Noctua NH-D15 G2 – Long Live the King

Noctua NH-D15 was released in April 2014 and has dominated air coolers for an entire decade – an incredible feat. Of course, other coolers have emerged, matching or even surpassing the D15 in performance (e.g., Deepcool Assassin IV, CoolerMaster MA824...), but it took a good 7-8 years for this to happen. Nevertheless, the NH-D15, due to the manufacturer’s support, likely remained the number one in sales...

Today we have the successor of this legend in the form of the D15 G2.

Noctua NH-D15 G2 - Introduction and Specifications

Even though Noctua could have kept the D15 on the market for at least another year, maybe even two, they introduced a new cooler, or rather an improved version of the D15, under the label G2.

The changes are definitely not just cosmetic:

Improved cooler:

• Increased the number of heat pipes from 6 to 8.
• The cooler’s weight increased by 200g.
• Improved SecurFirm 2 mount, now labeled SecurFirm 2+. Noctua replaced cross screws with Torx screws.
• Three versions of the cooler: G2, G2 HBC (High Base Convexity for LGA 1700), and G2 LBC (Low Base Convexity for AMD AM5 and other Intel CPUs). However, Noctua recommends the standard G2 for most applications, which has the same base as other Noctua coolers

Improved NF-A14x25r fans:

• with a smaller gap between the blades and the fan frame
• improved blade shape called Progressive-Bend

• A new feature in the form of SupraTorque - when the fan loses performance under pressure, the fan automatically increases its speed.

• airflow of the fan increased by 11% and the static pressure by 23%. The final numbers are 155.6 m³/h and 2.56mm H2O, respectively.
• reduced gap between the two towers should improve cooling performance, specifically enhancing the performance of the fan positioned between the towers.

Specification

Noctua NH-D15 G2 - Design

At first glance, the cooler itself has not changed much. Structurally, it is very similar to the original D15. The biggest construction difference is noticeable at the bottom of the cooler, where the fins are designed differently. You will also notice a higher number of heat pipes. Those who have seen the original cooler multiple times will notice the smaller gap between the towers.

The most significant difference is visible in the fans, and there is no need to describe the difference in the blades – it is obvious. What you might not notice immediately is the smaller gap between the frame and the blades.

Comparison of the NF-A14 fan vs. NF-A14x25r.

All these changes should contribute to better performance of the cooler. The original D15 cooler had a rating of 183 by Noctua, while the D15 G2 has 228 points... According to Noctua’s tests, the G2 can cool the processor 3 degrees better... We will see how the G2 performs in our tests.

Noctua NH-D15 G2 - Results

That the new D15 G2 would be better was something we could be sure of from the beginning... However, I honestly did not expect it to be better by 2.4 degrees Celsius. Noctua advertised an improvement of 2-3 degrees, so they delivered on what they promised.

Noctua NH-D15 G2 - Conclusion

What we have known for decades has once again been confirmed... Noctua is simply the best, and you can always rely on their coolers to be at the top of air cooling solutions. Despite the NH-D15 G2's price approaching 150 euros, it is well worth it. The new cooler is approximately 2.5 degrees Celsius more efficient than the old D15, further narrowing the gap between air and AiO coolers.

The new fans are also significantly better and more efficient, with slightly improved sound characteristics. The good news is that these fans are compatible with the old NH-D15. A big plus for me is the fact that the fans are much easier to regulate compared to the old NF-A14, with less noticeable dips between different RPMs.

I wish the NH-D15 G2 at least another 10 years with us, just like the D15...