Noctua NH-D15 different Noctua fans

[JustinASec]

I'm looking to build a PC, the one thing that stands out are the fans on the Noctua NH-D15. Is there by any chance a different fan Noctua puts out that I can use on my heat sink? Something in a better color that still have great performance.

 

[RazerZ]

You can use any 140mm case fan you like, it doesn't have to be Noctua.

They do have the redux (Black/Gray) and industrial (Black/Brown) series.

 

[ohoni13]

Note that the mounting is for 120mm fans or round 140mm fans with 120mm mounts (both have 105mm hole spacing), so square 140mm fans (124.5mm hole spacing) will NOT work. You can go with Noctua's NF-P14r redux-1500 PWM: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=90&lng=en

 

[RazerZ]

^ That's not true.

 

[ohoni13]

Just look at the photos, the fan clips are extremely bent to fit the 124.5mm spacing.

 

[RazerZ]

How are they extremely bent? They look fine to me.

 

[ohoni13]

Compare to what they look like with round fans: http://www.modders-inc.com/wp-content/uploads/image//2014/04/5d.jpg

If you stretch them to fit 124.5mm spacing, the fans will be a pain to install.

The Noctua specs clearly state:
Fan compatibility 140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 120x120x25
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=68&lng=en&set=1

 

[synphul]

I would go with the redux fans or look into a different cooler if it's a new purchase you're planning to make. There's the cryorig r1, be quiet dark rock 3 / pro 3, phanteks tc14pe (comes in various colors) etc all with very similar performance.

 

[bmacsys]

I'm looking to build a PC, the one thing that stands out are the fans on the Noctua NH-D15. Is there by any chance a different fan Noctua puts out that I can use on my heat sink? Something in a better color that still have great performance.

Noctua fans are very quiet and perform very well. You would have to get some expensive 140 mm fans to replace them to get comparable performance. You could put some Yates Loons or Delta fans and they would perform well but be louder. They are ugly too.

 

[RazerZ]

@ohoni13 I think you're over exaggerating.I have the D-15 and can confirm it works with aftermarket fans well. Yes the clip is a little stretched, but it's metal after all so it's not a problem.

If you get the D-15 it would be a waste if you removed the fans and didn't put them elsewhere in the case. Buying another set of Noctuas can be expensive just to change the color scheme and there are cheaper alternatives available such as the ones synphul mentioned.

 

[bmacsys]

@ohoni13 I think you're over exaggerating.I have the D-15 and can confirm it works with aftermarket fans well. Yes the clip is a little stretched, but it's metal after all so it's not a problem.

If you get the D-15 it would be a waste if you removed the fans and didn't put them elsewhere in the case. Buying another set of Noctuas can be expensive just to change the color scheme and there are cheaper alternatives available such as the ones synphul mentioned.

A good part of the quality of Noctua coolers are the fans. To replace them makes next to no sense. Especially because you don't like the colors.

 

[RazerZ]

Well yes the fans are very good, but so is the actual heatsink. Not everyone likes the brown/beige color scheme. There are still quality fans available besides Noctua.

 

[bmacsys]

Well yes the fans are very good, but so is the actual heatsink. Not everyone likes the brown/beige color scheme. There are still quality fans available besides Noctua.

And the you add about $40 to the price of the cooler. Makes no sense.

 

[bmacsys]

@ohoni13ot
If you get the D-15 it would be a waste if you removed the fans and didn't put them elsewhere in the case.

If he doesn't like the way the fans look and wants to replace them why would he move them elsewhere in his case?

 

[RazerZ]

That's why I said it's a more expensive option. He could move them to where they aren't visible in his case. Not that I'm recommending it, I'm just saying it's an option.

 

[synphul]

Noctua's do have good fans (peformance) and is a large part of the cost of the cooler. A dual fan cooler from noctua likely has $40+ worth of fans on it alone if they were bought retail separately. Their color choices are out there and the 'ugly' colors have sort of become iconic. It's easy to identify typical noctua fans, just like delta fans are known to sound like they fell off a 747. It can really clash though if someone's going for a particular color scheme (which I think they're trying to address with the redux colors). It would be pretty costly to pay the premium for the noctua cooler then replace the fans with similar quality, almost better off just going with a different cooler if it needs to fit within a particular color scheme.

I'm not suggesting this as a normal fix, but if you really want the noctua and just don't like the color and aren't afraid to void the warranty and get a little creative there's always the option of taking the fans apart and painting them. Some people give them a light sanding, use self etching primer and spray paint. It will void the warranty and how well it turns out depends on how handy someone is with spraypaint to get a nice light even coat. Done properly it shouldn't cause issue like imbalance to the fan blades or cause them to wear out significantly faster but it does carry the risk of modding.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Hey bud, came across this thread when looking for some other info and just wanted to note for you, that as of yet, I've not found any evidence that the NF-A15 fans can be disassembled for dyeing or painting like earlier 140mm Noctua fans could be. Just in case somebody else comes along and sees that comment they won't get a big fat letdown when they discover the fan blades don't separate from the frame and bearing assembly like most fans do.

At least, not from what I can gather and I don't dare try to apply any more force than I already have, so I'm assuming the general information I've found concerning newer Noctua fans not being able to be disassembled applies to these as well. Sorry for the necro, but I felt it needed to be added.