Final Thoughts on the Noctua NH-D15 G2
As expected the Noctua NH-D15 G2 sits at the top of our test results! This is incredibly impressive and what we come to expect from Noctua! This cooler is easily going to compete with other high-end air coolers and even all-in-one liquid CPU coolers.
Now there were reports of noise issues with this cooler, with Noctua actually offering refunds. Our sample did not have any of these issues and the noise profile was pretty consistent with what we would expect for a dual-fan CPU cooler. If you did want a little more quiet operation you could install the low-noise-adapters.
Like all Noctua coolers installation is a breeze and the included instructions are very easy to follow. I did find it odd that Noctua switched the screws up with Torx screws. I know that they do include a Torx screwdriver, but if you misplace that it is highly unlikely you’ll have another one compared to a normal screwdriver.
In the age of RGB, aquarium-style cases, and flashy CPU coolers you have to respect Noctua for sticking to their original brown colorway. The problem is people either love it or hate it. On top of that I found that it was so easy to get fingerprints on the top part of the cooler. No word on if Noctua will be coming out with the chromax.black version of the cooler anytime soon.
While this is one of the best air coolers out there in terms of performance, it is also the most expensive. At $149.95 at our favorite online retailer it sets a new cost level for air coolers and is even more expensive than some all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. If you look at our test group the both the Corsair A115 and Cooler Master MasterAir MA824 Stealth are $99.
This is of course a cooler that is going to last you through multiple builds and Noctua has a great track record of supplying free mounting hardware when new sockets come out. On top of that they back this cooler up with a 6-year warranty. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Noctua NH-D15 G2 CPU cooler a 9 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Amazing performance
– Easy installation
– Good overall noise performance
– The standard “Noctua” colors and design
– 6-year warranty
Cons:
– Completely covers memory
– Price
– No other color options or RGB
