NOCTUA NH-D15 G2 Dual Tower CPU Air Cooler

The Noctua NH-D15 G2 is the second-generation evolution of Noctua's iconic NH-D15, engineered to deliver flagship-class air cooling performance for enthusiast desktop systems. At its core, the cooler features eight heatpipes — two more than its predecessor — that dramatically increase thermal capacity, especially under sustained high heat-loads of 250W and beyond. These heatpipes connect to twin asymmetrical fin-stacks whose fin-spacing has been reduced from 1.9 mm to 1.6 mm, adding 26 extra fins and increasing total fin surface area by approximately 20% compared to the original NH-D15. Powering airflow through those denser fin-stacks are two next-generation NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fans. These 140 mm round-frame fans operate across a wide speed range of 300–1500 rpm and stop completely at 0% PWM duty cycle, enabling fully passive idle operation when thermals allow. To eliminate acoustic harmonics common in push-pull configurations, the two fans are deliberately speed-offset by approximately ±25 rpm. Two Low-Noise Adaptors (LNA) are included to cap maximum fan speed at 1250 rpm for quieter operation. Fans extend below the fin-stacks, promoting active airflow over VRMs and surrounding motherboard components. The NH-D15 G2 adopts the same offset layout as the NH-D15S, shifting the cooler toward the motherboard's upper edge to maintain clearance over the top PCIe x16 slot on most current boards. In single-fan mode, recessed lower fins provide at least 59 mm of RAM clearance for tall memory heatsinks; dual-fan mode is best paired with standard-height memory. Mounting is handled by the Torx-based SecuFirm2+™ multi-socket system, supplied with the NM-SD1 screwdriver. Supported sockets include Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1150/1151/1155/1156, and AMD AM5 and AM4. Optional NM-I3 kits (provided free of charge by Noctua) extend compatibility to legacy LGA1366 and LGA775 sockets. An AM5-specific offset mounting bar shifts the cooler 7 mm toward the socket's south side for improved CCD contact. NM-ISW1 shim washers are included to reduce ILM pressure deformation on LGA1700 platforms, typically yielding 2–3°C improvements. The NA-TPG1 thermal paste guard for AM5 is also bundled. Thermal compound is Noctua's NT-H2, included in the package. Fins are soldered — not press-fitted — to the heatpipes, preventing thermal interface degradation over years of thermal cycling. The NH-D15 G2 is available in three base-convexity variants (regular, LBC, HBC) to match different CPU lid profiles; the standard variant reviewed here uses medium base convexity. — Verified Specifications — Model: NH-D15-G2 | Cooling type: Air | Fan size: 140 mm (×2, NF-A14x25r G2 PWM) | Fan speed range: 300–1500 rpm (1250 rpm with LNA) | Heatpipes: 8 | Fin spacing: 1.6 mm | RAM clearance (single fan): ≥59 mm | Socket support: Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x; AMD AM5, AM4 | Mounting: SecuFirm2+™ (Torx, includes NM-SD1 screwdriver) | Thermal compound: NT-H2 (included) | Fan MTTF: >150,000 hours | Warranty: 6 years