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

Overall Performance (Intel)

To calculate each cooler’s overall performance, I take into account three factors, the CPU’s temperature, wattage, and frequency, by using the following equation:

(Wattage / Temperature) x Frequency

Each chart shows the cooler under test as 100% and every other product’s performance as relative to it.

relative_performance_20dBA

relative_performance_25dBA

relative_performance_30dBA

relative_performance_35dBA

relative_performance_Full_Speed

The NH-D15 stands well, although I didn’t test it with the washer mod, which works well. The best performer, earning the air-cooling crowd, is the G2 HBC, followed by the G2 standard version, both using the washer mod. The performance difference between the old and new models is not high enough without this mod.

relative_performance_20dBA

relative_performance_25dBA

relative_performance_30dBA

relative_performance_35dBA

relative_performance_Full_Speed

If you have an Intel 13th or 14th generation CPU and want the best performance possible, go for the G2 HBC and use the provided washers, which make a huge difference! Moreover, as you can see, the G1 cooler still goes strong, especially the chromax.black version, and I haven’t tried any of these two with the 1mm washer socket mod. In the normalized noise tests, the new cooler has a disadvantage over the previous one because its fans spin at lower speeds. However, the new fans offer notably higher performance than the older models used in the G1 cooler, so even at lower speeds, they perform better. The G2 cooler shines at full fan speed, providing more headroom than the G1 cooler at the expense of higher noise output. The difference from the G1 cooler that I recently evaluated reaches 9% in the HBC version with the 1mm washers. The difference is 3-4% to the G1 cooler without the washer mod.

Since I evaluated the G1 chromax.black a year ago, some might argue that the CPU degraded over time. This is not the case, of course, since I rarely use it, and CPUs don’t degrade so easily. Anyway, given that I consider the CPU’s frequency in my performance algorithm, I decided to also provide comparison charts, including the Noctua coolers’ temperature information. So, let’s take a look and see what is going on.

20_dBA_CPU_Temp

25_dBA_CPU_Temp

30_dBA_CPU_Temp

35_dBA_CPU_Temp

Full_Fan_Speed_CPU_Temp

At 20 and 25 dBA, the G1 holds firm, taking the lead from the G2 versions that don’t utilize the washer mod. The difference at 30 dBA is significant if you do the washer mod. The HBC version is also a bit better here than the G1. At 35 dbA, the G2 plays alone since the G1 doesn’t reach this noise level, which is good. Finally, at full speed, the standard G2 is about 2C lower than the G1, the G2 HBC is close to 3C, and with the washer mod, the difference is large, exceeding 6C in the G2 HBC version.

Performance Per Price (Intel)

performance_per_dollar_20_dBA

performance_per_dollar_25dBA

performance_per_dollar_30dBA

performance_per_dollar_35dBA

performance_per_dollar_Full_Speed

The performance per price score is low because of the stiff $150 price tag. If Noctua drops the price of the G1 cooler below $100, the G2 will have a tough time. See how high the Mugen 6 cooler is in this chart. I am also waiting for some even more affordable and probably stronger Thermalright coolers to arrive for evaluation.