Noctua NH-D15 G2, Quiet High-Performance Dual Tower CPU Cooler
Bottom line: The Noctua NH-D15 G2 ($159.95 on Amazon as of 2026-11-07 13:20 UTC): 8 heatpipes and 20% more fin surface area than the original NH-D15; main trade-off: only 32mm RAM clearance with both fans installed.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-11-07. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 8 heatpipes and 20% more fin surface area than the original NH-D15
- ✓ Two NF-A14x25r G2 140mm PWM fans, near silent at idle
- ✓ Offset AM5 mounting included to target the CPU hotspot
- ✓ Recessed lower fins clear the top PCIe x16 slot on most boards
- ✓ NT-H2 paste, NM-ISW1 washers and NM-SD1 Torx driver included
Cons
- ✗ Only 32mm RAM clearance with both fans installed
- ✗ Dual tower size needs a wide case; check cooler height limits
- ✗ Needs NM-ISW1 washers for best results on LGA1700
- ✗ Tuned for AM5 offset mounting; other versions may suit other CPUs better
Manufacturer description
The Noctua NH-D15 G2 is the second generation of the original NH-D15 dual tower CPU cooler, rebuilt for current high-wattage desktop chips. Noctua increased the heatpipe count to 8 and added 20% more fin surface area. It also paired the heatsink with two new NF-A14x25r G2 140mm fans, so you get stronger cooling at lower noise. Both fans use PWM to control their speed automatically. They run near silent at idle and ramp up under sustained load. The fans have a built-in speed offset to reduce acoustic beating, and the Low-Noise Adaptors let you cap them even lower for a quieter system. This…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Noctua NH-D15 G2 using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the retro motherboards category. Noctua's retro motherboards lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for retro motherboards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which CPU sockets does the Noctua NH-D15 G2 support?
The SecuFirm2+ mounting system supports AMD AM5 and AM4 as well as Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200 and LGA115x. Offset mounting for AM5 is included.
Will the NH-D15 G2 fit over tall RAM modules?
With a single fan installed, RAM clearance is 59mm. With both fans installed it drops to 32mm. Check the Noctua Compatibility Centre for your specific memory kit.
Does the NH-D15 G2 block the top PCIe x16 slot?
No, on most current motherboards it does not. The offset design with recessed lower fins is built to clear the top PCIe x16 slot. Confirm your board in the Noctua Compatibility Centre.
Is the NH-D15 G2 a good match for a Ryzen 9 9950X or Core Ultra 285K?
Yes. Noctua lists both chips as ideal pairings for this regular version, which uses 8 heatpipes and two 140mm fans to handle high-wattage desktop CPUs.
Does it come with thermal paste and installation tools?
Yes. The box includes Noctua NT-H2 thermal paste, the Torx-based SecuFirm2+ mounting kit, an NM-SD1 screwdriver, NM-ISW1 washers for LGA1700 and Low-Noise Adaptors for the fans.
Key Features
- Further improved second generation of the iconic, award-winning NH-D15: Even better quiet cooling performance thanks to 8 heatpipes, 20% more surface area and novel NF-A14x25r G2 fans!
- Regular all-round version for optimal results on AMD AM5 using the included offset mounting as well as on Intel LGA1851 (and LGA1700 when using the included NM-ISW1 washers to reduce CPU warp), ideal for Ryzen 9 9950X, Core Ultra 285K, etc.
- Two state-of-the-art NF-A14x25r G2 140mm fans with speed-offset for acoustic fine-tuning, Low-Noise Adaptors and PWM for automatic speed control: maximum efficiency under load, near silent at idle!
- Offset design with recessed lower fins clears top PCIe x16 on most current motherboards and offers 59mm RAM clearance in single fan mode (32mm with both fans, see Noctua Compatibility Centre)
- Includes superior NT-H2 thermal paste and Torx-based SecuFirm2+ mounting system with NM-SD1 screwdriver for easy installation on AMD AM5 & AM4 as well as Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200 & LGA115x
Full Specifications
| Brand | Noctua |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Model | 84733080 |
| UnitCount | 1 |
| ReleaseDate | 2024-01-01T00:00:01Z |
| Manufacturer | Noctua |
| ItemPartNumber | 84733080 |
Benchmark data for other processors
Ready to buy?
Noctua NH-D15 G2, Quiet High-Performance Dual Tower CPU Cooler is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-11-07. Price and availability subject to change.
Read our analysis
SpecPicks coverage that features this Retro Motherboard.
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 Parts List
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best Wireless Gaming Controllers for PC and Console in 2026
- Ex-Sega Engineer Builds a 'Super-Realistic' CRT Emulator
- Raspberry Pi 4 as an SMB1 File Server for Windows 98 Retro Rigs
- Retro Console on a Modern TV: Fix the Blur (2026 Guide)
- Best SATA/IDE-to-USB Adapters for Ripping Old Drives in 2026
- Qwen MTP on LLaMA.cpp + TurboQuant: What's Actually Verified
- RTX 5090 vs RTX A6000 for Local LLMs: Speed (5090) or Capacity (A6000)?
- Bilingual Voice Agents: Frontier ASR on Code-Switched Speech
- BIOS Says Resize BAR Is On But Nvidia Disagrees
- Best X870E Motherboards for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in 2026
- Best Gaming CPU for 1440p Builds in 2026
- Best PC Couch-Gaming Setup in 2026: Controllers, Display, and Audio
- Best SSD for PS4 Pro in 2026: SATA Upgrades That Cut Load Times
- Anthropic's Samsung Chip Talks: Why Local Inference on an RTX 3060 Still Matters
- Build a Pi Zero W Handheld Retro Emulator in 2026: Full Parts List and Setup
- Beijing's $295B AI Buildout Wants 80% Domestic Chips — What It Means for GPU Buyers
- Best 1440p Monitor for the RTX 3060 12GB (2026)
- Best 1440p Gaming Monitor in 2026: 5 Picks for Esports, RPGs, and PS5
- Field Report: Running Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B on a 32GB M2 Mac
- Intel llm-scaler-vllm 1.4: Arc Pro B70 Inference Support Lands
- Best Gaming Room Lighting in 2026: LED Strips and Ring Lights
- Troubleshooting Sound Blaster Audigy FX Crackling and Driver Failures on WinXP (2026)
- Best Controller for Forza Horizon 6 on PC (2026)
- Framework Desktop & Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Review: Best Strix Halo Mini PCs in 2026
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090