Noctua NH-U14S, Premium CPU Cooler with NF-A15 140mm Fan (Brown)

Product Information

The NH-D14 with an all-new suite of three A15 PWM fans was trailing right behind the NH-U14S at 62 °C. Then we see the Prolimatech heatsinks. The one disappointment comes when the NF-A14 2000 RPM fans are put on heatsinks. For some reason, they do not do as well as you might expect (partly because they were square, partly because they could not use spacers?). For users who want to achieve even better performance by adding a second, optional NF-A15 fan to create a push/pull setup, the NH-U14S includes fan clips and an extra set of custom-designed anti-vibration pads that allow to off-set the rear fan by 5mm to improve acoustics in dual-fan mode.* The NF-A15 140mm fan supplied with the NH-U14S supports PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the mainboard. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced from 1500 to 1200rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptor for even quieter operation. New in this test is the measurement of the noise level. We measured the volume in dB(A) of the overall system from a distance of approx. 25 cm using our level meter with the case open. The case fans ran at the set 40 percent, while the PWM fans of the coolers ran at 100 percent. These values are for comparison only. Results compared to other Noctua coolers NNoctua has established itself more and more in the high performance league in recent years. In addition to many industrial solutions, the company also offers premium products for the end customer market. The Noctua brown stands out especially. Already during the reporting to other coolers we have therefore read again and again as a comment that only the colour prevents many from buying.

The last arrangement is the NH-D15 with two, 2000 RPM NF-A14 fans. The squareness of the fans is clearly delineated here. They do not reach across the full width of the towers. Fan compatibility: 140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 120x120x25 Noctua’s NH-D14 was a fine heatsink in its day. If you still use one, you can replace its fans with three retail NF-A15 PWM fans. Or you can leave it alone, spend no money and know you have an adequate heatsink. But if you have one of the early non-PWM NF-D14’s you may wish to change out your fans to get PWM technology and the quietness that comes with PWM control. Having received more than 100 awards and recommendations from hardware journalists around the world, Noctua's NT-H1 is a proven professional grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding reliability. After each heatsink was mounted the temps were not measured for a day to give the TIM time to spread and thin out.

Both fans supplied with the coolers support PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the mainboard. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptor for even quieter operation. The temperature of the air entering the heatsink was logged every five seconds; the runs were averaged. Genesis: Also from Prolimatech, this heatsink is unique in that one of its towers is parallel to the motherboard. In the picture, it is sporting the same Blue Vortex fans. With both Prolimatech heatsinks the procedure is to use Gelid GC-Extreme TIM. Standing 158mm tall (U12S) and 165mm tall (U14S) the coolers are short enough to fit most modern mid-end or high-end tower cases. Measuring 125mm wide (including fan and fan clips), the coolers stay clear of the top PCIe slot on standard ATX or Micro-ATX motherboards, ensuring best compatibility with SLI and CrossFire setups. Finally, the NH-U14S sitting on a motherboard. This overhead view shows that the heatsink does not interfere with RAM. Further, it shows the hexagonal distribution of those six heat pipes. Last it shows the screwdriver access hole in the center of the tower.

We were somewhat disappointed by the volume of the fans in comparison. With a value of 49.7 dB(A), the two fans of the NH-U12A perform significantly worse than all other test subjects. The predecessor NH-U12S achieves the lowest value with 45.8 dB(A). The NH-U14S, which cools almost identically or slightly better than the NH-U12A, is significantly quieter at 46.2 dB(A). Even the NH-D15 with two 140 mm fans is not as loud as the NH-U12A. It should also be noted, however, that the noise is very well dampened by the insulation of the Dark Base 700, which is why the values are definitely ok. The difference is only noticeable when the case is open. Conclusion: expensive, but very good Finally, we have the tower standing by itself. Notice how thin it is – just wide enough to enclose those six 6 mm heat pipes. A Closer Look In the first photo, we see the NF-A15 PWM fan. There is no doubt it’s a Noctua given its unique coloring. It’s equipped with anti-vibration padding and two clips for securing the fan to the tower of the cooler. In our test, the Noctua NH-U12A competes against three of its brothers from the same family. On the one hand, we tested the direct predecessor NH-U12S, on the other hand the NH-U14S as a 140 mm version and the NH-D15 as a flagship with two fans. Out of curiosity as to how the two NF-A12x25 fans perform, we also performed the tests with the NH-D15 in combination with the NF-A12x25 fans that were actually too small. Cooler

Apple cancelled this, now what?

On the right is the same heatsink with three NF-A15 1200 RPM fans. Here you can see the utility of a low profile RAM. Given that DDR4 RAM runs 1.2-1.35 volts there is no reason to get tall RAM. Recommended by more than 150 hardware publications and thousands of enthusiasts world-wide, the Noctua’s premium quality fans are renowned to combine superb static pressure, excellent heatsink performance and surprising quietness of operation. The NH-U12S is supplied with the NF-F12 Focused Flow fan while the NH-U14S has the NF-A15 fan. PLEASE NOTE: Some AMD mainboards violate the 96x114mm keep-out zone specified by AMD, so the NH-U12S can only be used with RAM modules of up to 40mm height on these boards. Please consult the compatibility list for details. The biggest change is not on the heat sink either, but is attached to it. With the NH-U12A Noctua delivers two of the high performance fans NF-A12x25. The company has developed these fans for four years and optimized them for maximum performance. The gap between fan blades and frame is only 0.5 mm. The gap between fan and frame is kept to a minimum. (Picture: PCBC/FM)