Four More Closed-Loop Liquid Coolers Take On The NH-D14

[Crashman]

With big radiators and no vents, closed-loop coolers give us a taste of liquid-cooling’s benefits, sans the risk. While less punishing on the motherboard than big air, can any closed-loop liquid cooler beat Noctua's famed NH-D14 in thermal performance?

Four More Closed-Loop Liquid Coolers Take On The NH-D14 : Read more

 

[dudewitbow]

Would have liked more review sites to pick up testing swiftechs h220.

 

[amuffin]

So the Water 2.0, Kraken, and H90 can only beat the NH-D14 by a few degrees....let's look at those joyful noise comparisons!
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/water2.0-extreme-kraken-x40-hydro-h90-elc120,3434-13.html

Doesn't really justify buying one of these over an NH-D14, really only to say that you have "water cooling."

 

[s3anister]

[citation][nom]amuffin[/nom]So the Water 2.0, Kraken, and H90 can only beat the NH-D14 by a few degrees....let's look at those joyful noise comparisons!http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 34-13.htmlDoesn't really justify buying one of these over an NH-D14, really only to say that you have "water cooling."[/citation]
The justification of buying a closed-loop water cooler (at least for me) was getting the weight of a massive air-cooler off my CPU and therefore removing the stress of that weight from the motherboard. Slightly better temps are just a bonus.

 

[acktionhank]

[citation][nom]amuffin[/nom]So the Water 2.0, Kraken, and H90 can only beat the NH-D14 by a few degrees....let's look at those joyful noise comparisons!http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 34-13.htmlDoesn't really justify buying one of these over an NH-D14, really only to say that you have "water cooling."[/citation]

I've had my Noctua D14 for almost two years now. It's one of the best investments I've made in my PC. If i needed better cooling, i would just buy a third fan for the D14, and it would drop a few degree's and give better cooling than all but the top to Closed-loop coolers tested here. Plus I'd have lower noise.

If room is not a problem there is NO reason to get a closed-loop system. A D14 with a third fan is $100 and is out performed only in thermals by more expensive and louder CL coolers.

 

[acktionhank]

[citation][nom]s3anister[/nom]The justification of buying a closed-loop water cooler (at least for me) was getting the weight of a massive air-cooler off my CPU and therefore removing the stress of that weight from the motherboard. Slightly better temps are just a bonus.[/citation]

I understand the issue of weight. But saving 2-3 degree's on cpu (aside from the TT 2.0) isn't worth your mobo gaining 15-17 degree's which results in a much hotter system and more stress on all your other components.

 

[echondo]

Why did they include a dual fan CLC in the testing with other single fan CLC and an air cooler?

Theoretically, the more cooling the space, the more efficient.

You should have compared air coolers to other air coolers, then compared single fan 120mm and 140mm CLC with other single fan CLC and then do a dual fan CLC vs. other dual fan CLC.

I mean, come on, I'm glad you reviewed this, but you should have at least took the best air cooler, single fan CLC, and dual fan CLC in the current market and then tested and compared results.

 

[s3anister]

[citation][nom]acktionhank[/nom]I understand the issue of weight. But saving 2-3 degree's on cpu (aside from the TT 2.0) isn't worth your mobo gaining 15-17 degree's which results in a much hotter system and more stress on all your other components.[/citation]
That depends entirely on how airflow is within your case and as such temps vary widely between cases and setup. Believe me when I say that VRM temps are not an issue in my Define XL R2.

 

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]echondo[/nom]Why did they include a dual fan CLC in the testing with other single fan CLC and an air cooler?[/citation]It's "run what you brung", these were the leftovers from the first test.

 

[hero1]

Nice review. DH 14 sure does brawl with the best. My H80i came with such loud fans that I had to replace them with 2x Scythe GT 1850RPM which are much quieter and also made a nice drop in my load temps. However, I will be selling my H80i with it's stock fans since I am moving to complete custome water cooling build in a week or so. For those who want bang for buck, Noctua NH-D14 is the way to go.

 

[Luay]

If the double-heatsink NH-D14's size is a problem, the NH-U12P is single heatsink, and is only one or two degrees hotter than its big brother.

I'm surprised why Noctua hasn't included their newest fans in their coolers. I'm sure its holding many potential customers off.

 

[excella1221]

I'd like to see the Silver Arrow alongside the NH-D14 in these kinds of benchmarks, it's cheaper and is known to be its biggest rival.

 

[Firedrops]

The D14 is essentially 2x140mm radiators, while the biggest rads tested here are 2x120s, not very fair if you ask me.

 

[bison88]

I don't know why people stop using Thermaltake's True Spirit 120mm in comparison charts. Maybe it's because of its age. There is really no reason to pay a premium when Thermaltake already released an accidental kick ass cooler for dirt cheap. They're having a hard time selling other products that cost more and offer less, barely equal, or sometimes worse performance. Noctua's are nice, but should they always be the thing to compare something to? I'm sure anyone who owns a True Spirit can tell you they run just as quiet and just as cool for 1/3rd the price.

 

[joellim]

and i'm just glad I got myself a silver arrow 2 years ago. In most benchmarks, it beats the NH-D14 by a degree or evenly matches it. Only top of that it ways good compared to the weird color scheme of the NH-D14. It cools like a beast in my Raven RV-02 thanks to 3 huge AP181 fans blowing upwards.

 

[jamesedgeuk2000]

Wait, so the H90 had its results discounted as your reviewer didn't like the way they are set up? Whats the problem? that it exhausts heat into the case for the case fans to clear? where exactly does the D14 exhaust its heat to, the phantom zone?

 

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]jamesedgeuk2000[/nom]Wait, so the H90 had its results discounted as your reviewer didn't like the way they are set up? Whats the problem? that it exhausts heat into the case for the case fans to clear? where exactly does the D14 exhaust its heat to, the phantom zone?[/citation]Wrong, the H90's installation manual recommends that the reviewer should "cheat".

Allow me to clarify: ALL PRODUCTS SHOULD BE TESTED IN THE SAME WAY. If the H90's fan is reversed to get cold air, then everyone's fan must be reversed to get cold air. Reversing the fan violates the thermal design of the case, and it wasn't done for any other manufacturer.

The NH-D14 exhausts heat out the back of the case. It does, after all, blow directly towards the exhaust fan. Noctua never said "turn your exhaust fan AND CPU COOLER backwards to get colder air into our product, but don't do that for anyone else". Because everyone knows that such a request would be asking the tester to cheat. Except maybe for fans of the company that made that request. Fairness demands that all products be tested in the same way.

In fact, the other case option was Fractal Design's Define R4, which holds a dual-fan radiator in front. But using it would have given an unfair advantage to dual-fan radiators. Intake temperature should be the same for all coolers because, get this, ALL PRODUCTS SHOULD BE TESTED IN THE SAME WAY.

When the H90 got tested IN THE SAME WAY as the other coolers, it lost. Period. That would be the end of the story except that some biased reader like you would have stepped in and said "but you never tested it the way Corsair said to test it". How can I call the review fair and you biased? Because consistent test methods are the hallmarks of fairness.

Next likely question would be "why not test them all with the air blowing in?" One answer would be "top mounted fans shouldn't blow downward, heat rises". Another answer would be "Dust filters are on front and bottom not top and back". Another answer would be "all top and rear fans should be exhaust, because heat rises" Another answer would be "you want the exhaust fans facing away from you so you don't have to hear or feel them". Another answer...

The simple answer is that the H90 lost when it was tested in the same orientation as the other coolers. To test it the other way violates the thermal design of the case. And thanks for bringing that up early so I could address it on Page One of the response thread

 

[nate1492]

Bit of a bad comparison between the Water 2.0 and every other cooler.

Both the H90 and the Kraken have a similar waterblock to the water 2.0 and they both cost less. Seems like you were paid by water 2.0 to give them an easy review...

 

[JonnyDough]

CPU Air Cooler, $20. Water cooler that squeezes out another 300mhz, $80.

CPU comes out 1 year later that leaves the overclocked CPU in the dust and costs $40 more after original CPU is sold and old cooler is not compatible with new socket.

Water cooling = no thanks.

 

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]nate1492[/nom]Bit of a bad comparison between the Water 2.0 and every other cooler.Both the H90 and the Kraken have a similar waterblock to the water 2.0 and they both cost less. Seems like you were paid by water 2.0 to give them an easy review...[/citation]Or that the Water 2.0 is 50% THICKER than most other coolers? It just seems like you were paid by one of the other manufacturers not to notice that fact.

 

[Mac_McMan]

[citation][nom]JonnyDough[/nom]CPU Air Cooler, $20. Water cooler that squeezes out another 300mhz, $80.CPU comes out 1 year later that leaves the overclocked CPU in the dust and costs $40 more after original CPU is sold and old cooler is not compatible with new socket.Water cooling = no thanks.[/citation]LGA 1156 coolers fit LGA 1155. LGA 1366 coolers fit LGA 2011. I think you're overthinking this, but the price is a little steep. I'd probably go with a nice, oversized, mid-weight air cooler such as the $50 (name your Scythe) if I was buying today.

 

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]Mac_McMan[/nom]LGA 1156 coolers fit LGA 1155. LGA 1366 coolers fit LGA 2011. I think you're overthinking this, but the price is a little steep. I'd probably go with a nice, oversized, mid-weight air cooler such as the $50 (name your Scythe) if I was buying today.[/citation]Not to forget that most of the big coolers produced over the past two years support all of those sockets.

 

[corvak]

[citation][nom]JonnyDough[/nom]CPU Air Cooler, $20. Water cooler that squeezes out another 300mhz, $80.CPU comes out 1 year later that leaves the overclocked CPU in the dust and costs $40 more after original CPU is sold and old cooler is not compatible with new socket.Water cooling = no thanks.[/citation]

Very true! Though i've never been able to re-sell old parts anywhere.

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]s3anister[/nom]The justification of buying a closed-loop water cooler (at least for me) was getting the weight of a massive air-cooler off my CPU and therefore removing the stress of that weight from the motherboard. Slightly better temps are just a bonus.[/citation]
I also think that the small CPU heatsink allows more air to blow over the mobo, or at least doesn't disrupt airflow as much as a tower cooler, plus reduces one or more case exhaust fans AND the CPU cooler fan (lower power, lower noise).

 

[mapesdhs]

I hate to ask the obvious, but could you please compare to the Phanteks PH-TC14PE aswell (or instead)?
In reviews I read, it beat the NH-D14, and at least in the UK the Phanteks Black Edition is cheaper too.

Ian.