Noctua showed off the flagship NH D15 second generation cooler
Hardware

Noctua showed off the flagship NH-D15 second generation cooler – it has more fins and heatpipes

Noctua presented the second generation of the popular NH-D15 CPU cooler at Computex. Recall that the company released the first generation of this cooling system back in 2014. It remains one of the most efficient air COs on the market.

    Image Credit: Tom's Hardware

Image Credit: Tom’s Hardware

Even with the second generation of the NH-D15, the company did not do without the twin tower design. However, the manufacturer has made some improvements that may not be obvious at first glance. For example, the company reduced the spacing between the cooling fins from 1.9mm to 1.6mm, increasing the effective heat dissipation area by 20%. In addition, the company has increased the contact area of ​​the new NH-D15.

The first generation models NH-D14 and NH-D15 are equipped with six heat pipes. In the new generation NH-D15, their number has been increased to eight, which should also have a positive effect on increasing the efficiency of processor cooling.

    Noctua NH-D15 first generation on the right and second generation on the left

Noctua NH-D15 first generation on the right and second generation on the left

Although the NH-D15 is a very large cooler, it is compatible with many motherboards. The company has further improved the compatibility of the second generation cooling system. The new model has an asymmetrical design. This provides 9 mm of additional space for installing massive graphics cards.


The new NH-D15 will be equipped with two new generation 140mm fans with improved impeller design for better airflow and static pressure. The SecuFirm2+ mounting system is used to mount the cooling system. The scope of delivery of the new NH-D15 now includes a special mounting kit for the AMD AM5 processor socket.

It slightly offsets the cooling system relative to the surface of the Ryzen 7000 processor’s heat spreader cover to ensure optimal cooling of the chip’s hottest spot. The kit itself can already be purchased separately for $3.90 through the Noctua website.

The new NH-D15 will also be compatible with Ryzen 7000 direct-to-chip cooling kits with the thermal cover removed. Such solutions are already available in the market and are aimed primarily at enthusiasts who understand why this is necessary. This mounting kit is compatible with most Noctua CPU coolers released since 2005. It will go on sale in June. The cost is $4.90.

The second-gen NH-D15 will include a tube of Noctua NT-H2 thermal grease, a proprietary NM-SD1 Torx T20 screwdriver, and a stencil for safely applying thermal grease to Ryzen 7000 processor shrouds.

Unless there are further delays, the company expects to release the second generation of the NH-D15 cooler in the second quarter of 2024. However, the manufacturer has not yet given any information about the cost of the future novelty. Previous models, the NH-D14 and NH-D15, are on sale for $89 and $99, respectively.

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