Noctua NH-D15

[crazyeyesreaper]

whats the distance from the bottom of the holes for the CPU cooler and the PCIe slot?

 

[adulaamin]

whats the distance from the bottom of the holes for the CPU cooler and the PCIe slot?

Approximately 35mm...

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

from what i can gather no it wont fit I am seeing a distance of around 33 mm on my test system and it over hangs the slot completely as such even at 35 mm it will still block the GPU from full seating into the motherboard. There might be a possibility for it to be turned however so it can fit but that will block memory slots etc. So overall it seems to be your gonna encounter issues anyway.

 

[adulaamin]

I guess I'm gonna have to buy one of those AIOs then. Thanks for the very helpful info.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

depending on your case and your location I would HIGHLY recommend the H220-X from Swiftech sound profile is very similar to the Noctua NH-D15 while being a much better performing option also extremely easy to install on LGA115x sockets. Granted its pricey but if your looking at a $90-100 Noctua cooler price cant be THAT big of a concern.

 

[alwayssts]

Do you guys think this would fit in an ASUS Maximus VII Gene with the first PCIe slot populated by a 780ti? It's the highest end air cooler I can avail of here. I'm currently using an NH-U12S and it just won't cut it temp-wise when overclocking. I'm also trying to avoid using an AIO.

I can understand this plight, and tried to allude to how much of a PITA this cooler would be to use in a lot of situations in my June post...it's just freaking huge to the point of not being practical for many, and for minimal gain. Noctua says it will work on that board if you turn it 90 degrees though, although that could have it's own set of issues.

While I understand the temptation to go huge (with a 15 model) or an AIO (which can be more expensive and/or have it's own set of noise/practicality/space issues), let me assure you I have built a few systems with the C14 and D14, and while it may seem crappy they are only slightly cheaper, they are not at all bad options for builds using smaller boards (or in my case, case) and/or if you'd actually like to be able to use the rest of the motherboard. They allow overclocking just fine, are still quiet, and still an upgrade over an S. The Phantek in this comparison may not be a bad option either (Phantek is a slightly cheaper knock-off of Noctua for all intents and purposes), and should also be compatible...as far as I can tell.

Be (potentially) mindful of the clips if you go that route, but I imagine it shouldn't be an issue to make it work in one orientation or another (especially if you choose a card carefully). If that doesn't work for you though, and are alright with their own set of interesting realities, AIOs are indeed a decent option.