Noctua NH-D15 G2 finally launched

I really like Noctua's stuff (both their case fans and their air coolers) but that price is pretty bonkers, especially with how good the Thermalright coolers are for the price.

I've got a D15s Chromax in my current build which I got for 79.99 on sale around 2 years ago now. Definitely no plans for me to change to this gen 2 version.
 
Jay85 said:
Inflation or not i don't think it warrants its new $150 price tag. Some die hard fans will buy it but it really is turning into snake oil with very very small increments in improvement.
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if we take todays price of a d15 of £100 vs G2 anticipated price of £130, the markup of £30 is definitely not reasonable.

I probably see my self as a Noctua fanboy, as I like their products. But them marking it up to £130 will alienate possible fanboys like me and set the barrier of entry (of fanboyhood :D) too high.
 
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mattyfez said:
I suppose it's the sheer amount of R&D that goes into them, that comes at a huge cost to the company.

I'll be honest and say my thermalrlight is almost as good, but it does have more reverberation, it's louder, there's no question, but it's less than half the price and that's imposible to ignore.
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I'd be interested in how the Phantom Spirit preformed if Noctua fans were swapped in, especially given the entire setup would still cost less than half the new D15 if someone went that route.

You could buy four Phantom Spirits for the price of a single Noctua NH-D15 G2, it's ridiculous.
 
Gray2233 said:
I'd be interested in how the Phantom Spirit preformed if Noctua fans were swapped in, especially given the entire setup would still cost less than half the new D15 if someone went that route.

You could buy four Phantom Spirits for the price of a single Noctua NH-D15 G2, it's ridiculous.
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Probably not much different, in this noise normalized (39dBA) restricted airflow test the Noctua 120mm fan was almost identical to the Thermalright fan. You'd want to swap it for a Phanteks T30 for the best performance.

 
Eddie99 said:
Probably not much different, in this noise normalized (39dBA) restricted airflow test the Noctua 120mm fan was almost identical to the Thermalright fan. You'd want to swap it for a Phanteks T30 for the best performance.

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Ah, well, those Noctua fans would be the old S12's (ones which come with the U12S cooler), which were superceded by the A12x25's (U12A) which were not the ones most would compare with from Noctua. And the newer G2 fans may or may not have better performance/noise ratios to that fan as well. We'll need to wait for their release to know for the non round fans.
 
Meddling-Monk said:
Ah, well, those Noctua fans would be the old S12's (ones which come with the U12S cooler), which were superceded by the A12x25's (U12A) which were not the ones most would compare with from Noctua. And the newer G2 fans may or may not have better performance/noise ratios to that fan as well. We'll need to wait for their release to know for the non round fans.
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It was the NF-A12x25, not S12.
 
Eddie99 said:
Probably not much different, in this noise normalized (39dBA) restricted airflow test the Noctua 120mm fan was almost identical to the Thermalright fan. You'd want to swap it for a Phanteks T30 for the best performance.

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I'm more interested in a direct comparison of the metal (thus the same fans for each), although if aiming for best noise/temps that's probably the best route and would still be a damn sight cheaper than the G2.
 
Eddie99 said:
It was the NF-A12x25, not S12.
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Ah, you should give the time frame of the video then as well. As I went through that and didn't see it initially, but saw the U12S cooler stock later in the video, which meant it would have been using the S12 fans. The time frame you are talking about is approximately: 20:30 mark. :)
 
Gray2233 said:
I'm more interested in a direct comparison of the metal (thus the same fans for each), although if aiming for best noise/temps that's probably the best route and would still be a damn sight cheaper than the G2.
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Unfortunately, unless someone grabs the D15 G2 and then pulls the A14x25 r G2 fans off of them to try on a different cooler, we won't know what the improvement level is coming from the cooler and from the fans on their own.
 
Meddling-Monk said:
Unfortunately, unless someone grabs the D15 G2 and then pulls the A14x25 r G2 fans off of them to try on a different cooler, we won't know what the improvement level is coming from the cooler and from the fans on their own.
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Aye.

It's possible one of the tech outlets might, although doubtful. I can't say that I'm willing to spend £120 to find out either to be frank. :cry:
 
Meddling-Monk said:
Ah, you should give the time frame of the video then as well. As I went through that and didn't see it initially, but saw the U12S cooler stock later in the video, which meant it would have been using the S12 fans. The time frame you are talking about is approximately: 20:30 mark. :)
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The time frame is already set in the embedded video, when you start playing it's at 20:24.
 
Eddie99 said:
The time frame is already set in the embedded video, when you start playing it's at 20:24.
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lol, thanks, I did not know that there's an enlarge option in the embed these days, and instinctively middle clicked it to open it up into its own tab/window. But when you do that, you lose the time frame index code. :)
 
t2na said:
I really like Noctua's stuff (both their case fans and their air coolers) but that price is pretty bonkers, especially with how good the Thermalright coolers are for the price.

I've got a D15s Chromax in my current build which I got for 79.99 on sale around 2 years ago now. Definitely no plans for me to change to this gen 2 version.
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Air coolers have hit such a wall that the best we'll see are 1-2 degree improvements. Biggest differences in noise/performance ratio will come from better fans.
 
ATIorNvidia said:
Air coolers have hit such a wall that the best we'll see are 1-2 degree improvements. Biggest differences in noise/performance ratio will come from better fans.
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Yeah, couldn't agree more. My recommendation now for air cooling is typically Thermalright's PA with some Noctua fans, you get the benefit of a great cooler at a great price and then pair it with some of the quietest high performing fans available - and you'd still be cheaper than buying some of the higher end/more expensive models.
 
t2na said:
Yeah, couldn't agree more. My recommendation now for air cooling is typically Thermalright's PA with some Noctua fans, you get the benefit of a great cooler at a great price and then pair it with some of the quietest high performing fans available - and you'd still be cheaper than buying some of the higher end/more expensive models.
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The Phantom Spirit performs a couple of degrees better than the Peerless Assassin and they're more or less the same price now. Phanteks T30 would be a better replacement fan than a Noctua NF-A12x25, it has better performance/noise.
 
Eddie99 said:
The Phantom Spirit performs a couple of degrees better than the Peerless Assassin and they're more or less the same price now. Phanteks T30 would be a better replacement fan than a Noctua NF-A12x25, it has better performance/noise.
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I'm torn on the T30s, I have them in my build at the moment and I definitely think they're worth it at lower RPMs (and they push more air just by nature of being thicker than the 25mm fans) - but as soon as you go above 1000 RPM they are really much more audible than any Noctua fan spinning at the same speed.

I've actually found that my NF-A12x25 at 1200/1300 RPM to be quieter than the T30 at 1000RPM. I still stick with my T30s (3 front intake, 1 rear and 1 top exhaust - with the D15s in the middle) and I just make sure the speeds never go above that level that becomes irritating to me.
 
Yeh I really appreciate that noctua are really trail blazers in R&D for this kind of thing.. But when things like the phantom spirit perform almost as well for arguments sake 60% less money, it's a very hard sell for the average user. I don't doubt that thermalright are 'standing on the shoulders of giants'...

But it's impossible to ignore that one costs less than £50…and the other costs over a hundred quid.

And air coolers are not exactly going to appeal to the extreme overclocking crowd either, so it's difficult to see what market this is aimed at.
 
mattyfez said:
Yeh I really appreciate that noctua are really trail blazers in R&D for this kind of thing.. But when things like the phantom spirit perform almost as well for arguments sake 60% less money, it's a very hard sell for the average user. I don't doubt that thermalright are 'standing on the shoulders of giants'...

But it's impossible to ignore that one costs less than £50…and the other costs over a hundred quid.

And air coolers are not exactly going to appeal to the extreme overclocking crowd either, so it's difficult to see what market this is aimed at.
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Someone who wants the best cooling they can get with the reliability of air. I'm sure Noctua know it's going to be a niche product, especially with the different bases that are available for it. I'm mostly interested in the fans.
 
Parsley said:
Someone who wants the best cooling they can get with the reliability of air. I'm sure Noctua know it's going to be a niche product, especially with the different bases that are available for it. I'm mostly interested in the fans.
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That market will likely be short lived because it already has competition. Thermalright's Royal Preytor Ultra is supposed to be a 4-6c improvement over the Phantom Spirit, which would match or beat the NH-D15 G2.

 
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