Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler Review

Results

With our test system running at the stock 2.8Ghz the NH-C14 is doing very well. Cooling at a very nice 54.25*C with the fans at full speed. Even with the Ultra Low Noise Adaptor the NH-C14 was still running a nice 56.75*C, a whopping 22.75 degrees cooler than the stock Intel cooler.

With the system bumped up to a mild overclock of 3.5Ghz the NH-C14 is still doing well keeping pace with the Super Mega. Coming in at 61.25*C the NH-C14 is only 1 degree off the Super Mega. With the Ultra Low Noise Adaptor the NH-C14 comes in at 63.00*C.

Here is where the disappointment set in. With the system overclocked to 4.0Ghz the NH-C14 could not keep up. I tried re-seating the cooler, and redoing the TIM, even took the side panel off to see if I could get a complete 30 minute run of Prime, and I could not. The longest I could get was 10 minutes before the system blue screened due to the temps, and those were well in excess of 90*C..