Introduction

From the Noctua website:

Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.

With a reputation forged by amazing performance, exceptional quality, and ultra-low noise levels, Noctua stands out as one of the premier manufacturers of PC-cooling products. Their fans, while not exactly the most pleasing to look at, are some of the highest quality you can buy. The same can also be said of their heatsinks. Offering warranty and support that is second-to-none, the company definitely stand alone in regards to customer support. If you have a Noctua cooler and a new socket comes out that it does not support, they will send you mounting hardware for it. From purchase to installation and on to after-sales support, Noctua is the perfect example of a company that truly offers a great customer experience. They have truly forged a reputation for excellence with enthusiasts around the world.

Noctua's fans, while expensive, remain favorites of many enthusiasts for their extremely low noise output. Meanwhile, the NH-U12S and NH-U14S have proven to be popular heatsinks with the NH-U14S being especially so because it offers near NH-D14 performance while smaller, lighter, and more affordable. That said, every Noctua cooler and fan tends to fit specific needs. Another such example is the NH-L12: While it may struggle with larger CPUs, its small size and low profile make it a perfect fit in today's increasingly popular mini-ITX system. Granted, Noctua's choice of colors might not appeal to everyone, but the quality of each product has kept PC enthusiasts coming back again and again.

In today's review, I will be looking at the Noctua NH-D15. This new super heavyweight of a dual-tower heatsink replaces the stalwart NH-D14 in Noctua's lineup. Considering their history of excellence and the many changes and improvements, I expect great things. The only question is whether its performance will be enough to beat the competition. Let us get down to the nitty and gritty to find out!