Noctua’s NH-C14 is a big, beastly follow-up to the popular NH-C12P top-down CPU cooler. Armed with a bigger fin stack and two 14 cm fans, the C14 is the first down-blower cooler that truly competes against the against the formidable side-blowing towers that have taken over in recent years.
December 26, 2010 by Lawrence Lee
Product | Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler |
Manufacturer | Noctua |
MSRP | EUR 74.90 / USD 84.90 |
Counted among the top PC cooling manufacturers is a little Austrian company called Noctua. The strange thing is they have one of the smallest product catalogues you can imagine. They are known for their fans, which have only two basic designs, and their CPU heatsinks, of which they only carry five retail models. Despite this, their products are received exceedingly well so their apparent philosophy that quality is better than quantity has merit. Even their older products are still well-regarded, like the three year old Noctua NH-U12P which still holds a top five spot on our high performance CPU cooling chart.
The limited number of Noctua heatsinks makes a new release a fairly notable event, such was the case for the dual fan NH-D14. Utilizing a massive split heatsink design and a pair of fans (oddly of different sizes), it quickly established itself as one of the best air coolers money could buy. Noctua is hoping to do the same with the NH-C14, a larger version of the down-blowing NH-C12P with two 14 cm fans. The C12P and other top-down coolers do not fare well against their side-blowing competition, so a second fan may help tip the balance. Providing active airflow over the components surrounding the CPU can be beneficial, particularly to the power regulation circuitry, potentially increasing their efficiency and longevity.
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It’s a good sign that the most critical thing we have to say about the C14 is its unnecessarily large packaging. The box containing the actual cooler is in the center book-ended by two empty shells. Above and below are thinner boxes, one with accessories inside, while the other simply acts as a cushion. It’s basically the world’s most boring nesting doll.
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Once all the boxes have been emptied, we found the contents to be neatly segregated into separate baggies for AMD hardware, Intel hardware, and communal parts. The C14 uses the same SecuFirm2 mounting system sold with the D14. It’s very secure and practically idiot-proof.
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Noctua NH-C14: Key Features (from the product web page) | |
Feature & Brief | Our Comment |
C-Type top-flow design The NH-C14’s six heatpipe c-type design allows for superb quiet cooling performance while maintaining a much lower profile than today’s tower-style coolers and providing excellent airflow over RAM modules and near-socket mainboard components. | Top-down coolers provide better cooling for the RAM and other components near the CPU socket than side-blowing towers. The C14 is also significantly shorter than most high-end heatsinks. |
Dual NF-P14 FLX fans The NH-C14 comes with two of Noctua’s award-winning, premium quality NF-P14 140mm fans that can be fine-tuned according to the user’s needs via the supplied Low-Noise (L.N.A.) and Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptors (U.L.N.A.). | The P14 is one of the best sounding 140 mm fans you can buy and the included adapters gives users the ability to undervolt easily. |
Low Profile Mode Run with a single NF-P14 fan underneath the fin stack and with the top fan removed, the NH-C14 measures only 105mm in height, which makes it ideal for use in smaller enclosures and HTPC applications. | The C14 can be made even shorter by using only one fan underneath the main fin-stack. |
High Clearance Mode The lower NF-P14 fan can be removed in order to provide additional clearance for chipset coolers or RAM modules with tall heat-spreaders. Run with a single fan on top, the NH-C14 provides a full 65mm of clearance. | Removing the bottom fan creates greater clearance for elaborate chipset heatsinks and tall memory sticks. |
SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system Noctua’s enthusiast grade SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting provides broad socket compatibility (LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA775, AM2, AM2+ and AM3) and meets the highest demands in safety, performance and ease-of-use. | A solid, proven mounting system. |
Noctua NT-H1 high-end thermal compound Noctua’s much-acclaimed NT-H1 is a well proven pro-grade TIM solution that provides minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease-of-use and outstanding reliability. | Okay. |
Noctua NH-C14: Specifications (from the product web page) | |
Heatsink | |
Dimension: | Socket compatibility Intel LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA775 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3 (backplate required) |
Height (without fan) | 105 mm |
Width (without fan) | 140 mm |
Depth (without fan) | 166 mm |
Height (with fan) | 130 mm |
Width (with fan) | 140 mm |
Depth (with fan) | 166 mm |
Weight (without fan) | 700 g |
Weight (with fan) | 850/1000* g |
Material | Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating |
Fan compatibility | 140x140x25mm / 120x120x25mm |
Scope of Delivery | * 2x NF-P14 premium fan * Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.) * Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (U.L.N.A.) * NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound * SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kits * Noctua Metal Case-Badge |
Warranty | 6 Years |
Fan | |
Warranty | Model Noctua NF-P14 |
Bearing | SSO-Bearing |
Rotational Speed | (+/- 10%) 1200 RPM |
Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%) | 900 RPM |
Rotational Speed with U.L.N.A. (+/- 10%) | 750 RPM |
Airflow | 110,3 m³/h |
Airflow with L.N.A. | 83,7 m³/h |
Airflow with U.L.N.A. | 71,2 m³/h |
Acoustical Noise | 19,6 dB(A) |
Acoustical Noise with L.N.A. | 13,2 dB(A) |
Acoustical Noise with U.L.N.A. | 10,1 dB(A) |
Input Power | 1,2 W |
Voltage Range | 12 V |
MTBF | > 150.000 h |
PHYSICAL DETAILS
The Noctua NH-C14 is composed of a copper base, six “C” shaped copper heatpipes and a stack of 68 fins, all nickel-plated. By our measurements
it weighs approximately 1010 grams, 680 grams without the fans and clips, and has a height of 130 mm, 103 mm minus the top fan.
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INSTALLATION
The most critical aspect of installation is that the heatsink be securely
mounted. A firm mating results in good contact between the heatsink’s base and
the CPU heatspreader and more efficient heat conduction. Ideally it should
also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces of
hardware as possible. On the C14, Noctua uses the same SecuFirm2 mounting system featured on the D14. If you’re familiar with it, skip ahead.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
Approximate Physical Measurements | |
Weight | 680 g 1010 g with stock fan and clips |
Height | 103 mm, 130 mm with top fan |
Fin count | 68 |
Fin thickness | 0.38 mm |
Fin spacing | 1.79 mm |
Vertical Clearance* | 46 mm, 72 mm without bottom fan |
Horizontal Overhang** | -11 mm |
* measured from the motherboard PCB to the bottom fin of the heatsink. ** measured from the far edge of the heatsink to the top edge of the motherboard PCB. |
Comparison: Approximate Average Fin Thickness & Spacing | ||
Heatsink | Fin Thickness | Fin Spacing |
Scythe Ninja 2 | 0.39 mm | 3.68 mm |
Thermalright HR-01 Plus | 0.45 mm | 3.15 mm |
Scythe Ninja 3 | 0.39 mm | 2.64 mm |
Noctua NH-U12P | 0.44 mm | 2.63 mm |
Noctua NH-C12P | 0.47 mm | 2.54 mm |
Noctua NH-D14 | 0.43 mm | 2.33 mm |
Prolimatech Armageddon | 0.51 mm | 2.08 mm |
Prolimatech Megahalems | 0.50 mm | 2.00 mm |
Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 0.40 mm | 2.00 mm |
Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2 | 0.34 mm | 1.94 mm |
Scythe Mugen-2 | 0.31 mm | 1.89 mm |
Cooler Master V8 | 0.30 mm | ~1.85 mm |
Noctua NH-C14 | 0.38 mm | 1.79 mm |
Titan Fenrir | 0.36 mm | 1.78 mm |
Scythe Yasya | 0.32 mm | 1.78 mm |
Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 0.40 mm | 1.70 mm |
Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2 | 0.30 mm | 1.70 mm |
Scythe Grand Kama Cross | 0.38 mm | 1.66 mm |
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus | 0.43 mm | 1.54 mm |
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C | 0.56 mm | 1.52 mm |
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 0.42 mm | 1.50 mm |
Testing was done on our
i7-1366 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system
and procedure follows.
Key Components in Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i7-965 Extreme
Nehalem core, LGA1366, 3.2GHz, 45nm, 130W TDP. - Asus
P6X58D Premium ATX motherboard. X58 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Intel
X25-M 80GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - 3GB QiMonda
DDR3 memory. 3 x 1GB DDR3-1066 in triple channel. - Seasonic X-650 SS-650KM
650W ATX power supply. This PSU is semi-passively cooled. At the power levels
of our test platform, its fan does not spin. - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs. - Nexus 120 fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 120x25mm
fans) - Nexus 92 fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 92x25mm
fans)
The system is silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
Reference Nexus 120mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements | ||
Voltage | SPL@1m | Speed |
12V | 16 dBA | 1100 RPM |
9V | 13 dBA | 890 RPM |
7V | 12 dBA | 720 RPM |
Reference Nexus 92 mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements | ||
Voltage | SPL@1m | Speed |
12V | 16 dBA | 1470 RPM |
9V | 12 dBA | 1150 RPM |
Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
power. - Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
the fan speed during the test. - PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
audio interfaces. - Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower - Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
standard fan testing methodology. - SpeedFan,
used to monitor the on-chip thermal sensors. The sensors are not calibrated,
so results are not universally applicable. The hottest core reading is used. - Prime95,
used to stress the CPU heavily, generating more heat than most real applications.
8 instances are used to ensure that all 4 cores (with Hyper-threading) are
stressed. - CPU-Z,
used to monitor the CPU speed to determine when overheating occurs. - Thermometers to measure the air temperature around the test platform
and near the intake of the heatsink fan.
Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC
power supply while the rest of the system was off to ensure that system noise
did not skew the measurements.
Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.
The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 21~23°C.
Stock Fan Measurements
We begin with an analysis of the stock fan, the NF-P14, which is also one of the fans that ships with the side-blowing D14 heatsink. It’s a nine blade 140 mm fan with 120 mm fan holes and a round frame with open corners.
Noctua’s patented “vortex notches” which look like small bite marks are designed to break up turbulence. The blades have gentle curves and are relatively thin. The P14 fan has an unusually high starting voltage, so it’s best to run 7V and above unless it can be controlled automatically.
Specifications: Noctua NH-C14 Stock Fan(s) | |||
Manufacturer | Power Rating | 1.2 W | |
Model Number | NF-P14 | Airflow Rating | 110.3 m³/h |
Bearing Type | SSO | Speed Rating | 1200 RPM |
Corners | Open | Noise Rating | 19.6 dBA |
Frame Size | 140 x 140 x 25 mm | Header Type | 3-pin |
Fan Blade Diameter | 130 mm | Starting Voltage | 6.4 V |
Hub Size | 40 mm | Weight | 150 g |
Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. |
Stock Fan Measurements | |||
Voltage | Avg. Speed | SPL @1m | |
One Fan | Two Fans | ||
12V | 1230 RPM | 26~27 dBA | 29 dBA |
9V | 940 RPM | 18~19 dBA | 21 dBA |
8V | 850 RPM | 16 dBA | 18 dBA |
7V | 740 RPM | 13 dBA | 15 dBA |
6V | 610 RPM | 11~12 dBA | 12~13 dBA |
Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
The acoustics of the P14 are generally smooth, with most of the audible noise being in the form of air turbulence which of course is unavoidable. There is also an odd pulsing hum that is only evident at and close to 9V. The two fan samples varied in speed by only 10~30 RPM, not enough to develop any intermodulation effects, something that afflicted the NH-D14 which used a P14 with a P12. Combined, the C14’s two fans become what we consider quiet at about 8V.
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COOLING RESULTS
Fan Voltage | SPL@1m | °C Rise | ||
CPU | NB* | VRM* | ||
Both Fans | ||||
12V | 29 dBA | 35 | 11 | 12 |
9V | 21 dBA | 36 | 24 | 14 |
8V | 18 dBA | 37 | 28 | 15 |
7V | 15 dBA | 39 | 30 | 20 |
6V | 12~13 dBA | 41 | 38 | 24 |
Top Fan | ||||
12V | 26~27 dBA | 38 | 32 | 17 |
9V | 18~19 dBA | 40 | 32 | 23 |
8V | 16 dBA | 40 | 40 | 26 |
7V | 13 dBA | 44 | 48 | 34 |
6V | 11~12 dBA | 48 | 53 | 41 |
Bottom Fan | ||||
12V | 26~27 dBA | 38 | 26 | 16 |
9V | 18~19 dBA | 40 | 32 | 18 |
8V | 16 dBA | 41 | 32 | 19 |
7V | 13 dBA | 44 | 38 | 24 |
6V | 11~12 dBA | 49 | 40 | 32 |
Bottom Fan (ref. 120 mm fan) | ||||
12V | 16 dBA | 39 | 25 | 21 |
9V | 13 dBA | 42 | 34 | 23 |
7V | 12 dBA | 48 | 41 | 34 |
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (22°C) at load. *NB and VRM temps taken with an IR thermometer from the hottest portion of each heatsink. |
Virtually identical CPU temperatures were produced with both single fan configurations. Placing the fan underneath the fin-stack was far superior for cooling the board components as one would expect. With the fan closer to the PCB, we recorded much lower northbridge and VRM heatsink temperatures, up to 13°C and 9°C respectively depending on the fan speed. When the fans were used in tandem, CPU cooling improved marginally at similar noise levels. The same can be said for heatsinks around the socket, at least when the fans were set to quiet levels.
The only surprise was how well our 120 mm reference fan performed. Despite not covering the entire surface of the heatsink, the Nexus actually generated better overall results than the stock fan in the bottom configuration. The results with the fan on top were omitted for brevity; on average CPU cooling was 7°C worse while the NB/VRM took a 15°C hit. Using a single fan above the fin-stack should be avoided.
Comparison Chart
The following is a comparison chart of the top coolers we’ve tested so far on our LGA1366 heatsink platform. The results were generated using our reference Nexus 120 mm fan as is indicative of CPU cooling performance with a single low airflow/noise fan.
°C rise Comparison | |||
Heatsink | Nexus 120mm fan voltage / SPL @1m | ||
12V | 9V | 7V | |
16 dBA | 13 dBA | 12 dBA | |
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C | 38 | 40 | 43 |
Noctua NH-C14 (two stock fans) | 7V | 6V | |
15 dBA | 12~13 dBA | ||
39 | 41 | ||
Prolimatech Megahalems | 38 | 41 | 44 |
Noctua NH-D14 | 38 | 42 | 45 |
Noctua NH-U12P | 39 | 42 | 44 |
Scythe Mugen-2 | 39 | 42 | 45 |
Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 40 | 42 | 45 |
Prolimatech Armageddon | 40 | 42 | 46 |
Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 40 | 43 | 46 |
Noctua NH-C14 (bottom) | 39 | 42 | 48 |
Scythe Yasya | 41 | 43 | 47 |
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme | 40 | 43 | 48 |
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus | 41 | 44 | 48 |
Noctua NH-C14 (stock fan, bottom) | 8V | 7V | |
41 | 44 | ||
Thermalright Ultra-120 | 42 | 45 | 49 |
Titan Fenrir | 43 | 46 | 50 |
Scythe Ninja 3 | 44 | 47 | 49 |
Noctua NH-C12P | 43 | 47 | 51 |
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 43 | 47 | 53 |
Zalman CNPS10X Flex | 45 | 50 | 54 |
Cooler Master V8 | 46 | 50 | 54 |
Scythe Grand Kama Cross | 45 | 52 | 57 |
Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2 | 49 | 52 | 58 |
Scythe Kabuto | 51 | 53 | 60 |
The C14 outperforms its smaller predecessor, the C12P, by about 4°C on average. This makes it easily the best down-blowing cooler we’ve tested, and on par with many reputable tower models. With two fans it’s propelled into elite status. While this isn’t a fair apples-to-apples comparison, it’s still an impressive display of prowess for top-downer.
MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recording starts with 5~10 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.
- Noctua NH-C14 stock fans at 1m
— 7V (15 dBA@1m)
— 8V (18 dBA@1m)
— 9V (21 dBA@1m)
— 12V (29 dBA@1m)
- Nexus
120mm fan at 1m
— 5V (11 dBA@1m)
— 7V (12 dBA@1m)
— 9V (13 dBA@1m)
— 12V (16 dBA@1m)
FINAL THOUGHTS
The design of the Noctua NH-C14 is nothing mind-blowing, essentially a larger version of the NH-C12P with Noctua’s updated (though not that different) universal mounting system and a pair of 14 cm fans. However these more powerful fans allowed the Noctua to pack the fins more densely without sacrificing low airflow performance. The end result is superb CPU cooling when both fans are utilized, and solid cooling with just one. It manages this while delivering airflow over the circuitry around the CPU, over the VRMs, capacitors, and chipset as well. Down-blowing heatsinks typically do not perform as well as their side-blowing brethren when it comes to CPU cooling, but the C14 bucks this trend.
Perhaps more importantly, it possesses something that most high performance coolers do not: a diminutive stature. With a fan on top, it measures 130 mm tall, about 25~30 mm less than most large tower heatsinks, allowing it to fit into smaller cases. The shorter height also allows many enthusiast case owners to keep the ubiquitous extra fan on the side panel hanging over the CPU area. The C14 becomes even shorter, measuring only 103 mm high if you opt to use a single fan underneath the fin-stack. Alternatively, you just use a fan on top to avoid interference with tall memory sticks or an oversized chipset/VRM heatsink though this configuration isn’t optimal for performance. The C14’s three different fan configurations make it the most versatile heatsink we’ve ever encountered, though for most users we recommend just the one fan on the bottom.
We also admire Noctua’s attention to detail. Like all of their coolers, from the moment you open the box to when you finish mounting, there’s this feeling that they’ve thought of everything. All the accessories are sorted, separated, and labeled. The installation instructions are clear, and the multi-socket SecuFirm2 mounting kit is not only secure, but simple to put together. For those of us who lack fan control, 7V/9V low noise adapters are included. Only using a single fan? Fan isolators, screws, and 140 mm adapters are provided to use the second fan elsewhere in your case. You even get a screwdriver and a fancy metallic case badge rather than a cheap tacky sticker.
The first class treatment and top-notch cooling comes at a hefty price though as the NH-C14 has a steep MSRP of US$85, though we expect the best street price to be a bit lower. Its side-blowing brother, the NH-D14 debuted at US$90 but you can pick one up these days for US$70~$75 at some retailers. If you think about it, with quality 140 mm fans costing US$10~$15 separately, the heatsink alone has a value of US$55~$65 which isn’t too shabby for a versatile short top-down cooler that delivers excellent performance. However if you don’t care about board cooling, there are a dozen cheaper alternatives that will net you comparable or better performance.
The Noctua NH-C14 is Recommended by SPCR.
Our thanks to Noctua for the NH-C14 heatsink sample.
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