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Comparison Noctua NH-D15S vs Noctua NH-D15

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Noctua NH-D15S
Noctua NH-D15
Noctua NH-D15SNoctua NH-D15
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Main
TDP at 220W. Quiet even under full load. Warranty 6 years.
Main specs
Featuresfor CPUfor CPU
Product typeair coolerair cooler
Air flow directionsideways (dispersion)sideways (dispersion)
Double-tower
Max. TDP220 W220 W
Fan
Number of fans12
Fan size140 mm140 mm
Bearing
magnetic centring /SSO2/
magnetic centring /SSO2/
Min. RPM300 rpm
Max. RPM1500 rpm
1500 rpm /1200 L.N.A./
Speed controllerauto (PWM)auto (PWM)
Max. air flow82.5 CFM
82.43 CFM /115,5 m³/h L.N.A./
MTBF150 K hours150 K hours
replaceable
Min noise level19 dB
Noise level25 dB25 dB
Power source4-pin4-pin
Radiator
Heat pipes66
Heatpipe contactindirectindirect
Heatsink materialaluminium / copperaluminium / copper
Plate materialnickel-plated coppernickel-plated copper
RAM space65 mm32 mm
Socket
AMD AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2
 
 
Intel 1150
Intel 1155/1156
Intel 2011 / 2011 v3
Intel 2066
Intel 1151 / 1151 v2
Intel 1200
AMD AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2
AMD AM4
Intel 775
Intel 1150
Intel 1155/1156
Intel 2011 / 2011 v3
Intel 2066
Intel 1151 / 1151 v2
Intel 1200
General
Mount typebilateral (backplate)bilateral (backplate)
Dimensions165х150х135 mm150х161х165 mm
Height165 mm165 mm
Weight1150 g1320 g
Added to E-Catalogmay 2015january 2015

Double-tower

A feature found in some active CPU coolers (see "Intended Use").

For tower arrangements in general, see Airflow Blowing below. And the double-tower design means that the cooler has two working blocks — that is, two fans and two radiators. Accordingly, there are more heat pipes in the design than in single-tower models — at least 4 of them, and more often 5 – 6 or even more. Such an arrangement can significantly increase the cooling efficiency; on the other hand, it also significantly affects the dimensions, weight and price.

Number of fans

The number of fans in the design of the cooling system. More fans provide higher efficiency (all else being equal); on the other hand, the dimensions and the noise generated during operation also increase accordingly. Also, note that other things being equal, a smaller number of large fans is considered more advanced than numerous small ones; see "Fan diameter" for details.

Min. RPM

The lowest speed at which the cooling fan is capable of operating. Specified only for models with speed control (see below).

The lower the minimum speed (with the same maximum) — the wider the speed control range and the more you can slow down the fan when high performance is not needed (such a slowdown allows you to reduce energy consumption and noise level). On the other hand, an extensive range affects the cost accordingly.

Max. air flow

The maximum airflow that a cooling fan can create; measured in CFM — cubic feet per minute.

The higher the CFM number, the more efficient the fan. On the other hand, high performance requires either a large diameter (which affects the size and cost) or high speed (which increases the noise and vibration levels). Therefore, when choosing, it makes sense not to chase the maximum air flow, but to use special formulas that allow you to calculate the required number of CFM depending on the type and power of the cooled component and other parameters. Such formulas can be found in special sources. As for specific numbers, in the most modest systems, the performance does not exceed 30 CFM, and in the most powerful systems it can be up to 80 CFM and even more.

It is also worth considering that the actual value of the air flow at the highest speed is usually lower than the claimed maximum; see Static Pressure for details.

Min noise level

The lowest noise level produced by the cooling system during operation.

This parameter is indicated only for those models that have capacity control and can operate at reduced power. Accordingly, the minimum noise level is the noise level in the most “quiet” mode, the volume of work, which this model cannot be less than.

These data will be useful, first of all, to those who are trying to reduce the noise level as much as possible and, as they say, “fight for every decibel”. However, it is worth noting here that in many models the minimum values are about 15 dB, and in the quietest — only 10 – 11 dB. This volume is comparable to the rustling of leaves and is practically lost against the background of ambient noise even in a residential area at night, not to mention louder conditions, and the difference between 11 and 18 dB in this case is not significant for human perception. A comparison table for sound starting from 20 dB is given in the "Noise level" section below.

RAM space

The height of the space for RAM (random access memory) provided by the design of the cooling system.

Such a space is found predominantly in processor systems (see "Purpose"). Modern CPU coolers can be very large, and when installed, they often cover the RAM slots closest to the processor. This can be avoided by making the design narrow enough — however, this, in turn, negatively affects efficiency. That's why many manufacturers use another option — they don't limit the width of the cooler, but place its components at a high height, allowing you to place RAM bars of a certain height under them. Sometimes a special cutout is even made at the bottom of the radiator, which further increases the available space. And in this paragraph, the maximum height of the bar that can be placed under the cooling system is indicated.

Socket

Socket - processor connector - with which the corresponding cooling system is compatible.

Different sockets differ not only in compatibility with a particular CPU, but also in the configuration of the mounting place for the cooling system. So, when purchasing a processor cooling system separately, it is worth making sure that it is compatible with the socket. Nowadays, solutions are mainly produced for the following types of sockets: AMD AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2, AMD AM4, AMD AM5, AMD TR4/TRX4, Intel 775, Intel 1150, Intel 1155/1156, Intel 1366, Intel 2011/2011 v3, Intel 2066, Intel 1151/1151 v2, Intel 1200, Intel 1700.

Dimensions

General dimensions of the cooling system. For water systems (see "Type"), this paragraph indicates the size of the external radiator (the dimensions of the water block in such devices are small, and there is no need to specify them in particular).

In general, this is a fairly obvious parameter. We only note that for case fans (see ibid.), the thickness is of particular importance — it directly depends on how much space the device will take up inside the system unit. At the same time, it is customary to refer to fans with a thin case for models in which this size does not exceed 20 mm.
Noctua NH-D15S often compared
Noctua NH-D15 often compared