INTRODUCTION

   No matter how we try to see it i think we've finally reached a point in time where commercial CPU cooling technology has finally come to a standstill. Sure we have newly designed air and liquid CPU coolers make their debut all the time but nothing is really new in terms of the technology all those products are based on. Luckily we don't need something new since current products are more than enough to keep temperatures in check so with that in mind lately manufacturers have been doing their best to reduce the size of CPU coolers in an effort to cover the needs of every consumer out there. A while back Noctua released their very good NH-C14 low-profile model which combined very good cooling efficiency while at the same time offering compatibility with many HTPC oriented cases. Well Noctua is known to stick with their popular models a little bit longer than others by performing slight “tweaks” and so today with us we have the brand new NH-C14S model.

     Designed in Austria, Noctua's premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 3000 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua's fans and heatsinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe.

   The original NH-C14 CPU coolers managed to perform right on par with many twin tower models because it came bundled with two 140mm fans placed both ontop and beneath the C-Type heatsink in push & pull configuration. Of course although this improved the coolers cooling efficiency it also ment that the NH-C14 wasn't really what many would call a low-profile model and with a height of 130mm that's somewhat understandable. Removing one fan and re-launching the same cooler would be the easy thing to do to satisfy people looking for a low-profile CPU cooler but instead of doing that Noctua took the design back to the drawing board and performed several slight changes. For one the body of the new NH-C14 is actually taller since without a fan at the top it has a height of 115mm (vs the 105mm of the original) while with the fan mounted at the top that number increases to 142mm. Noctua has also used slightly thicker and taller fins with the new NH-C14S so although it features a total of 66 aluminum fins it's actually quite a bit heavier compared to the original NH-C14 with its 68 pieces (820g vs 700g). Finally the 140mm large fan used is also improved compared to the two used with the original NH-C14 since back then Noctua had bundled two NF-P14 models (140mm/1200RPM/65CFM) whereas now we find a single NF-A14 fan (140mm/1500RPM/82.5CFM). Now i can't comment on whether or not the new NH-C14S can compete with the original NH-C14 but we tested the NH-C14 back in early 2012 so we'd like to think that things have improved compared to 4 years ago.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Just like with every CPU cooler by Noctua lately the box has all the main features listed at the front right next to a 2D barcode, the company logo and part of the cooler as background.

A few words about the NH-C14 and the NH-C14S are printed on the left side of the box in 9 languages.

You can check the specifications tables from the right side.

Typically all of the features are listed at the rear of the box.

Noctua has once again used three small cardboard boxes for the bundle while the cooler is placed right beneath inside yet another cardboard box.

As you can all see along with the NH-C14S you will also be getting a NT-H1 thermal paste tube, low-noise fan adapter, Philips screwdriver, Noctua case badge, 2 extra fan clips and the SecuFirm2 mounting hardware for Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/2011/2011-3 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards.

THE NH-C14S

With the NF-A14 fan mounted at the lower end the NH-C14S weighs 1015g and measures 115mm in height, 163mm in depth and 140mm in width.

Noctua has once again engraved their logo on the front aluminum fin.

66 somewhat thick aluminum fins make the heatsink of the NH-C14S (the two large holes are to be used with the bundled screwdriver to mount the cooler).

Compared to the original NH-C14 the fins of the NH-C14S are closed on both sides to help keep air from leaking out.

Taking a look at the rear we see that the nickel plated heatpipe at the center is actually the one holding the heatsink with the help of a piece of metal connected to it (it may not be easy to spot).

Just like the original NH-C14S the NH-C14S has six 6mm nickel plated heatpipes leaving from the base and up through all 66 fins.

The seventh heatpipe ends up right above the base and should also help improve cooling efficiency.

The base of the cooler is polished but doesn't feature a mirror-like finish (there are some machine marks present).

As clearly stated by its name the NF-A14 is a 140mm PWM fan that can spin up to 1500RPM to produce up to 82.5CFM of airflow with just 24.6dBA.

You can always place the 140mm fan at the top for improved cooling but that would increase the height of the NH-C14S to 142mm (we'll be using both configurations in our tests).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

    Whereas the cooling performance of the original NH-C14 depended a lot on its two bundled 140mm fans the performance of the NH-C14S depends a lot on its design so although we wanted it to be true we didn’t really expect the NH-C14S to surpass its predecessor. Well judging by our tests it does by a small margin so kudos to Noctua for managing that with a single fan. True it’s faster and produces higher airflow levels than the ones used with the NH-C14 but one versus two isn’t quite fair so to be on the receiving end of better cooling efficiency is impressive. Unfortunately in order to use taller fins Noctua had to increase the height of the cooler by a full 10mm so people who plan on placing the fan at the top of the heatsink should really check other solutions as well since 142mm is somewhat tall (although you are getting a nice performance boost with the fan at the top). I know most of you out there are aware of what to expect from Noctua in terms of quality but I feel I do need to point out that the NH-C14S may look nice and pretty but it’s actually build like a tank.

    Currently the NH-C14S Low-Profile CPU Cooler by Noctua retails for just USD79.65 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 74.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) so it actually costs roughly the same compared to the NH-C14 when reviewed it in early 2012. Now although the NH-C14S does outperform the NH-C14 slightly we do feel that since the first came with two 140mm fans and this comes with one that price should be slightly lower. Other than that however we don’t have anything bad to say about the NH-C14S and that’s why we’re giving it our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Superb Build Quality
- Excellent Cooling Performance
- Low-Profile (115mm/142mm)
- Zero Clearance Issues
- Noise Levels
- Bundle
- 6 Years Warranty

CONS

- Price (For Some)