The NH-U14S is a lean and mean CPU cooler in the distinctive Noctua style, with a slender physique to help avoid memory interference while still packing a surprisingly heavy punch.
September 15, 2013 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Noctua NH-U14S CPU Cooler |
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Manufacturer
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Noctua |
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Street Price
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US$75 |
Over the years Noctua has created some memorable premium offerings but at a seemingly slow, deliberate pace with high attention to detail. They’ve kept the same design aesthetic over the years, making their products easily recognizable and presumably streamlining fabrication. Uniformity is part of their strategy to the point where every heatsink released in a given year has identical packaging, accessories, and mounting hardware. It’s not all just for show either, as they invariably produce elite performance and often the only valid complaint is price. In many ways, Noctua is the Apple of CPU coolers.
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The last Noctua we reviewed, the NH-U12S, was a slim tower heatsink with a 120 mm fan that offered high efficiency in a more compact form factor than the usual fare. The NH-U14S is its big brother, a more substantial version with a 140 mm blower. Compared to the NH-U12S, it’s 7 mm taller and thicker, and 25 mm longer, though by modern day standards it’s still rather slender. Both coolers look a bit undersized compared to their respective stock fans. The narrow physique of the NH-U14S is specifically designed to not overhang memory slots on LGA2011 boards as well as most LGA115x and AMD models.
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The gear included in the package is neatly segregated into three different boxes. The longer box contains common accessories: a long screwdriver, an extra pair of fan clips, an additional set of anti-vibration pads, a tube of thermal compound, a low noise fan adapter, and a metallic case badge. The mounting hardware for Intel and AMD sockets is separated into their own respective boxes as well.
Like the NH-U12S, the Noctua’s old universal Intel backplate has been replaced with a fixed LGA115x version. LGA1366 and LGA775 users aren’t left entirely in the cold though as Noctua provides an optional compatible mounting kit for free. It still seems rather bizarre that they’d abandon a perfectly good backplate for a more limited one and then provide the old one at no extra charge. It may be that they streamlined manufacturing of the backplate to cut costs and are using an excess stock of adapter kits to give away to the few, dwindling users who need them. For LGA2011, the heatsink mounts directly to the socket frame while for AMD installs, the stock backplate is reused.
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Noctua NH-U14S: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
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| Socket compatibility | Intel LGA2011 (Square ILM), LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2 (backplate required) |
| Height (without fan) | 165 mm |
| Width (without fan) | 150 mm |
| Depth (without fan) | 52 mm |
| Height (with fan) | 165 mm |
| Width (with fan) | 150 mm |
| Depth (with fan) | 78 mm |
| Weight (without fan) | 770 g |
| Weight (with fan) | 935 g |
| Material | Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating |
| Fan compatibility | 140x150x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 140x140x25 (with 120mm mounting holes), 120x120x25 |
| Scope of Delivery | NF-A15 PWM premium fan Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.) NT-H1 high-grade thermal compound SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kit Anti-vibration pads and fan-clips for second NF-A15 (optional) Noctua Metal Case-Badge |
| Warranty | 6 Years |
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Fan Specifications
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| Model | Noctua NF-A15 PWM |
| Bearing | SSO2 |
| Max. Rotational Speed (+/- 10%) | 1500 RPM |
| Max. Rotational Speed with L.N.A. (+/- 10%) | 1200 RPM |
| Min. Rotational Speed (PWM) | 300 RPM |
| Max. Airflow | 140,2 m³/h |
| Max. Airflow with L.N.A. | 115,5 m³/h |
| Max. Acoustical Noise | 24,6 dB(A) |
| Max. Acoustical Noise with L.N.A. | 19,2 dB(A) |
| Input Power | 1,56 W |
| Voltage Range | 12 V |
| MTBF | > 150.000 h |
PHYSICAL DETAILS
The Noctua NH-U14S is composed of 57 aluminum fins, six 6 mm thick copper heatpipes, and a copper base, all nickel-plated. According to our measurements, the heatsink’s dimensions are 15.0 x 5.2 x 16.5 cm (L x W x H) and its weight is 770 grams (930 grams including the fan).
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BASE & INSTALLATION
The most critical aspect of installation is that the heatsink be securely
mounted. A firm mating results in good contact between the cooler’s base and
the CPU heatspreader and more efficient heat conduction. Ideally it should
also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces of
hardware as possible.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
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Approximate Physical Measurements
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Weight
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770 (+160 g with stock fan) |
| Height | 165 mm |
| Fin count | 57 |
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Fin thickness
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0.42 mm |
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Fin spacing
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1.72 mm |
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Vertical Clearance*
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46 mm |
| * measured from motherboard PCB to bottom fin of heatsink |
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Large Heatsink Comparison:
Average Fin Thickness & Spacing |
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Heatsink
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Fin Thickness
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Fin Spacing
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SilverStone Heligon HE02
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0.52 mm
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3.30 mm
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Thermalright HR-01 Plus
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0.45 mm
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3.15 mm
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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0.34 mm
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3.12 mm
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Scythe Ninja 3
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0.39 mm
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2.64 mm
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Noctua NH-U12P
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0.44 mm
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2.63 mm
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Noctua NH-C12P
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0.47 mm
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2.54 mm
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Noctua NH-D14
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0.43 mm
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2.33 mm
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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0.49 mm
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2.33 mm
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GELID Tranquillo Rev.2
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0.40 mm
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2.30 mm
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Phanteks PH-TC12DX
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0.39 mm
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2.30 mm
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GELID GX-7 Rev.2
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0.31 mm
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2.25 mm
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Phanteks PH-TC14PE
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0.40 mm
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2.21 mm
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be quiet! Dark Rock 2
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0.38 mm
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2.22 mm
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Prolimatech Armageddon
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0.51 mm
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2.08 mm
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Prolimatech Megahalems
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0.50 mm
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2.00 mm
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
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0.40 mm
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2.00 mm
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Scythe Ashura
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0.43 mm
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1.97 mm
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Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2
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0.34 mm
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1.94 mm
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NZXT Havik 140
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0.41 mm
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1.91 mm
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Scythe Mugen-2
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0.31 mm
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1.89 mm
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SilverStone Tundra TD03 (radiator)
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0.43 mm
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1.86 mm
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Swiftech Polaris 120
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0.43 mm
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1.85 mm
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SilverStone Argon AR01
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0.30 mm
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1.85 mm
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Thermalright Venomous X
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0.53 mm
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1.84 mm
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Scythe Mugen 4
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0.30 mm
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1.82 mm
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Noctua NH-C14
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0.38 mm
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1.79 mm
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Enermax ETS-T40
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0.40 mm
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1.79 mm
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Scythe Yasya
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0.32 mm
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1.78 mm
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Noctua NH-U14S
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0.42 mm
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1.72 mm
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SilverStone Argon AR03
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0.42 mm
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1.72 mm
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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0.40 mm
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1.70 mm
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Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2
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0.30 mm
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1.70 mm
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Scythe Grand Kama Cross
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0.38 mm
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1.66 mm
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Reeven Kelveros
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0.47 mm
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1.61 mm
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Zalman CNPS9900 MAX
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0.16 mm
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1.59 mm
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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0.32 mm
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1.57 mm
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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0.43 mm
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1.54 mm
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C
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0.56 mm
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1.52 mm
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Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
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0.42 mm
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1.50 mm
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Testing on larger heatsinks are done on our
LGA1366 heatsink testing platform, while smaller coolers tackle our LGA1155 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system
and procedure follows.
Key Components in LGA1366 Heatsink Test Platform:
Key Components in LGA1155 Heatsink Test Platform:
The systems are silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
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Reference Noctua 140mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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1250 RPM
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28~29 dBA
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9V
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990 RPM
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21 dBA
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8V
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880 RPM
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18 dBA
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7V
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770 RPM
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15~16 dBA
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6V
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660 RPM
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13 dBA
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Reference Nexus 120 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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1080 RPM
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16 dBA
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9V
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880 RPM
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13 dBA
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7V
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720 RPM
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12 dBA
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Reference Nexus 92 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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1470 RPM
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17 dBA
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9V
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1280 RPM
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14 dBA
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7V
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1010 RPM
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12 dBA
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Measurement and Analysis Tools
Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC
power supply while the rest of the system was off to ensure that system noise
did not skew the measurements.
Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.
The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 21~23°C.
STOCK FAN MEASUREMENTS
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Specifications: Noctua NH-U14S Stock Fan
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| Manufacturer | Noctua | Power Rating | 1.56 W |
| Model Number | NF-A15 PWM | Airflow Rating | 140.2 m³/h 115.5 m³/h with L.N.A |
| Bearing Type | SSO2 | Speed Rating | 1500 RPM 1200 RPM with L.N.A |
| Frame Size | 150 x 140 x 25 mm (120 mm holes) | Noise Rating | 24.6 dBA 19.2 dBA with L.N.A |
| Hub Size | 43 mm | Header Type | 4-pin PWM |
| Blade Diameter | 133 mm | Starting Voltage | 4.5 ~ 5.0 V |
| Cable Length | 20 cm | Weight | 160 g |
| Corner Type | Open | Retail Availability | No |
Additional notes: |
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The NH-U14S’ stock fan carries the model number NF-A15 PWM, which is the same as one we tested during one of our 140 mm fan roundups. However, this is actually a faster variant with a nominal speed of 1500 rather than 1200 RPM. If your motherboard lacks PWM control, a low noise adapter is included that brings down the speed to 1200 RPM (the equivalent of around 9V) but as all modern boards have PWM support, you can most likely toss it to the side or save it for use with a different fan.
 This is the screen capture of Fan Xpert 2’s auto-analysis of the NH-U14S stock fan on voltage control. |
 This is the screen capture of Fan Xpert 2’s auto-analysis of the NH-U14S stock fan on PWM control. |
Hooked up to our fan test system, we were surprised to discover the fan can be dialed down to very low speeds via PWM control. On voltage control, it stopped spinning below 700 RPM (about the equivalent to 5V).
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Stock Fan Measurements
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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1460 RPM
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30 dBA
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9V
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1160 RPM
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24 dBA
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7V
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940 RPM
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18~19 dBA
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6V
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810 RPM
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16 dBA
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5V
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680 RPM
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13 dBA
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
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Upping the speed on the NF-A15 PWM may have been an attempt to appeal to overclocking crowd but for the rest of us, it’s unnecessary. The fan is very loud at top speed, and the sound output is uncomfortable even with the low noise adapter attached (~1200 RPM). The fan enters the quiet zone (below 20 dBA@1m) at just under 1000 RPM and is barely audible at 5V which is conveniently close to its starting voltage.
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While not the same NF-A15 PWM fan you can buy in stores, it does have a similar acoustic character to its slower-spinning brother. At higher speeds it’s turbulent and buzzy with a slight rustling sound. At 7V / 940 RPM it’s generally quiet and smooth but there is an audible scratchy sound as if some kind of fabric is rubbing up against it slightly. This artifact is fairly soft-sound though and is thus preferable to the typical tonal issues that plague most acoustically-challenged fans. As the speed is decreased further this oddity starts to fade and is replaced with a faint hum.
TEST RESULTS
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Test Results: Noctua NH-U14S
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Fan Voltage
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Single Fan
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Dual Fan
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SPL@1m
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Thermal Rise
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SPL@1m
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12V
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30 dBA
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34°C
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N / A
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9V
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24 dBA
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36°C
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7V
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18~19 dBA
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38°C
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6V
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16 dBA
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40°C
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5V
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13 dBA
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43°C
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Reference 140 mm Fan
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12V
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28 dBA
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36°C
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35°C
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32~33 dBA
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9V
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22 dBA
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38°C
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36°C
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25~26 dBA
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8V
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18~19 dBA
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40°C
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39°C
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22 dBA
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7V
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14 dBA
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41°C
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39°C
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18 dBA
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6V
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12 dBA
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44°C
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40°C
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14 dBA
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
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The NH-U14S was an excellent cooler, producing a thermal rise above ambient of 43°C at 5V and 34°C at 12V. The stock fan generated a 2°C advantage at the 18~19 dBA@1m level over our reference Noctua 140 mm fan but at lower speeds, they were about equal. Being such a skinny heatsink, the NH-U14S didn’t benefit much from adding a second fan except when they were running at close to inaudible levels.
HEATSINK COMPARISON TABLES
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°C Rise Comparison: CPU Coolers with Single Stock Fan
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SPL (dBA@1m)
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20
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19
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18
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17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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11
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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39
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40
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43
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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39
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40
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41
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43
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Scythe Mugen 4
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40
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42
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45
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Noctua NH-U14S
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38
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40
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43
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Scythe Yasya
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40
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43
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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41
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43
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46
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
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40
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42
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47
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Scythe Ashura
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42
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44
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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41
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44
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54
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Silverstone Argon AR03
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43
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48
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Scythe Ninja 3
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44
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46
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SilverStone Argon AR01
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44
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50
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Compared to other coolers that ship with one stock fan, the NH-U14S is a formidable opponent, landing in fourth spot on our chart, barely edged by the Scythe Mugen 4 and Thermalright HR-02.
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°C Rise Comparison:
CPU Coolers with Single 140 mm Reference Fan |
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Heatsink
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Fan voltage / SPL @1m*
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9V
(~21 dBA) |
7V
(~15 dBA) |
6V
(~12 dBA) |
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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37
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40
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42
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Noctua NH-U14S
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38
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41
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44
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Prolimatech Armageddon
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39
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42
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45
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Scythe Mugen 4
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39
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42
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45
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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39
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43
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45
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NZXT Havik 140
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40
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43
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47
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Scythe Ashura
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41
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44
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46
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Noctua NH-C14
(top mounted) |
40
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44
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48
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Noctua NH-C14
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40
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44
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49
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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39
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45
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49
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Phanteks PH-TC14PE
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42
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45
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48
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SilverStone Heligon HE02
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45
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48
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50
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be quiet! Dark Rock 2
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49
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51
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53
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| *Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers. | |||
Paired with our reference 140 mm fan, NH-U14S jumps ahead of the Mugen 4 and HR-02, just behind the top-ranked Thermalright Archon SB-E .
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°C Rise Comparison:
CPU Coolers with Dual 140 mm Reference Fans |
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Heatsink
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Fan Voltage / SPL*
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8V
(~20 dBA) |
7V
(~16 dBA) |
6V
(~13 dBA) |
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Prolimatech Genesis
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36
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37
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39
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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36
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37
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40
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Noctua NH-C14
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37
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39
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41
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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37
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39
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41
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Noctua NH-U14S
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39
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39
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40
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Noctua NH-D14
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38
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40
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42
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Scythe Mugen 4
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39
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40
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42
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Phanteks PH-TC14PE
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39
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41
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43
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NZXT Havik 140
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39
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40
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43
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Scythe Ashura
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40
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41
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43
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SilverStone Heligon HE02
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43
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44
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46
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*Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers.
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While going from one to two of our reference Noctua 140 mm fans doesn’t net the NH-U14S much improvement, it’s still a formidable dual fan cooler, competing well with massive twin tower heatsinks like the Silver Arrow and NH-D14.
MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recording starts with 5 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Noctua NH-U14S is an excellent performer overall but when you also take into account its size, it’s fairly impressive. That such a thin, single fan, single tower heatsink can rub shoulders with bigger, heavier, premium coolers is delightfully surprising. Perhaps more amazing is that Noctua continues to crank out successful coolers one after another with nary a misstep. The NH-U14S is just another in a long line of solidly built, easy to install, and highly competent heatsinks.
Noctua made sure to maximize the NH-U14S’ compatibility with regard to memory interference but its 165 mm height makes it less than perfect. It may be a bit tall for some of the slimmer tower cases on the market. Our other complaint is the fan, but only because of the standard Noctua set for itself with the NF-P14. The NF-A15 PWM is not quite as smooth with an odd flutter at medium speeds, but it’s still better than what most manufacturer’s are offering.
The only really big issue with the NH-U14S has nothing to do with the cooler itself but with the hefty price-tag. Considering the amount of materials that go into producing this thin cooler, the US$75 street price is substantial. At some retailers, you can find the larger dual fan Noctua NH-D14 for a bit less. It’s nice that the NH-U14S is slim and avoids memory interference problems but the off-center design of the Thermalright HR-02 and Scythe Ashura accomplishes something similar, and they, along with the Scythe Mugen 4 and a few others, offer better value overall.
Our thanks to Noctua
for the NH-U14S CPU cooler sample.
Noctua NH-U14S
is Recommended by SPCR
* * *
SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
Scythe Ashura CPU Cooler
SilverStone Tundra TD03 Liquid CPU Cooler
Scythe Mugen 4 CPU Cooler: Scythe Strikes Back
SilverStone Argon AR02 CPU Cooler
NoFan CR-95C Copper Fanless CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-U12S Slim Tower Heatsink
* * *
