Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

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ces
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Post by ces » Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:56 pm

bestwestern wrote:I think it's strange that Noctua is including their old 120 mm fan NF-P12 instead of the improved NF-P12 FLX which has better airflow at lower noise.
There is no NF-P12 FLX.

There is a Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120mm Fan. But that doesn't work well on heatsinks. It doesn't work well with the type of high back pressure that heat sink fans face in that type of application.

When the NF-P12 runs into back pressure it is able to keep the air flowing even against the impedance. In such circumstances, the NF-S12B FLX keeps turning, but fails to move much air.

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Post by michaelius » Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:03 am

ces wrote:
bestwestern wrote:I think it's strange that Noctua is including their old 120 mm fan NF-P12 instead of the improved NF-P12 FLX which has better airflow at lower noise.
There is no NF-P12 FLX.

There is a Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120mm Fan. But that doesn't work well on heatsinks. It doesn't work well with the type of high back pressure that heat sink fans face in that type of application.

When the NF-P12 runs into back pressure it is able to keep the air flowing even against the impedance. In such circumstances, the NF-S12B FLX keeps turning, but fails to move much air.
Is it also true for 140mm noctua fan because the only one they have right now is designated as FLX too ?

And would this cooler have better noise characteristics if we use two identical fans ? For example by using Noctua NF-P14-FLX on front and middle ?

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Post by brett80 » Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:48 am

michaelius wrote:
ces wrote:
bestwestern wrote:I think it's strange that Noctua is including their old 120 mm fan NF-P12 instead of the improved NF-P12 FLX which has better airflow at lower noise.
There is no NF-P12 FLX.

There is a Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120mm Fan. But that doesn't work well on heatsinks. It doesn't work well with the type of high back pressure that heat sink fans face in that type of application.

When the NF-P12 runs into back pressure it is able to keep the air flowing even against the impedance. In such circumstances, the NF-S12B FLX keeps turning, but fails to move much air.
Is it also true for 140mm noctua fan because the only one they have right now is designated as FLX too ?

And would this cooler have better noise characteristics if we use two identical fans ? For example by using Noctua NF-P14-FLX on front and middle ?
Wow.. I was wondering exactly the same question;

First, its possible to replace the front NF-P12 for another NF-P14?
Second, would it be any improvement in terms of noise/workflow?

Xyvotha
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by Xyvotha » Fri Dec 28, 2012 11:51 am

I know this is a 2010 article, but: the features and specs tables in the first page are titled as "NH-U12P" :wink:

ghia
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by ghia » Sun Dec 30, 2012 1:48 am

Moving my post from article discussion / recommended heatsinks here:

I read that the genesis is the no1 HS for quiet/silent cpu cooling.
I do not understand why it is not the NH-D14 because looking at the results from the Noctua test with 2 nexus fans:

-12V/16dBA: 31 delta C
- 9V/13dBA: 33 delta C
- 7V/12dBA: 36 delta C

These temps are lower per dBA than any other cooler tested with the ref. 140 mm Noctua:

Prolimatech Genesis seems the best but:
- 7V/15-17dBA: 37 delta C
- 6V/12-14dBA: 39 delta C

The Noctua with 2 nexus 120 fans wins by 6 deg C at 16dBA and by 3 deg C at 12 dBA

WHY ?

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by MikeC » Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:21 am

ghia -- the recommended cooler pages haven't been updated for 3 years. Better to consult the comparison tables in recent review articles instead.

robwiel
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:44 am

Hi, so I own this cooler and after few years of cooling I want to make it quiter.
[email protected], stock coolers @ max = max 70c.
With 2 noctua low voltage cables = 80c during heavy gaming

However its actually CPU fan that is still WAY audible in my case since when computer idles every other fan shuts down.
I have 800d corsair obsidian I packed it full with fans (3xnb12 top - disconnected + 3 corsair case fans - have replacement for them but they are not audible or running anyway, - fanexpert turns them on when I game)
Since upgrading to gtx 980 I dont need much cooling except for processor, even my disk bay right now is just ssd drives.
Its case that was never designed to be quiet, however right now its high priority for me since its in my bedroom.

Worth upgrading to 2xNexus fans? Or anything else that is quiter?
I was considering dark rock 3 but 2 nexus fans should be better?.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by quest_for_silence » Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:15 am

robwiel wrote:Worth upgrading to 2xNexus fans? Or anything else that is quiter?
I was considering dark rock 3 but 2 nexus fans should be better?.

IMHO you should not upgrade anything: I guess it's more probable you have to set up how the fans work (and to re-seat the cooler), because under load with a properly configured Noctua NH-D14 you don't need its fans go past 5-600rpm, in order to cool down a 2600K around 55° - 65°C.

robwiel
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sun Jan 25, 2015 12:41 pm

Thx for quick reply. Will see if I can gain few c in reseating that would allow me to run lower rpm (fanexpert2 does not allow me to control speed on cpu for some reason, asus z68vpro). Still when I campare audio from nexuses seems they are quieter.

I even considered newer cpu but i7-4790k and 6 cores have higher tpd - 2600 is 95w(before oc) vs 140 of current enthusiast procwssors.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Jan 25, 2015 1:24 pm

robwiel wrote:(fanexpert2 does not allow me to control speed on cpu for some reason, asus z68vpro).
Hmm, does Fan Xpert2 in the z68 allow for voltage controlled fans in the cpu slot or just PWM? If not, you could load Speedfan and work the fan profile from there. Probably don't need to swap fans.

robwiel
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:29 pm

Hi, thanks for pointers, unfrotunately SpeedFan does not allow for controlling of CPU fan speed for some reason, there is direct control,
and custom chart, however when I adjust speeds or try for automatic adjustment on my chart it just doesnt do anything for fan speed itself.

Will try working it out in bios.

Ok, bad news, no speed regulation on CPU unless I connect cables/hw fan controller.
cant control cpu fans speed & chassis fans work as group :(
CPU_FAN - 4-pin, PWM control only
CPU_FAN_OPT - 4-pin, PWM control, linked to CPU_FAN duty cycle
CHA_FAN1 - 4-pin, voltage regulation only (Might be wrong on this, but I don't believe from what I've read that the +5v pin on this header actually acts like PWM)
CHA_FAN2 - 3-pin, voltage regulation, linked to CHA_FAN1 voltage
PWR_FAN1 - 3-pin, no regulation
PWR_FAN2 - 3-pin, no regulation
source
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2199996

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:11 pm

There ya go. Asus expects PWM fans and you've got voltage controlled fans. Hence, no control.

Here's the latest 120mm and 140mm fan tables. Some good reading in there as well as the earlier articles.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by quest_for_silence » Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:38 pm

robwiel wrote:fanexpert2 does not allow me to control speed on cpu for some reason, asus z68vpro

That's because that motherboard won't allow 3-pin fans (like the P12/P14) on the CPU header (and probably even on some CHA_FAN ones, you have to check with a trial and error procedure).

But with SpeedFan you can hookup the Noctua fan on a different header and assign that header to the CPU temp (or CoreN ones): I didn't understand whether you have spare ones, or not.

Alternatively, as said by CA_Steve, you need a pair of two PWM fans with a PWM splitter, in case I'd advice for the Noctua P14r Redux.

robwiel wrote:I even considered newer cpu but i7-4790k and 6 cores have higher tpd - 2600 is 95w(before oc) vs 140 of current enthusiast procwssors.

You need a mobo capable of controlling 3-pins fan on the CPU header, IIRC current ASUS do that in their "Advanced mode", but you have to check that.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:00 am

Thanks again for insightful replies.

Mentioned by you Noctua redux seems like good fit ~20usd for 1500rpm version and its 140mm fan which I could control (lowering rpm as needed).
Is it any better than Noiseblocker B12-2 which tops 120mm charts? (which is 3 usd more expensive here)

OR I could put 750 rpm M12-1 which I disconnected on my CPU fan, though I am pretty sure it doesnt have enough pressure.
http://www.blacknoise.com/site/en/produ ... m.php#tab1

Asus board unfortunately links 3 CHA fans which makes smartfan solution problematic (but its really good idea).

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by quest_for_silence » Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:42 am

robwiel wrote:Is it any better than Noiseblocker B12-2 which tops 120mm charts? (which is 3 usd more expensive here)

The Noctua P14r should be slightly better than the NB B12-2, acoustically wise and cooling wise: take note that the B12-2 is not PWM, so it does not fit your current needs, while the P14r Redux may need a Noctua NA-SYC1 cable, in order to connect two fans to your mobo CPU fan header.

robwiel wrote:OR I could put 750 rpm M12-1 which I disconnected on my CPU fan, though I am pretty sure it doesnt have enough pressure.
http://www.blacknoise.com/site/en/produ ... m.php#tab1

No, the only use for those fans is IMO/IME as intake case fans, they will likely spin much slower than rated when mounted against an heatsink.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:13 pm

Hi, thx!

Still got AC mx-2 paste, will reseat when new fans arrive.
:D

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Tue Feb 03, 2015 3:36 pm

Hi so parts arrived:
2 redux 14, y splitter, gelid extreme

Tested only 2 fans exchange without reseating.
2600k@@4500, idling in browser.

Middle fan dampeners could fit better.
Front fan not centered due to ram (glad I have low profile ripjaws). Also almost touching side window.

Sound meter from phone.
Old stock speeds: 880rpm noise 47db.
New fans 250 rpm 40db open case. Huge improvement even without paste exchange.

However closing case +4db???
Seems vibrations because I can silence this by hard pressing top of case. Ideas how to deal with this?

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by MikeC » Tue Feb 03, 2015 3:46 pm

robwiel wrote:However closing case +4db???
Seems vibrations because I can silence this by hard pressing top of case. Ideas how to deal with this?
You need to identify the source of the vibration. Seems a bit odd if all the fans are spinning slowly and you don't have any HDDs. Perhaps there's a hard mechanical path between the fans and the case -- is the heatsink or its fans touching anything? Maybe when the side cover is closed?

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:43 am

Will check in the evening, had this problem before.

1. Could be PSU - cheap OCZ ZS 750 (fan reports 1000 rpm and its in bottom of the case) and this and CPU cooler are ONLY 2 mechanically active parts.

2. Or perhaps case construction somewhat deteriorated? Had this vibration issue with 2 PSU so far - wasnt that much issue since my computer was WAY louder than now.
Took good look at your website vibration section will try to figure it out.
Also just spend morning on 800d forums and they have issues with vibration due to locking mechanism, people are stuffing cloth next to it.

3. Then again, CPU fans are not perfectly fitting on noctua dampeners.

Before
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xzuzvlm3b5gvq ... 8.jpg?dl=0
After
https://www.dropbox.com/s/346hgljxi1rdj ... 5.jpg?dl=0

JUST below cpu cooler there is x-fi card (no other place to put it) so there 2mm tunnel there, and just below it there is GPU.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by MikeC » Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:28 am

Since I can't see any 250rpm fans causing vibration, it has to be from elsewhere. So if the PSU fan is the only other moving part... Easy enough to swap out the PSU fan if necessary. You have some spare 140mm fans, right?

robwiel
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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:13 pm

Hi, yep this seems to be the case.
There is tiny bit vibration if I push panel also found out PSU is fan is 100% at all times, apparently controller of this OCZ fan has common issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40UNpqxy28w

However, computer now is almost as quiet as my synology NAS that is next to it :)

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:50 am

Hi again, vibration eliminated!
Corsair fan mounted on middle tray (connected to power - which is always 100% for this mobo) was the one causing vibration.
Also finally replaced case fans with NB-BlackSilentPRO PK1.

Switched off my server (thats next to computer). And my "comparative" noise from phone was 34db.

Sadly only thing audible is ... OCZ ZT 750.
http://www.overclockers.com/ocz-zt-750w/ its 2 years into use (out of 5 years warranty).
In review you can find its fan "made by Yate Loon, a well-known company. It’s a 140 mm job rated at 0.7 amps."

Not sure if it spins to 2800 rpm like reported for some broken controllers for this particular PSU. Any way to find out current rpm on PSU?

Anyway appears I am in the market for new modular PSU or just dissasemble this and put NB (mentioned above) in. Any recommendations here?

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by MikeC » Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:13 am

robwiel wrote:Hi again, vibration eliminated!.....
....Anyway appears I am in the market for new modular PSU or just dissasemble this and put NB (mentioned above) in. Any recommendations here?
Good for you! 8) As for the PSU, go ahead, fan swap it. If the fan lead inside is soldered & you don't want to deal with soldering, just run the new fan lead out and plug it into a motherboard header. If it's the 700rpm model fan, even at full speed, it won't be very audible... but your motherboard should give you some speed control over it.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sat Feb 07, 2015 9:28 am

Hi, Mike, was almost doing it.. however I backed out after reading about some teenager getting electrocuted by disconnected PSU.

Will use this most probably: corsair HX1000i, its passive till 400w, and decent fan 140mm after that.
I heard there are some PSUs which are passive till 650w or higher but couldn't find one with availability in Poland (and noise reviews - i.e., seasonic which is highly recommended in PSU thread - i.e. AXi series.. but 1500w is overkill)
http://www.corsair.com/en/hxi-series-hx ... tified-psu

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat Feb 07, 2015 9:50 am

robwiel wrote:Hi, Mike, was almost doing it.. however I backed out after reading about some teenager getting electrocuted by disconnected PSU.

If you wanna play safe, just wait some hours before opening the PSU.

robwiel wrote:Will use this most probably: corsair HX1000i, its passive till 400w, and decent fan 140mm after that.
I heard there are some PSUs which are passive till 650w or higher but couldn't find one with availability in Poland (and noise reviews - i.e., seasonic which is highly recommended in PSU thread - i.e. AXi series.. but 1500w is overkill)

More probably that not even the HX1000i is an overkill, and moreover it has the same sound level and sound signature of a smaller HX750i up to 550-600W. Also the eVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W or the P2 1000W should be available in Poland (maybe through Germany) at favourable rates.

By the way, IMO it'd be better running off a fanned unit, when dealing with hotter system (but I dunno your complete spec), so that up to now I suppose an Enermax Platimax 600 may be enough and more than fine (even if all these talkings about PSU and PSU fans are a bit off topic in this thread).

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by MikeC » Sat Feb 07, 2015 10:39 am

Electrocute oneself with unplugged PSU -- hmmmm. That sounds ridiculously stupid.

I've been opening up & modding PSUs for 15 years. Never got even the tiniest jolt. Caps just can't hold a charge that long. And you really have to try to get your fingers across the right contacts.

If in doubt, as advised above, just unplug & leave unplugged for hours... or short green & black leads with half of paper clip on main output connector & turn it on w/o AC power plugged. If the fan doesn't move, there no juice in the PSU. If you're still scared, just don't touch anything inside other than the fan

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by robwiel » Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:35 pm

Minimum recommended wattage with capacitor aging (off enermax site) is 560.
However I disconnected most of fans, also my 3 previous configs went from
470w during bench
to 380w next next gen card
to 280w with gtx 680
which I replaced now with gtx 980... so every time less wattage, more gpu power.

...so back to main topic I think noctua has most work as this is only OC in my build (~130w).

PSU in here essentially for 750w bracket same price for enermax and corsair (corsair like 8 usd more).
In 800d PSU has whole separate shelf so it doesnt get any hot air from other components (and rests at bottom).
But indeed I met with opinion that people do not trust passive PSUs on high end/oc PCs.

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Re: Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat Feb 07, 2015 9:59 pm

robwiel wrote:Minimum recommended wattage with capacitor aging (off enermax site) is 560.

Beware: any power supply calculator is absolutely unreliable, and the so called "capacitor aging" concept, as it is presented by those calculators and similar sources, is also plainly wrong.

robwiel wrote:to 280w with gtx 680
which I replaced now with gtx 980

Frankly, if noise level/quality is paramount, I would go for an Enermax Platimax 500/600 (please note: I wouldn't do the same recommendation for their 750/850 siblings), if those PSUs had decent/fair prices there.

robwiel wrote:PSU in here essentially for 750w bracket same price for enermax and corsair (corsair like 8 usd more).
In 800d PSU has whole separate shelf so it doesnt get any hot air from other components (and rests at bottom).
But indeed I met with opinion that people do not trust passive PSUs on high end/oc PCs.
My advice was mainly acoustically-oriented: with reference to the overall sound signature, I'd rather an excellent fanned unit over any fanless one, that's based upon my own experience and personal preference.
Even reliability-wise that could be a smart choice, due to the minor stress imposed to electronic components: but that second advantage just could be (I mean, it's far from certain, talking about high quality units).

Eventually the choice of a PSU may be related to different requirements than just noise: talking about some SPCR-preferred options, performance wise a Seasonic XP/KM or a SF Leadex (like the EVGA G2/P2) are more probably that not better platforms than the ones used in a CWT/Corsair HXi or by any SF Golden King-based PSU, which in turn are better platforms than an Enermax Platimax, which in turn is better than the FSP platform used in the BeQuiet E10-series, and so on (please note that all the mentioned units/platforms are of at least decent build quality and very good performances and that price-wise such a list would look different).

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