Noctua NH-D14 SE2011

Product Overview

Price: $70.00 - $99.99
Brand: Noctua
Categories: Computer Hardware

Pros:

.Performance, Quiet, two high quality fans, durable nickel plating,accessory package, Thermal paste included, mounting hardware

Cons:

none

Bottom Line:

5 / 5 - Excellent

Review

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Recently we were able to acquire a Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 edition that is compatible with Intel’s Sandy Bridge-E processor. The Noctua NH-D14 has been the number one CPU cooler on the market for the past year. The NH-D14 features a six heat pipe design with one 120 mm fan and one 140mm fan in a push-pull configuration. This is a massive CPU cooler that is able to run silently, even when the fans are maxed out.

Unfortunately we were unable to test the NH-D14 on a Sandy Bridge-E platform because of hardware incompatibilities. But we were able to test the NH-D14 on my Intel Q8200 processor. The only difference between the standard NH-D14 and the NH-D14 SE2011 edition is the mounting hardware. If you have any of the following socket types listed below than this CPU cooler will work on your processor. If you buy this cooler I highly recommend you have a large computer case to accommodate its massive size.

Features & Specifications

Features

	Award-winning NH-D14 cooler Tens of thousands of enthusiast users all over the world swear by the NH-D14’s quality and performance. Recommended by more than 250 international hardware websites and magazines, it is renowned to be one of the best high end coolers on the market.
	6 heatpipe dual radiator design Providing more surface area, better heat-distribution and superior airflow efficiency than conventional tower style heatsinks, the NH-D14’s six heatpipe dual radiator design was developed to provide ultimate quiet cooling performance in dual fan mode.
	Dual NF-P14/NF-P12 PWM fan setup The NH-D14 sports a premium quality dual PWM fan setup consisting of Noctua’s award-winning NF-P12 (120mm) and NF-P14 (140mm) fans, both of which feature Vortex-Control Notches, SCD technology and SSO-Bearings in order to achieve a perfect balance of performance and quietness.
	Custom designed PWM IC with SCD Supporting fully automatic PWM speed control, the NH-D14 SE2011’s NF-P12 and NF-P14 fans use Noctua’s novel, custom designed NE-FD1 PWM IC that integrates Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology. By providing smoother torque impulses, SCD suppresses PWM switching noises and thus make the fans quieter at lower speeds.
	Excellent component cooling Hanging out at the bottom of the fin-stacks, the NF-P14 fan doesn’t only contribute to the NH-D14’s superb CPU cooling capabilities but also provides massive airflow over surrounding motherboard components and heatsinks, thus ensuring excellent component cooling performance.
	SecuFirm2™ mounting system for LGA2011 Noctua’s enthusiast grade SecuFirm2™ systems meet the highest demands in safety, contact pressure and ease-of-use. Tailor-made for LGA2011, the new NM-I2011 mounting brings the trusted SecuFirm2™ quality to Intel’s new Core i7-39xx/38xx platform.
	NT-H1 thermal compound Noctua’s much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a well proven pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease-of-use and outstanding reliability.

Specifications

Socket compatibility	Intel LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA775, LGA2011 on request, Asus X-socket™ & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1 (backplate required)
Height (without fan)	160 mm
Width (without fan)	140 mm
Depth (without fan)	130 mm
Height (without fan)	160 mm
Width (without fan)	140 mm
Depth (with fan)	158 mm
Weight (without fan)	900 g
Weight (with fan)	1070/1240*g
Material	Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Fan compatibility	140x140x25 & 120x120x25mm
Scope of Delivery	1x NF-P14 PWM premium fan 1x NF-P12 PWM premium fan 2x Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.) Y-Split Cable 4x Vibration-Compensators (for using NF-P12 as case fan) 4x Fan screws (for using NF-P12 as case fan) NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kit for LGA2011 Noctua Metal Case-Badge
Warranty	6 Years

Fan specifications

Model	Noctua NF-P14 PWM & Noctua NF-P12 PWM
Bearing	SSO-Bearing
Max. Rotational Speed (+/- 10%)	1200 / 1300 RPM
Max. Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%)	900 / 900 RPM
Min. Rotational Speed (PWM)	300 / 300 RPM
Max. Airflow	110,3 / 92,3 m³/h
Max. Airflow with L.N.A	83,7 / 63,4 m³/h
Max. Acoustical Noise	19,6 / 19,8 dB(A)
Max. Acoustical Noise with L.N.A.	13,2 / 12,6 dB(A)
Input Power	0,96 / 0,6 W
Voltage Range	12 V
MTBF	> 150.000 h

Packaging

The NH-D14 SE2011 was packaged similarly like the famous Russian dolls, one stacked inside of another. I mentioned this form of packaging when I did the Game Capture HD review earlier this month. This packaging method insures safe traveling for the precious contents inside.

Up Close NH-D14 SE2011

Here we have the massive NH-D14 with its dual heat pipe design and dual PWM fans. From the pictures above you can see the sheer size of it. The fin density on the radiator is optimized for low RPM fans with a high CFM. The fans clip on the radiator instead of being screwed on which is something that I like aesthetically. This mounting solution for the fans will remove any vibration that can come from screws.

Accessories

The mounting hardware above is for the NH-D14 SE2011 edition. Like I mentioned earlier I requested the older mounting hardware to complete my review of the NH-D14. So if you’re looking for test results of the SE2011 edition on a Sandy Bridge-E processor, I recommend you look elsewhere for those testing results

Test System Specifications

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (4 Cores/4 Threads)
Clock speed: 2.33GHz “Stock”
Motherboard: Dell Inc. 0M017G
Memory: 4 x 1 GB Elpida DDR2
Video Card: ATI Radeon 3650
Hard Disk: Western Digital 625 GB Blue
Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1050w
Case: None
Software: Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Performance

When it came to testing the performance of the NH-D14 I ran Intel’s Burn Test for 30 minutes. I was unable to overclock the CPU on my Dell motherboard. So testing was conducted at stock settings with the CPU at 100% load. Temperatures were recorded with CoreTemp while the PC was sitting idle for 30 minutes and then again under 100% load during Intel’s Burn Test for 30 minutes using the custom settings below.

Intel Burn Test Settings

Mode: 64-bit
Stress Level: Custom <2504>
Times to run: 10
Threads: 1280

Temperature Results

Keep in mind that cooler is better and the NH-D14 is definitely cooler. As you can see from the results above the NH-D14 absolutely destroyed my stock Intel heat sink in performance. In every application the NH-D14 was between 10-20 points cooler than my stock Intel cooler. From encoding video to intensive CPU testing programs like Prime95 and of course Intel’s Burn Test. The NH-D14 absolutely dominated.

Conclusion

Overall the NH-D14 is a cooling power house. There was no doubt in my mind that it would outperform my Intel CPU cooler. There are other CPU coolers available but they just cannot perform on par with the NH-D14. Over a year has passed and the NH-D14 is still being used in a lot of PC gamers PC’s. The next best option if choose to opt out of getting an NH-D14 is a closed loop system that relies on water to cool your components. That’s just how good the NH-D14 is where the only way to outperform it in some cases is to use water. Again there are other coolers out there that are smaller than the NH-D14and will do an adequate job over any stock cooler, but they just can’t match NH-D14’s cooling performance.

There are no real negatives with the NH-D14 other than its massive size. The best case scenario would be if you used this cooler in a large mid tower/full tower PC case, so you can at least close your PC after it’s installed. If you’re building a quiet PC and you’re afraid of liquid cooling. Then your best option in terms of performance is the NH-D14. I would recommend this cooler to anyone who wanted a quiet machine and who wanted something that could perform under pressure. That is why I’m giving it TheGameFanatics gold award. The NH-D14 is a perfect in my opinion, and for those of us who have large PC cases the size of it really doesn’t matter. I will warn you though. If you have tall ram heat sinks you will have to rotate the device for it to fit properly.

About the Author

Baron W.

Residing in Port Saint Lucie, FL., Baron (known to mortals as Breezy) is an avid gamer and an even bigger Tech-nerd. Breezy is our resident Technophile and keeps the site updated with cool tech news and interviews. He is currently seeking degrees in both Game Development and Game Design, and one day hopes to make his crazy ideas a reality. Breezy is known for going off topic and saying random things, if you ever speak with him expect the conversation to go south rather quickly. Breezy is also obsessed with technology and loves to drool (not literally) over them. Breezy has Intel inside.