Which is better for me a corsair H70 or a Noctua NH-D14

kresge97

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Dec 12, 2010
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Ok well i want to OC an i7 2600k to 4.5ghz 24/7 and i will be doing things like rendering HD footage alot... Also i dont want to have any maintainence besides dusting and cleaning every once in a while. Sooo which cooler should i get, the H70 or the NH-D14? BTW I will be using a cooler master HAF X 942 case
 

al360ex

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Oct 15, 2010
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Hello,

The NH-D14 is indeed a very good cpu cooler. BUT it's freaking HUGE !!
However, you must remember that most reviews of the D14 are made on an open test bench.
When the review uses the D14 inside a case, it comes very close to the H70, with a difference of 2-3°C.

Also, the H70 is much more prettier inside a case. The D14 is beige and brown, with a BIG metal heatsink. The H70 is all black with a black radiator and all.
Furthermore, the D14 will block some memory slots. That means you can't have tall memory heatsink.
It might also not be compatible with your case/motherboard : http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_gen&products_id=34&lng=en

All in all, I'd go with the H70. It does not perform as well as the NH-D14, but it's close, and the inside of your case won't look as if it's been filled with a big piece of metal :

Noctua NH-D14 : http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1549/dscf1304resize.jpg
Corsair H70 : http://img690.imageshack.us/i/img0001gn.jpg/

In the pictures above, both are inside a Cooler Master HAF 922, which is a big mid-tower case. Most are a little bit smaller.

I hope this helped,
al360ex
 

Noworldorder

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Jan 17, 2011
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rubix_1011 is spot on; At the temps climb, the NH-D14 is far superior to the H70. If you want good cooling from an air cooler, then it will have to be large.
Worth considering also (big), are the Prolimatech Megahalems, and Thermalright's Venomous X.
Your case is big enough to handle them all. Are your ram sticks low profile?
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
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Under $100, stick to a great air cooler.

Over $100, consider the XSPC Rasa kits starting around $130-$150.

EK has also released some kits recently that seem to be very good (on paper) as well. Not many people have used them yet, but most components are good (esp. the blocks) and the pump is the lesser-known, but good performing Jingway series pumps. We are all very accustomed to Laing pumps, but Jingway has some decent offerings.