Noctua NH-D15 G2, Dual Tower CPU Cooler, Standard All-Round Version Recommended for AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1851 / LGA1700 (Brown)

I installed this Noctua air cooler in my new PC build, which includes MSI Z890 Tomahawk motherboard and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor. I initially thought I would need a water cooler to meet the 250W which my CPU can easily generate, and was hesitant because I had some doubts about longevity and long term reliability of water cooling. Of course, gamers who upgrade their PCs regularly probably upgrade their watercoolers too, but in my case I wanted a PC which I can use for at least 8 years with minimal maintenance. I was very happy to find out that this Noctua cooler can handle that amount of heat. There was a concern about enough clearance for DRAM; I got one of the slimmest DRAM modules on the market, Crucial Pro DDR5 RAM 64GB Kit (2x32GB) 6400MHz CL40, but even that DRAM was a little taller (34-35 mm) than the default clearance of 32 mm over DRAM shown in drawings of Noctua. Luckily, it is extremely easy (and approved and recommended by Noctua, if needed) to move the fan which hangs over DRAM slightly upwards on the radiator (it is held in place by wire clips, so one can take it off and install again anywhere on the radiator without tools) to create a few mm of additional clearance. In my case, this fan sticks out a little more than the fan in the middle, but there is still more than enough clearance of the cooler in Fractal Design R7 case. Since fan is bigger than the radiator, there is no reduction in cooling from its repositioning. Manual of Noctua is excellent, written in good English, good pictures, even a screwdriver is included! Very easy to install. Thermal paste included.I am very pleased with the result. The cooler is quite. Noctua has a reputation of a long lasting brand (6 years warranty). Cooling is even better than I expected: in AIDA64 Extreme stress test at full CPU load (without overclocking), the CPU temperature is kept steadily at 80-81 C. A little more money than AIO, but no risk of pump failure or water damage. The worst that can happen is one of the fans fails, but there are two of them and massive radiator would work as a passive cooler even without fans.Talking about water leak risk, I found FAQ on Corsair web site, they say that they see water leak failure rate of 0.016% with their sealed AIO water coolers, i.e., one out of 6250 AIO coolers will leak water-based coolant in the PC. If/when when it happens, I would imagine, liquid may kill the motherboard and/or GPU or PSU. I found no data for frequency of pump failures in AIOs, but people say that pump failures are more frequent as many saw pump failures but not water leaks. Anyhow, air cooler would not leak and fans are very reliable these days, so there is basically nothing to fail :)Noctua has a database on their web site with compatibility of different models of their coolers with processors and motherboards, a good resource to check before buying.

Noctua makes the best coolers and you get to pay for that. Maybe the luxury packing is overkill but the rest in essentially a fail safe for your computer. Since I routinely hack into foreign governments and multinational corporations, my CPU runs hot for days at a time. This cooler keeps the temps down. Second to that is that it's quiet. When I'm not toppling governments, I do tedious photoshop for hours on end so I need the silence. Great cooler

Why did you pick this product vs others?:ExcellentGreat for cooling large devices

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Nice CPU cooler. Noctua is my favorite brand. Pricey but functional.

qiet and relieble

I've built many gaming PCs and experimented with various CPU cooling solutions. When it comes to air cooling, Noctua coolers have never let me down. The NH-D15 G2, like its predecessor, the D14, is massive. Seeing a picture of it is one thing, but holding it in your hands really drives home its size—it's even bigger than you might expect!Before purchasing, ensure your PC case and motherboard have enough clearance. I recommend using low-profile memory, as RAM slots are typically close to the CPU. You can also adjust the fan height to accommodate taller RAM sticks, but always consider your case’s dimensions.If you're looking for temperature benchmarks, a quick internet search will show that this Noctua cooler consistently ranks in the top 10, often competing with liquid cooling solutions. Overall, the NH-D15 G2 delivers outstanding cooling performance and remains one of the best air coolers available!

It was a little bit difficult to install but it works amazing! I installed it in my Fractal north with the mesh side panel and fits but it prevents being able to use the side panel fan mount. It keeps my 7600x a bit cooler than my old 240 aio and it's also super quiet. I only wish I could have bought it before the price went up...

Ok