Noctua Delays NH-D15 CPU Cooler Successor Until Q1 2023

[Uskompuf]

Noctua has recently published an updated roadmap showing that their next-generation NH-D15 CPU Cooler has been delayed once again until Q1 2023. The NH-D15 was released back in 2014 with initial plans for its successor to launch sometime in 2021 however the new cooler has faced numerous delays. Noctua has showcased numerous technological improvements in its fan and heatsink designs in recent years which have the potential to make the successor a best-in-class product.

The updated roadmap also includes information for other upcoming products including fan grills, voltage converters, fan hubs, CPU coolers, and numerous fans. Noctua plans to release new fan grills this quarter followed by a 24 V to 12 V voltage converter, 8-way fan hub, and next-generation Intel Xeon CPU cooler in Q3 2022. In Q4 we can expect next-generation 140 mm fans along with slim 60 mm fans, and 24 V 40 mm fans ideal for 3D printing applications. The products expected to launch in Q1 2023 alongside the next-generation NH-D15 cooler include the Noctua desk fan and white versions of existing fans to complement the existing color options.



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[dj-electric]

Can't imagine the challenge of making such mass produceable cooler. Noctua releases flagship coolers in larger intervals than Lamborghini release flagship cars.

I remember when the NH-D14 came around and raised a lot of eyebrows. Almost like it didn't happen over a decade ago.

 

[Solid State Brain]

I wonder if the enhanced IHS concavity of Alder Lake processors is a factor. An even more convex cooler contact surface would help (it already is to some extent), but it might end up being counterproductive with future processors. It's also unclear if the upcoming LGA AMD processors would be affected too. By Q1 2023 things might be clearer.

 

[Chaitanya]

I wonder if the enhanced IHS concavity of Alder Lake processors is a factor. An even more convex cooler contact surface would help (it already is to some extent), but it might end up being counterproductive with future processors. It's also unclear if the upcoming LGA AMD processors would be affected too. By Q1 2023 things might be clearer.

Arctic just posted on their twitter handle about their AM4 compatible coolers being fully compatible with AM5 as they are mechanically same.

 

[Solid State Brain]

Mechanical compatibility has little to do IHS concavity, which is dynamically affected by the uneven load exerted by the ILM (independent loading mechanism) on the IHS (integrated heat spreader). AM5 will switch from PGA (pin grid array) to LGA (land grid array), which could mean that issues that have been affecting Intel CPUs (and became more severe as pin count increased) may start affecting AMD CPUs as well.

CPU cooler manufacturers like Noctua already make the contact surface of their coolers convex to mitigate the issue, and depending on how concave the IHS of future CPUs will end up being, it might be beneficial (or not) to increase this curvature for optimal performance.

It is only my speculation that the Noctua delay has anything to do with this, however.

 

[ixi]

NH-D14 > Every next generation. But at this point it is kinda useless to get heavy baby metal smetal slurg radiator to cool CPU. Smaller ones are pretty capable too.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

My hypothesis: The competition keeps improving, so every couple of months, the R&D team finds themselves in the situation of, "F@)#; 5% ahead of the next best thing just went up again!"

 

[freeagent]

6mm heat pipes can only move so much heat. I bet they are playing with 8mm pipes. They have some very stiff competition out there.

 

[TheUn4seen]

Can't imagine the challenge of making such mass produceable cooler. Noctua releases flagship coolers in larger intervals than Lamborghini release flagship cars.

I remember when the NH-D14 came around and raised a lot of eyebrows. Almost like it didn't happen over a decade ago.

Check 1y aluminium and copper prices. If they don't have a stockpile somewhere it might eat into their margins a bit too much. i don't think Noctua produces high-end consumer coolers in volumes high enough to warrant lowering their margins, especially if they also manufacture solutions for more important markets - that's where they probably move their resources right now.

 

[bug]

Is there anything in particular we are expecting from this upcoming cooler?

 

[Solid State Brain]

It's been in preparation for a long time. Previous prototypes shown in 2019 had slightly larger dimensions and surface area, one extra heat pipe compared to the regular NH-D15/D15S.

Noctua Shows Off Updated 'D Series' 140mm CPU Coolers: NH-D15 Gets A Successor

www.anandtech.com

 

[bug]

It's been in preparation for a long time. Previous prototypes shown in 2019 had slightly larger dimensions and surface area, one extra heat pipe compared to the regular NH-D15/D15S.

Noctua Shows Off Updated 'D Series' 140mm CPU Coolers: NH-D15 Gets A Successor

www.anandtech.com

One extra heat pipe never hurt anyone.

 

[AsRock]

6mm heat pipes can only move so much heat. I bet they are playing with 8mm pipes. They have some very stiff competition out there.

Much cheaper now too now.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Nothing new for Noctua, they delay a lot of products. Most likely due to their very high standards, which is totally fine.

Also, they never "announce" anything until it's actually ready, therefor there isn't really any delay. You don't see Noctua teasing like Intel has been doing the past 2 years with their GPUs. They never showed the NH-D12L either until they were ready to release it.

I like that approach really, just work on your product at your own pace without a deadline.

And most likely it's being delayed due to the new 140MM fans as well, they probably want to ship it with the new A14x25.

 

[efikkan]

Too bad these new products wouldn't be available when Intel's new HEDT lineup launches.

NH-D14 > Every next generation. But at this point it is kinda useless to get heavy baby metal smetal slurg radiator to cool CPU. Smaller ones are pretty capable too.

Small ones like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 and BeQuiet Pure Rock are quite capable and should be able to handle ~150W of sustained load, which is enough for most non-HEDT CPUs at stock (short bursts above 150W is not a problem). My concern is the thermal density of some of these CPUs, where the heatpipes are simply not effective enough to transport the heat.
That's where coolers like Noctua NH-U14S shine. It's not that much bigger really, but significantly more capable thanks to more (and better?) heatpipes, and will outperform most 240mm AiO water coolers. Then going up to NH-D15 you'll get a massive beast that's not that much better than NH-U14S. I believe when we eventually get a successor to NH-U14S with the new fan and another heatpipe people will get impressed with the efficiency.

 

[GoldenTiger]

Can't imagine the challenge of making such mass produceable cooler. Noctua releases flagship coolers in larger intervals than Lamborghini release flagship cars.

I remember when the NH-D14 came around and raised a lot of eyebrows. Almost like it didn't happen over a decade ago.

That was a decade ago?! Jeez... Time flies.