Introduction
Continuing on from the Noctua NH-C14S review, we have another revision of another Noctua cooler. This time the flagship NH-D15 gets the treatment in the form of the NH-D15S. The Noctua NH-C14S is a really impressive cooler and a typical Noctua design, unusual but sublime in its execution.
The NH-D15S is a little different than the NH-C14S with the only real change being only one fan is shipped. This should make it a little quieter and cheaper which should suit some buyers, so let’s find out.
We are going to test the NH-D15S in its own right, though we are going to reference the NH-D15 review for fitting information. However, with a single fan you will have no memory compatibility issues, the NH-D15 would have obstructed some of the high profile memory sticks out there, but the fan was detachable, so it shouldn’t really have made any great impact on your build. So, with only one fan, will it work for your memory and will it work for your CPU?
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Socket compatibility | Intel LGA2011-0 & LGA2011-3 (Square ILM), LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+ (backplate required) |
| Dimensions (without fan) | 160 mm x 150 mm x 135 mm (H/W/D) |
| Dimensions (with fan) | 165 mm x 150 mm x 135 mm (H/W/D) |
| Weight (without fan) | 980 g |
| Weight (with fan) | 1150 g |
| Material | Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating |
| Fan compatibility | 140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 120x120x25 |
| Fan Model | 1x Noctua NF-A15 PWM |
| Fan Bearing | SSO2 |
| Max. Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) | 1500 RPM |
| Max. Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%) | 1200 RPM |
| Min. Rotational Speed (PWM, +/-20%) | 300 RPM |
| Max. Airflow | 140,2 m³/h |
| Max. Acoustical Noise | 24,6 dB(A) |
Product Shots
If you have owned a NH-D15, this is going to feel like a small box. With slightly less packaging and one less fan, it’s all a bit more civilized! We are not going to knock the NH-D15, you know you are in the presence of something substantial, but the NH-D15S just seems a little more reasonable in terms of packaging and expectations, but we will get to that later.