Noctua NH-D15 G2 HBC, Dual Tower CPU Cooler, Specialised High Base Convexity Version for Intel LGA1700 (Brown)

This is by far the best CPU cooler I have ever owned when it comes to raw thermal performance. I've been fortunate enough to have tried the older D15, NH-U12A, Thermalright PS120 Evo, and the Be Quiet Dark Rock Elite. The NH-D15 G2 totally blows everything else away when it comes to how well it can keep my 12900K cool. I tested out all those coolers whilst playing Forza Horizon 5 and Apex Legends for roughly 45 minutes to an hour. I generally found the likes of the older D15, NH-U12A, PS120 Evo, and Dark Rock Elite to hit a maximum temperature of roughly 70-75°C on the CPU package. The D15 G2, on the other hand, consistently keeps its peak temperatures below 65°C. Its performance is hands down the best I have ever seen for an air cooler trying to keep a power-hungry CPU like the 12900K cool. However, not all is well. A wide variety of NH-D15 G2s are coming with a distinctive rattle-like noise when the fans speed up. Noctua says this is caused by a shipping-related incident that causes the top few fins to become loose, thus making a rattling noise. It’s really only heard with fan speeds over 75%, but it’s still there and can be quite audible depending on your hearing. It’s a shame, because the cooler performs exceptionally, and for a company that prides itself on quality and having the absolute quietest systems and fans, it's just unacceptable to have an issue this widespread for the insanely high price of this cooler. I have personally tried out 3 different G2 units and all of them have experienced the rattling issue. Not good. Overall, the cooler lives up to its next-gen status by providing very meaningful temperature reductions. However, the rattling noise causes an annoyance that just should not exist for a product of this caliber. Because of that, I cannot recommend this cooler right now for those looking for the absolute quietest cooling option. Should Noctua correct this rattling issue, I will update my review accordingly. UPDATE (Sep 9, 2024): Noctua has now implemented a fix for this cooler. They'll be shipping affected customers metal adhesive plates for the sides of the cooler to prevent the rattling from happening. Just reach out to their customer support and they'll hook you up, free of charge of course. They also still offer a full refund and a replacement towards the end of October when they begin shipping out revised units of the G2 with the rattling permanently fixed from the factory. This is fantastic customer support and shows Noctua genuinely cares about customer satisfaction. Thanks for being awesome, Noctua! UPDATE (Sep 17, 2024): Just received the adhesive metal covers, and all I can say is wow. They actually eliminated any and all forms of rattle the cooler had! Plus, they look pretty cool as well. Because of this fix, the fact that both the covers and shipping from Austria were free of charge, and Noctua's prompt replies and eagerness to please customers AND on top of the cooler already being phenomenal in terms of performance, I will update the review to 5 stars. Thank you Noctua for being so awesome!

Saad · 2024-08-13 · via amazon

Call me paranoid. I've always been leery about liquid coolers. This is the best air cooler available. It's enormous but it needs to be to do the job as well as it does. It keeps the CPU cool without making too much noise (most of the time). It does crank up when I'm running a game but that is to be expected. I got the HBC version since I have an Intel processor which are warped slightly by the mounting mechanism.

Darrin J. Fangman · 2026-05-07 · via amazon

I was impressed that noise level and CPU temperature was outstanding! It's very quiet and my CPU temp was roughly around 60-70 degrees Celsius on average while I'm gaming with Intel Core i9-14900K (running at 5.7Ghz). In addition, it comes with 8 Heatpipes, high fin density to disperse more heat in order to keep your CPU run cool, dual 140mm G2 fans with excellent airflow and quiet noise level performance, Torx Hex Screw Driver, Thermal Compound, Brackets, etc. It fits no problem inside Cooler Master H500M Medium size chasis and has enough clearance for RAM as well. As for 1mm shimm washer, it's optional but I don't recommend installing 1mm shimm washer since it's a lot more difficult to install it with Intel's default ILM (Independent Loading Mechanism) which I highly recommend to get contact frame which fits no problem with LGA 1700 socket. By the way, this is HBC (High Base Convexity) which is ideal for Intel's LGA 1700 socket in order to prevent CPU deformation after long-term use. As for price point, it is now very expensive which you'll be paying about $149.99 USD MSRP, compared to previous generation. But nonetheless, you pay what you get. Other than that, I'm happy with product and Noctua has never let me down. And besides, this is by far the best CPU air cooler I've purchased. P.S. I believe 140mm G2 (Square Frame) fans should be coming out in September 2024. If you want to improve CPU temperature for Intel's LGA 1700 socket, you must install contact frame before you install your actual cooler. Also, keep your backplate installed on the back of your motherboard too. Be sure to keep your CPU installed to prevent damaging your CPU socket pins.

Danny Lim · 2024-07-09 · via amazon

Very well built keeps my I-9 processor. Cool I have no complaints. Very happy. This cooler is extremely large so make sure you have a big case.

Joey · 2026-01-21 · via amazon

This heat pipe cooler has 8 heat pipes rising onto each side of the cooler. And it comes with two 140mm fans to blow thru the fin stacks to cool the fluid down inside the heat pipes allowing it to be wicked back down to the cooling plate where it gets reheated again and expands quickly up the pipe to be cooled again and again over and over. This CPU cooler is very tall. I mean very tall! As in it barely fits into my Lian Li V1000 Aluminum case. The CPU Cooler requires enough space to allow the heat stack to fit below your side cover and the height required is 168mm or 6.62 inches. As well as the CPU cooler having the most heat pipes, the tallest in its class it has the largest price tag for a CPU cooler. It comes in three varieties, the one I am reviewing is for intel socket LGA1700 and LGA1851 CPUs. You can tell the version of cooler you are purchasing by the abbreviation after G2 in the name. HBC stands for High Base Convexity. As the Intel CPUs are prone to be concave in nature this cooler is predisposed to that shape thus providing an optimal adherence to the CPU when tightened down to the motherboard.

David J. Martin · 2025-01-17 · via amazon

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VALUE SCORE

Price

$46.07

Price

$55.39