Noctua NH-D15 G2 Review. Standard, LBC & HBC Comparison

Epilogue

The new NH-D15 G2 has smaller dimensions than the G1; it is noisier at full speed but also offers higher performance thanks to its good design and the fantastic pair of fans that it is equipped with. To give you an idea, in the Cybenetics Phi Fan Performance Standard (PFPS), the G2 fans achieve Diamond and Titanium in airflow and static pressure, while the G1 fans are Gold in both. So, the new fans are responsible for the performance increase, although once combined, their noise is higher than that of the G1 fans. I spent 2-3 days investigating this till I found that the new fan combo increases noise output despite the speed offset, which, in theory, reduces noise output. In any case, a 4.3 dBA noise difference at full speed is high but not enough to be perceived as annoying by most users. Usually, differences between 6 dBA and more are clearly noticeable to our ears. The smallest change most of us can perceive in noise output is about 2-3 dBA (depending on the set of ears!)

The new G2 fans cost 40 dollars each, and you get two of them in the G2 package, so the cooler’s cost is $70, including the rich bundle. Still, the $150 price tag is too high. The performance difference is there, but it is not high enough to justify such a high price. Someone can find potent coolers at way lower prices from Thermalright, Scythe, Arctic, and other brands focusing on less expensive products. Indeed, the performance might not be as high as the G2 coolers, and the build quality is lower, including the lower-performance fans, but with $150, someone can get multiple coolers from the brands I mentioned already, wondering whether it is worth spending so much money to get the G2. If you want full support and have long peace of mind, keep in mind that the G1 cooler is still supported and receives socket upgrades ten years after its release. This shows Noctua’s terrific support and respect for its clients. So, if you appreciate top support and need something top-notch, you could spend this amount to get the G2. After all, you don’t buy a new cooler often. Else, if you believe the price is too high, which is the case indeed, go with a more affordable option. Noctua clearly stated to me during my visit to their booth in Computex that they are not willing to sell it at a lower price because of the high development and production cost. This means we won’t see a price drop soon in the G2 cooler. So, the main issue with this product is the sky-high price.

Another outcome from this review, now that we have the complete picture is that Noctua NH-D15 is still relevant and performs well. Its primary asset is that it isn’t as expensive as its G2 variant. The NH-D15 goes for $110, and the chromax.black version for $120. The fans are the significant changes between the NH-D15 and its G2 variant, besides the new heatsink design and the more heatpipes. Still, 110 or 120 dollars are not a low amount for an air-cooler.

The NH-D15 G2 comes in three different models, so some might be confused. The standard version is the best choice for being as future-proof as possible. If you intend to remain in Intel for the next ten years or so, go for the HBC, and if you are a strong AMD supporter, go for the LBC.

[Noctua’s Statement about our Noise Readings]

“We disagree with Hardware Busters’ assessment that the NH-D15 G2 is generally louder than the original NH-D15. We suspect that the results Hardware Busters has obtained have to do with cooler orientation and directivity. Hardware Busters measure noise from the side of the cooler, whereas we recommend measuring from the front of the cooler because we tend to see the highest noise intensity and better consistency in this direction. By contrast, we tend to see lower noise intensity and more variations from configuration to configuration due to interference phenomena when measuring from the side. Switching the orientation to measuring from the side, we also see slightly higher SPL with the G2 fans on both coolers, but measured from the front where the noise intensity is highest, they are very close to each other in our measurements.”

[Hardware Busters Response]

We conduct noise measurements on all air coolers on the side. This way, both fans will be at an equal distance from the MIC. According to our results and experience so far (we have been conducting noise measurements for more than 15 years), the variations are in the expected range. What we mean by that is that our results are repeatable. For example, we measure some coolers again after a period, and the results are similar.

In the G2 cooler’s case, we conducted noise measurements with the coolers’ orientation, as Noctua suggested. The G2’s noise remained similar at full speed, while it increased notably in the G1 at 35.7 dBA, so the noise difference from the G2 dropped to below 1 dBA, which is a negligible difference. The fact is that according to our methodology, the worst-case scenario applies, which unfortunately is not in favor of Noctua, where the G1’s full-speed noise drops way lower than G2’s. According to Noctua’s statement: “Switching the orientation to measuring from the side, we also see slightly higher SPL with the G2 fans on both coolers”.

Noctua states, and it is right, that the noise difference is not high with the specific cooler orientation. Still, our methodology revealed that there is a difference with a different orientation, which is closer to real-life applications. Typically, users have the chassis on their sides, not in front of them. As a professional reviewer, I cannot make an exception and deviate from my methodology to present the best-case scenario.

[Update 14/7/2024] Shortly after I delivered this review, and after Noctua’s response prompted me to take noise measurements with the coolers at a different placement than the standard one I use, I proceeded with their suggestion only to discover something more annoying. Read the full story here: Noctua NH-D15 G2 Rattlegate? Until this issue is resolved, I am forced to remove the “Recommended” award I gave to this product.

 

 

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