Noctua NH-D15 G2 review

pcgamer.com:

Noctua needs no introduction when it comes to air coolers with several of the best-reviewed models to its name that pack some of the biggest punches when it comes to air cooling. Amongst its range of the biggest and most powerful coolers in it lineup, the NH-D15 has long been regarded as one the best premium large coolers on the market. The NH-D15 G2 is a long-awaited successor, but while it might look similar, this cooler sports a variety of significant tweaks that Noctua claims make it perform better while producing less noise and with smaller dimensions.

With a massive 168 mm-tall dual heatsink stack and dual 140 mm fans that top out at just 1,500 rpm, the NH-D15 G2 is designed for one thing, which is to bring the best that air cooling has to offer for as little noise as possible. That makes sense seeing as at $150, it’s competing directly with large 360 mm AIO liquid coolers.

There’s also a strong case for opting for cheaper air coolers too, many of which have similar size heatsinks and dual fans while costing less than half the price. If you want to dial down the noise even further then Noctua includes speed reduction cables if you’re prepared to take a small hit in cooling, with zero need to fiddle with your motherboard’s own control.

So what makes Noctua think the NH-D15 G2 is worth its asking price?

Compatibility: LGA 1851, 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155,1156 | AMD Socket AM5, AM4
Dimensions (with fan): 150x 152x 168 mm
Cold Plate: Nickel-platedcopper
Fans: 2x NF-A14x25r G2 PWM 140 mm, SSO2 bearing, up to 1,500 RPM
Lighting: None
Price: $150 | £128

Well, there’s a lot of R&D that’s gone into making this the king of coolers for modern CPUs. For starters Noctua has worked out that having two fans mounted in close proximity on a cooler and spinning at the same speed can actually cause unwanted noise and vibration as the two interact. Ever wondered what that random, intermittent vibration from your PC is that comes and goes? If you were using a dual fan cooler in