Noctua NH-D14 vs Thermaltake 3.0 extreme

critical ender · Feb 19, 2014

Im building a new pc and I was wondering if water cooling really made any real difference in performance. So which should I get the noctua for $75 or the thermaltake for $95

enemy1g · Feb 19, 2014

The Noctua NH-D14 is hands down one of the best, if not the best, air cooler on the market.

getochkn · Feb 19, 2014

it's not going to make a huge difference, they are both good coolers and get the heat away.

water coolers can run a bit quieter since the heat is pulled away and then blown out the case the fans have less direct heat to move and it keeps the whole cpu/ram/vrm area less cluttered for better air flow. those 240mm ones though do need the right case to fit it properly. a lot of 2x120mm openings aren't the same and won't fit a 240mm water cooler. beware on that.

the air cooler is efficent, does it job, may get in the way of ram sticks, cables, etc that are too close to the socket, so beware on that. they are big and pretty much put a big block in the middle of your case, which may not allow good airflow.

pro and con to both.

critical ender · Feb 19, 2014

So the noctua is better then the themal take water cooling?

getochkn · Feb 19, 2014

neither is really better. they both cool the cpu to probably about the same amount. comes down to what you want to look better in your case and if you have room for the water cooler rad.

critical ender · Feb 19, 2014

Well i have a aerocool dead silence case its rather smal because its a micro atx case so thats my concern cause idk if the air cooler would fit.

getochkn · Feb 19, 2014

well the 240mm rad probabwon't either then. lol.

critical ender · Feb 19, 2014

Well the case has a cut out on the top designated for those fans

getochkn · Feb 19, 2014

just because it has a spot for 2x120mm fans it doesn't mean it space for 2x120mm plus the rad. they sit sandwiched together so just because the space is there, it doesn't mean the width or thickness needed for the rad+fan is there and it will probably either hit the psu if it's top mounted or the motherboard if the psu is bottom mounted.

My first case was a 2x120mm spot so i thought, great, I'm golden. got my water cooler opened and onto my board, then tried to put in the case and it didn't fit. had to take my case back and buy a case that cost $60 more, and it still fits pretty good but not the best. ideally you want the two fans pushing out then the rad on top. it doesn't fit that way in my case, it only fits with the rad and then two fans on top pulling out. not as ideal as i really want, but it is what it is. i already opened the cooler and it was either loose money taking that back cause it was open, or take the case back and get another one.

the cooler is great and i can oc like a beast and it's still cool and quiet, just spacing for these things, they don't really make a lot of cases that can fit the big ones in.

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Noctua NH-D14 vs Thermaltake 3.0 extreme

critical ender

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enemy1g

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getochkn

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critical ender

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getochkn

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critical ender

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critical ender

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getochkn

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