- Review -

15.09.2015 OverclockersClub.com

The NH-D14 was the King of the Hill for several years - it was the standard that other coolers were judged against. In logical progression comes the D15 and with all the improvements, it assumed the title from the D14 as the new King of the Hill. Well, now it must share the throne with the equally potent D15S. At first glance, the D15S looks almost identical to the D15, and for the most part it is. But it has a few tricks up its sleeve that provide RAM and PCIe compatibility that the standard D15 does not have. The offset, asymmetrical base allows the D15S to clear the top PCIe slot on most µATX and ATX motherboards. And since the D15S has only one fan, you have some additional RAM space. You may not think this is a big deal until you have clearance issues. Not with the D15S. Memory modules up to 65mm tall are no problem and your first PCIe slot is open for business. The performance is on par with the D15, which is really no surprise. The D15S is clearly built to keep the heat of overclocking under control with its massive dual towers and capable (and quiet) NF-A15 fan. Noctua's well-known SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system makes the installation a breeze. If you have ever installed a Noctua cooler with the SecuFirm2™, you know what I mean. There are two key factors that determine the success of a cooler. One is a properly designed heat sink that can effectively transfer the heat away from your CPU and into the fin stack, and the other is a fan that can efficiently move air through the fin stack. The NF-AF15 140mm fan effortlessly handles this task.

"Great cooling with memory compatibility, ease of installation, and quiet operation make the D15S another in a line of top-notch coolers from Noctua." (Chris Dawalt, OverclockersClub.com)