[SOLVED] Will the NH-D14 fit?

[Junior_Asparagus]

So, I plan on buying the Corsair Spec-Delta RGB ATX Mid Tower Case and a ASUS Rog Strix z390-H Gaming ATX motherboard. I was curious if the NH-D14 would work or if I should get something smaller such as the NH-U12A.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It should fit, but it will be very close. Your case specifies support for coolers up to 160mm tall, and the NH-D14 is exactly 160mm tall. Corsair is usually pretty good about being spot on with their specifications HOWEVER that is not a high end case and there COULD be some small amount of tolerance in the manufacturing.

I think you'll be fine as far as the dimensions, however, if you're planning to buy that cooler new, there might be better options that don't cut it so close.

What CPU are you planning to run and what country are you in?

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

So, this will be my first pc build. I have always just used a laptop but I have recently gotten really into gaming. I was going to buy a I7-9700k for the system. I also reside in the United States. Do you recommend I get a different case and do you think that the CPU cooler will interfere with my RAM at all?

 

[Darkbreeze]

The D14 generally DOES have interference issues, if you use RAM with heat spreaders. That is most RAM that you'll find being recommended these days. The Noctua NH-D15 was designed to alleviate the memory interference issues with the D14.

In my opinion, I think there are quite a few cases that are better choices near the same price range than that one. Are you looking at that case due to it's RGB factor or something else?

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

I was planning on getting the corsair vengeance 32 gb memory. Also, yes the main reason that I wanted that case was for the RGB factor. Are there any cases that you recommend? Also, if the D14 has a lot of interference issues, should I just get the D15 instead?

 

[Darkbreeze]

You can stay with that case, if you like it. Maybe look at doing this cooler which is pretty excellent in it's own right. Memory clearance, even with four sticks installed, shouldn't be a problem due to it's huge rearward offset.

I know this is a good cooler as well because I've used it on a couple of builds previously for clients.

https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6930/thermalright-macho-rev-cpu-cooler-review/index3.html

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

Okay, I was looking at Noctua cause I've heard they are really good when it comes to overclocking. I wanted to try to get my cpu to somewhere around 4.5-4.8 ghz. Do you think I could do that with the CPU cooler you recommended?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Thermalright (NOT Thermaltake) makes heatsinks every bit as good as Noctua. What separates Noctua from the pack is the quality and performance of their fans. Thermaltake's fans are nearly, but not quite, as good. Still, they are better than 90% of the competition and are significantly less expensive than Noctua.

If you want to go with Noctua, I'm all for that, because I run all Noctua cooling in my system from the heatsink (NH-U14S with dual NF-A14 fans) to the case fans (All NF-A14 fans plus one NF-A14 iPPC industrial 2000rpm on the rear exhaust) and there is no question that Noctua is the leader in performance and quality when it comes to air cooling. At least, if you ask most people.

So Noctua is a good choice, but the D15 is actually 165mm when you factor in the fan. It won't fit.

If you want to go with Noctua for the cooler I might look at doing a D14 but you'll have to find one, and then find some confirmation somewhere that it will actually fit that case. Plus, you'll likely be limited to using only the A2 and B2 memory slots because it's doubtful the fan will fit with the A1 slot populated.

The Thermalright cooler I listed is nearly as good.

Most of the big coolers are going to either be too tall for that case OR they are going to have interference issues with the memory. That is for the majority of dual finstack coolers. Coolers with a slim finstack or extra thick single finstack that are offset, should be fine.

You might want to consider an AIO liquid cooler, as practically all of these concerns disappear with those.

If you plan to only use the second and fourth (A2 and B2) memory slots, you should be ok with many of the big coolers especially if they are fairly modern designs with offsets that move the finstack towards the back a bit.

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

I guess then I will just look into getting a different type of case that will support a NH-D15. I want to be able to still have a Noctua CPU cooler. But if I get the D15 I should be able to all of the memory channels correct? Like, the D15 wouldn't interfere with the slots memory in anyway right? Since I want to be able to use all four of the memory slots on the motherboard. I don't mind switching the case, as long as everything else would be fine. I also am not a huge fan of AIO coolers, I just prefer the way a beefy air cooler looks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That depends on WHICH memory modules you go with. IF the RAM is tall enough, it could interfere regardless of any other factors. There are ways to help mitigate that though. Going with lower profile memory is one way.

The D15, stock, is intended for use with memory modules no taller than 32mm. Trident Z memory, for example, is 44mm tall. This could be easily solved by moving the front fan to the rear of the heatsink, since it already has a middle fan anyhow, and this has been done with basically no change in the level of cooling performance. That completely eliminates any problems with memory height for the majority of sticks out there because the heatsink itself is usually not the problem on modern designs that have a stepped base in the finstack and offset heat pipes.

I'd still probably look at a different case though, since that one won't fit.

What is the most you are willing to spend on a case?

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

So, I was looking at the corsair vengeance LPX for the memory. I was thinking on getting 32 gbs of it; however, I don't know how tall the modules are. So, I don't know if it'll be a problem with it or not. I was thinking on maybe getting this case First Case or maybe this one Second Case. I would like to keep it under $100 for the price of the case. But I can go up to $150 if need be. I would like to also get a mid tower, as I feel that full towers are a bit big. Also, how would I go about in moving the front fan like you had previously stated? Thank you so much for the help so far as well!

 

[Karadjgne]

2x sticks, average heatsinking, not a problem for the D14. 4x sticks, same problem. Tall heatspreaders, big problem.

Biggest issue facing the D14 was you needed to install any ram intended for the A1 slot, before mounting the heatsink itself, which makes ram issues requiring removal for diagnosis a royal pain.

One of my personal favorite coolers for more limited case sizes is the BeQuiet Darkrock TF. With cpu outputs under @ 220w, it tops the Noctua D15. At 131mm height, it'll fit into pretty much any matx/atx case without issue.
Ram isn't much of an issue either, as far as height goes, but you'll need to remove the under-fan to gain access.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Either of those cases is fine. The Meshify C has better airflow. For any high TDP system that where cooling might be a consideration, you probably want to shy away from models with restrictive front panels where air is only able to get in through a restricted slot or hole. Full panel mesh, like the Meshify C has, or a plan that involves a specific case but modification of the front panel or purchasing an addition pre-modified front panel, is usually a good idea.

It can work either way, but full mesh or at least partially open front panels just work a lot better. This bears out in thermal testing. Yes, they tend to be a LITTLE bit louder, because the fans are directly open to the outside with nothing really to block the noise, but the cooling performance is generally significantly better.

You definitely don't need a full tower. Mid tower is exactly what you want.

Both those cases only come with two fans, so you are going to want to add some fans as well.

Personally, by the time you add on another 40 bucks for a decent pair of fans, you could get a really decent case at around 140 bucks, that comes with three fans, and then only add another fan (second exhaust) if it needs it, which it probably will, but you could do it later if you wanted.

Are you specifically targeting white cases? Sort of looks that way. I'd look at this case, which is exceptional in just about every way considering the price.
https://www.newegg.com/white-fractal-design-define-r6-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352082


But that Meshify C would be fine. I think you'll have to add some fans though.

Probably have to add at least one fan no matter which way you go.

 

[Karadjgne]

Corsair vengeance lpx are low profile ram. At 31mm they'll fit under anything big enough to overhang the slots.

 

[Karadjgne]

This shows promise.
Case: Lian-Li LANCOOL ONE Digital ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.85 @ Walmart)

But you'll still need to add fans. Not unusual. A couple of Arctic F14 PWM in the front would do.

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

The one case that DarkBreeze sent looks really nice. I'll be getting that one. I have also opted with getting the D15 cooler for my cpu since it should help with RAM clearance.

 

[Karadjgne]

Well Darkbreeze does have good taste, the Meshify C is also one of the best airflow cases there is, apart from its unique look. I own an R5, and it's been nothing but cherry to own. Very happy with Fractal Design.

D15 or D15S? Performance is almost identical, the S loses about 3-6°C at maximum capacity of 250w, but there is a difference in the bases. The S has slightly better ram clearance, but it's main difference is the pcie offset. Because some mobo's are pushing socket clearance limits with pcie x16 slot, and the backplates on most larger and better gpus, the D15 can actually hit the gpu. This was the reason for the redesign.


As you can see (D15 on left, bottom will be pcie slot) there's quite an offset, and that can make a huge difference.

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

I guess then I'll get D15S. Since I won't have to worry about it coming into contact with my motherboard. It'll also eliminate any fear with RAM clearance.

 

[Darkbreeze]

What graphics card are you going to be running? What motherboard will you be using?

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

I'm going to get a gigabyte aorus 2060 super for the graphics card and a asus rog strix z390-H gaming for the motherboard.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That's a standard dual slot card. I don't think you'll have any clearance issues if you went with the regular D15 rather than the D15s but that's totally up to you. I don't know for sure that it will or won't. If need be, you can always ADD a fan after the fact, to the D15S, and get back whatever difference in performance there is from the standard D15.

 

[Junior_Asparagus]

I haven't decided which one I want to get, in terms of the D15 or D15s. I was leaning more towards the D15s as it lowers the chance of clearance problems. But, if the corsair vengeance lpx really is low profile ram than there shouldn't be any problems to begin with. I just don't know if the normal D15 will cause any issues with my ram

 

[Karadjgne]

Ram clearance with the LPX is a non-issue. The D15 series. The front fan has 32mm of clearance in lowest mount position, can be raised. The LPX is 31mm tall. It's a tight fit, but doesn't matter if it's 1mm or 10mm, it clears it. The S doesn't have that issue at all, and will mount 120mm fans with upto 40mm of clearance.

So either cooler will work. The D15 is the better performance, the D15S has better adaptability and gpu clearance. You can run with no fan or add a fan, your choice.