Article Updated 6/27/2021 to correct a few grammatical errors
Per request of our readers, I am starting to expand my cooler testing to include high end coolers. The first high end cooler that I will be testing comes courteousy of Noctua. Today’s review also includes a budget CPU Cooler, Enermax’s ETS-T50 Axe.
Parts used for this review
| Coolers Featured | Noctua NH-D15 (sent by Noctua) – currently $99.95 on Amazon Enermax ETS-T50 AXE (sent by Enermax) – currently $59.99 on Amazon |
| Comparison Coolers | Noctua NH-U12S, purchased from local store Scythe Fuma 2 (sent by Scythe) DeepCool AS500 (sent by DeepCool) |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H1 (purchased from Amazon) |
| CPU | Intel i9 10900K (sent by Intel) |
| Computer Case | NZXT H440 (purchased from NewEgg) |
First I’ll start with an unboxing and installation of the Noctua NH-D15 Cooler.
The NH-D15 comes in a fairly large box (for a CPU cooler), protected in shipping with foam padding to each side of the cooler.
In addition to the heat sink and fans, Noctua provides manuals, extra clips for a 3rd fan, low RPM power adapters, and mounting kits for desktop AMD & Intel platforms, as well as Intel HEDT.
Cooler Specifications
| Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 |
| Heatsink Dimensions | 165x150x161mm |
| Weight | 1.32g with 2 fans installed |
| Rated TDP (Our Estimate) | 250w |
| Warranty | 6 years |
| Price (Amazon.com) | $99.95 |
Fan Specifications
There’s more to a cooler than just it’s heat sink. The fans included have a huge impact on cooling performance and noise levels. Included with the Noctua NH-D15 are 2x 140mm NF-A15 fans
| Size | 140x140x25 |
| Fan Speed | 1500RPM (+/- 10%) |
| Air Flow | 140.2 m3/h |
| Static Pressure | 1.14 mmAq |
| Noise | <24.6 dB/A |
| Voltage range | 12 V |
| Bearing Type | SS02 |
Installation
The installation of the Noctua NH-D15 was similar to other Noctua Coolers, and fairly simple. The 2nd fan barely fit inside of my case, as the last photo will show.
Now we’ll look at the Enermax ETS-T50 AXE unboxing and installation.
The ETS-T50 comes in a medium sized box, reflecting it’s “normal” size
In addition to the heat sink and fans, Enermax supplies mounting kits for AMD and Intel Platforms as well as cooling paste and an air guiding clip.
Cooler Specifications
| Cooler | Enermax ETS-T50 AXE (sent by Enermax) |
| Heatsink Dimensions | 135.2x65x160mm |
| Weight | 860g with fan installed |
| Rated TDP (Their Estimate) | 230w+ |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Price (Amazon.com) | $59.99 |
Fan Specifications
| Size | 120x120x25 |
| Fan Speed | 1600RPM (+/- 10%) |
| Air Flow | 121.7 m3/h 71.32 CFM |
| Static Pressure | 3.07mm2 |
| Voltage range | 12 V |
| Bearing Type | Twister |
Installation
The installation of the the Enermax cooler was both easier and more difficult than other coolers. On the positive side, the fan and air guide installation was much easier than other types because it doesn’t use metal clips like most other coolers do. The backplate took a few more steps to install then I’d prefer.
Testing Methodology
I tested all coolers in the same testing conditions. My home’s computer room with central air set to 22.8c.
All coolers were tested using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste.
I tested each cooler with unlimited power limits and an enforced 100w TDP (to simulate an overclocked 6-core CPU) using both the “standard” and “full speed” profiles available from my motherboard.
Prior to testing at each TDP level, I would run AIDA64 CPU & FPU Stability test for one hour to soak the room with the heat generated from the CPU to ensure consistency in results.
Acoustics
I lack the proper equipment to do sound level testing (I’ll be rectifying that soon), but here is what I perceived while testing these coolers. Using larger fans, and 2 of them, obviously the NH-D15 was the loudest cooler. I did not test the low RPM adapters with the NH-D15, as I wanted to see it perform at it’s best possible. I would estimate that the Enermax cooler is similar to the NH-U12S in loudness levels.
100w TDP Testing
The first tests were done with a TDP enforced at a 100W limit, because most consumers considering this cooler will likely be using a mid-range CPU like the Ryzen 5 3600X. The NH-D15 of course performed best in these tests, which we would expect considering it is the only high end cooler we’ve tested. The ETS-T50’s temperatures stayed on par with the previously reviewed AS500 , and provided up to a 100mhz higher clockspeed in AIDA64.
No Power Limits Testing
While TDP limited testing is interesting, most enthusiasts using i9 CPUs will be running their CPUs without power limits. In this testing most coolers reveal their limits when running the most intensive loads – running right at or slightly below the 100c TJMax.
In AIDA64, all coolers thermal throttled to varying degrees, except for the NH-D15, with a CPU power consumption of just under 200W. The ETS-T50 performed better than the NH-U12S and FUMA 2, but slightly behind the AS500 in this test.
Cinebench R23 results are similar to the AIDA64 results, with the ETS-T50 pulling slightly behind the AS500.
In gaming, the NH-D15 continued to dominate performance, and the ETS-T50 performed similar to it’s competitors in the same price range.
Conclusion
I was, of course, impressed by the NH-D15’s performance – but I expected to be impressed by a $100 CPU Cooler. It is the only cooler I have tested which didn’t thermally throttle my i9-10900k in the most intensive of workloads – but I say this with the disclaimer that Noctua’s cooler is the first high end cooler I have reviewed.
I have a few thoughts on the ETS-T50. I really dislike the cumbersome installation of the mounting bracket, but attaching the fan was pleasantly simple. I wish Enermax had included a 2nd fan mount instead of the air clip. It’s performance was mixed, performing mostly on par with its competitors of the same price range. I was really surprised to see it offer nearly 100mhz faster clockspeeds in AIDA64’s CPU & FPU Stability test in TDP limited testing. Noctua’s NH-D15 offers exactly the performance I would expect from a cooler of it’s price, and the ETS-T50 offers a good competitive offering for those looking for a midrange cooler.
