A good cooling solution for the CPU is a must for casual and enthusiast users alike. Keeping the thermal load under control is always important to help achieve higher overclocks and ensure better component longevity. The choices available at reasonable cost consist mostly of air coolers and self-contained liquid cooling units. However, not all coolers are made equal, especially when we talk about air cooling. Noctua knows this better than anyone since they produced the legendary NH-D14 which brought great cooling performance without high noise levels. But this was almost five years ago, and the title of "King of the Air Coolers" needs to be claimed again.

Today I will take a look at the latest offering from Noctua, the NH-D15. The direct successor to the NH-D14 and no less shy for it, this massive air cooler comes with an extensive list of improvements and dare we say the distinct touch of Austrian engineering. Through the next few pages, I will try to determine whether or not the NH-D15 can live up to its venerable predecessor.