-coolers and computer fans which is primarily aimed at the enthusiast market.

As far as the thermal paste is concerned, the Noctua NT-H2 was 1c better than its predecessor, which is consistent with my colleague Aaron Lai's review in 2019. Meanwhile, there was no measurable difference between the ARCTIC MX-5 and the Noctua NT-H2, which is an excellent result.

Like all Noctua fans, the NF-F12 features an MTTF rating of more than 150.000 hours and comes with a full 6-year manufacturer's warranty.

Yeti Tundra 65

The Tundra 65 boasts the most impressive all-around performance out of any cooler we tested. Through numerous rounds of our intensive insulation testing, the Tundra 65 continued to outlast the rest in keeping contents at safe temperatures for consumption.

How Often Should You Replace Thermal Paste? In most cases, you shouldn't need to reapply more than once every few years, though you should replace your paste if you remove your cooler for any reason. You may also want to consider reapplying thermal paste if you find your CPU temperatures are climbing.

Are Noctua fans noisy? ›

For example, the standard NF-F12 PWM emits a noise level of 22.6dB(A) at its maximum speed of 1500rpm whereas the NF-F12 industrialPPC-2000 PWM emits a noise level of 29.7dB(A) at its maximum speed of 2000rpm.

You can either just wipe the base and the CPU clean with a dry, lint-free tissue or, for more thorough cleaning, use a lint-free tissue moistened with either a mild solution of washing-up liquid or isopropyl alcohol. Do not put the cooler or CPU under running water.

The NF-P12 PWM is supplied with a (L.N.A.) that reduces the maximum fan speed from 1300 to 900rpm. The L.N.A. can be used either to run the fan at a fixed speed of 900rpm or to cap the maximum speed when using automatic PWM control.

The NA-YC1 Y-Cables make it possible to run two 4-pin PWM fans on a single fan header and to let the mainboard control the speed of both fans simultaneously.

Aerodynamic blade design: Laminar airflow is quietest. Blades that change their pitch (twist) and chord (width) between hub and tip promote laminar flow by managing the relative vector velocities of the incoming airflow and advancing blade.

The Noctua NF-P12 redux is cheaper and quieter then the Corsair ML120, so it is best for most situations. The Corsair ML120 is great when you need a fan that can run both quiet or loud and powerful.

For example, the standard NF-F12 PWM emits a noise level of 22.6dB(A) at its maximum speed of 1500rpm whereas the NF-F12 industrialPPC-2000 PWM emits a noise level of 29.7dB(A) at its maximum speed of 2000rpm.

Thus, electric fans are an ideal solution to feeling more cool and comfortable. They are cost-effective, easy to set up, and can be moved from room to room if necessary.

If you live in a humid area, an air cooler may not be the best option – it may worsen the humidity. 2. Air coolers are not effective at cooling large spaces. If you're trying to cool a room larger than 500 square feet, an air cooler will not do the trick.

What is the most popular size cooler? ›

Medium cooler: 30-45 quarts/28-42 liters

This size range includes some of the most popular sizes of cooler (35-55 quarts) and though a bit bigger, these will also typically come with carrying handles so be aware that if you have a 45-quart cooler and it's packed to the brim, it's going to be heavy.

Air coolers are quite good at relocating heat away from the CPU, but keep in mind that heat is then dispersed into the case. This can raise the ambient temperature of the system overall. Liquid coolers do a better job of relocating that heat outside of the system via the fans on the radiator.

Noctua NH-D15S, Premium Dual-Tower CPU Cooler with NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fan (Brown)

NF-F12: The NF-F12's unique Focused Flow™ system produces extremely high static pressure and focuses the airflow in order to achieve even better results on air cooling heatsinks and water cooling radiators.

For best results in all types of application, Noctua recommends the NF-A12x25. Alternatively, the NF-F12 is a pressure-optimised fan that excels on heatsinks and radiators and the NF-S12A is an airflow-optimised fan that provides excellent results as a case fan and in other low- to mid-impedance applications.

Noise-wise, at full speed, they are audible, just like any other PC fan would be, but they're still quiet enough at your more average speeds that I can't hear them over my room's fan.

Cooler Master is a world leader in the cooling system for PCs. This is the best-selling liquid CPU cooler, and the reason is very obvious. It is the quietest CPU cooler on our list with just 15db of noise level. The reason behind the low noise level is that it uses the liquid cooling method.

Noctua fans are just a safe choice in regards ot noise and perofrmance. They are well known to be quiet, high quality, and high performance. They do come in black, and black & grey variations. In some case configurations the color of the fans is a non issue as you cant see them.

Which is the quietest cooling solution? Liquid cooling is the quietest solution. Fan noise varies depending on size and speed, but small fans (which have to spin faster to move the same amount of air) tend to be louder than large ones.

Is Noctua NH-D15 still best? ›

Is it worth buying the NH-D15? Considering the mid-range pricing for a high-end CPU air cooler coupled with the impressive thermal performance, we would say the Noctua NH-D15 is definitely worth it. Arguably, the NH-D15 is one of the best coolers on the market.

Noctua NH-D15 Dual Radiator Quiet CPU Cooler with Two NH-A15 Fans. Built on the basis of the legendary NH-D14 and carrying on its quest for ultimate quiet cooling performance, Noctua's flagship model NH-D15 is an elite-class dual tower cooler for the highest demands.

The d15 fans are loud, at full RPM(at least thats wath I think), especialy with 2 fans mounted. But it can be very quiet with the right fan curve and also keeps the cpu very cool.

Performance: While the base performance of the NH-D15 and NH-D15S heatsinks are identical, the dual fan configuration of the NH-D15 can provide 1-3°C better performance.

Overall the NH-D15 is a fantastic cooler. However, compared to the Coolermaster AIO cooler mentioned earlier, it's only at a 30w TDP deficit, with a maximum TDP of around 220w, whereas the AIO cooler comes with 250w.

While the previous processor was happily sitting at about 60 degrees at full load, the 12900K is quite a bit hotter, topping out at 90 (idle about 30 while regular workload seems to be around 50-60).

Compatible with High RAM in Single Fan Mode

The recessed fins of the NH-D15 offer 64mm clearance for tall memory heatsinks in single fan mode. With that, the NH-D15 is compatible with high-end RAM modules.

A premium version of an air cooler might have a larger heatsink, better fans, and provide different aesthetic options. A high-end All-in-One (AIO) liquid cooler might have a larger radiator, and offer a mix of aesthetic and functional customization, such as software to control fan speeds and lighting.

AIO liquid cooler: If you're cooling your CPU with an AIO, optimal setups include placing the radiator in the front or top of your case. Both work just fine. To prioritize the GPU cooling, you'd place the CPU AIO on top of the case as an exhaust. This will make the CPU slightly warmer, but your GPU will stay cooler.

What is the lifespan of a Noctua cooler? ›

My rules are that the processor, while under load, should keep its sustained temperatures below 90 (all temperatures in Celsius). Very short duration spikes up into the 90s are ok, but should not be reaching 100c (the typical Tjmax).

At the highest loads, your average CPU temps can go up to 80–85°C, but consider this the absolute limit. Sustained CPU temps above 80°C can do long-term damage to the CPU and its silicon. If your CPU goes higher than 90°C for several hours, it will likely reduce the lifespan of your processor.

Q: What's the safe CPU voltage for Core i9-12900K? It depends on the CPU cooler you use. We suggest to keep your CPU temperature under 90°C for a 24/7 overclock. With a 360mm AIO cooler, the suggested CPU core voltage is 1.25v~1.30v, depending on the workload.