Austrian radiator manufacturer Noctua has announced the launch of its next-generation NH-D15 G2 air-cooled cooler and NF-A14x25r G2 fan. This time, the Owl finally did not postpone any longer, and released the new product basically according to the planned time on the 2024 product roadmap updated in April this year.
According to Owl, the NH-D15 G2 is a true flagship model that continues the NH-D15 tradition by pushing the boundaries of air cooling and achieving efficiency comparable to many all-in-one liquid cooling solutions. In addition to further improving performance, the NH-D15 G2 offers enhanced compatibility with an offset structure for better PCIe clearance, while upgrading to the SecuFirm2+ fastener, which also includes an NM-SD1 screwdriver and NT-H2 thermal grease. To put it simply, the NH-D15 G2 has been further enhanced in almost every aspect, from the heatsink body and fans, all the way to the mounting, thermal grease and accessory kit.
The NH-D15 G2 is an upgrade of the NH-D15, providing three versions, including the basic NH-D15 G2 standard version (medium convexity), as well as the NH-D15 G2 LBC (low convexity) and NH-D15 G2 HBC (high convexity). It is paired with two simultaneous NF-A14x25r G2 fans with a speed difference (+/- ~25RPM) to reduce resonance and reduce noise.
With an overall size of 150 x 152 x 168 mm and a weight of 1525g, the NH-D15 G2 adopts a dual-tower dual-fan structure that supports Intel's LGA 1851/1700/1200/115x sockets, as well as AMD's AM 5/4 sockets, covering not only existing mainstream platforms, but also Intel's next-generation platforms. The Owl has redesigned the fin stack, reducing the spacing between the fins from 1.9mm to 1.6mm, resulting in a 20% increase in surface area, and eight 6mm heat pipes to provide a stronger base heat dissipation than the previous version. If you choose to install a single fan, you can provide at least 59mm of clearance for memory (32mm for normal installation), making it compatible with most high-end memory modules on the market.
The NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fan has an overall size of 140 x 140 x 25 mm, which is a round-frame version (there will be boxes and chromax in the future. black version), with SSO2 fan bearings, AOO frame, and new Sterrox liquid crystal polymer material, plus centrifugal turbulent hubs and reduced tip clearance to 0.7mm, will perform better when mounted on a heat sink. It supports PWM speed regulation between 300 and 1500 RPM, with a maximum airflow of 155.6 m³/h and a maximum noise level of 24.8 dB(A).
At present, the NH-D15 G2 air-cooled radiator is already on the market, and the price of the three versions is 149.90 US dollars (about 1089.35 yuan), and the owl comes with a six-year warranty. In addition to a single package, the NF-A14x25r G2 fan also provides a dual package (NF-A14x25r G2 PWM Sx2-PP), which is priced at $39.90 (about RMB 289.96) and $79.80 (about RMB 579.92) respectively.
The owl also provided test data comparing the NH-D15 G2 and NH-D15 using a Standardized Performance Rating (NSPR). This is a platform-independent grading system that allows for at-a-glance evaluation and comparison of the efficiency of the OWL CPU cooler: the higher the NSPR score, the better the cooler's performance. With a whopping score of 228 points, the NH-D15 G2 sets a new benchmark. The NSPR is primarily based on thermal efficiency measurements at fixed thermal loads, selected according to the performance class of the heat sink, and in this test the NH-D15 G2 was 3.2°C cooler than the NH-D15.