Introduction

From the Noctua website:

Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.

Noctua has long been an enthusiast favorite. Having earned their place with a reputation for exceptional quality and ultra-quiet coolers that just so happen to offer fantastic performance, it is the high quality of their products for both consumers and industrial clients and their exceptional after-sales support and six year warranties that have everyone singing them praises. It is hard to argue with that sentiment with such a long track record of success with the exceptional NH-D15 and NH-D14 before it, or the NH-U12S and NH-U14S. Even their low-profile designs, like the NH-L12, have proven effective. The only complaint anyone has is that their fan colors are quite awful, but would it truly be a Noctua cooler without that color scheme?

Today, I will be looking at the Noctua NH-C14S. This new variation on the older NH-C14 appears to be no more than a minor update until you take a closer look. The design is offset to increases compatibility with motherboard expansion slots. This makes the NH-C14S more compatible with mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards. It's also a single-fan offering where the older NH-C14 used two fans, which allows the cooler to offer better memory and case compatibility. In the age of tower coolers, it will be interesting to see how this top-flow design performs.

Packaging and Contents

The box Noctua uses measures in at roughly 24.8 cm in length, 19.7 cm in width, and 18.4 cm in height. The top of the box has a close-up of, as best as I can guess, a blurry, artsy look of the fan and the aluminum fins below it. Other than that, all that is mentioned is the product's name. On the front is a quick rundown of its features, including the C-type design and its optional low-profile mode, among others. The left side has a short paragraph that details the cooler and its features in various languages.


All the various features are detailed on the back of the box. These include the offset design, NF-A14 140mm fan, or SecuFirm 2 mounting system, among others. The right side details the cooler's and fan's specifications and the scope of delivery (what is included).

Contents

Noctua's packaging is on display again, with the accessories and mounting hardware in separate boxes, while the heatsink and fan are in another. While there is no foam to be found, like in the NH-D15S's box, the internal cardboard box protecting the heatsink and fan is more than adequate, still well above average.


The SecuFirm 2 mounting system from Noctua supports most sockets out of the box. Everything one would need is included. If you need support for an older socket, Noctua has kits it sells separately.

• 4x LGA2011 mounting screws
• 4x AMD mounting screws
• 4x AMD spacers (white)
• 4x Intel spacers (black)
• 4x Phillips head nuts
• 4x Fan clips
• 2x AMD mounting arms
• 2x Intel mounting arms
• 1x 140 mm x 140 mm x 25 mm NF-A14 fan
• 1x L.N.A adapters
• 1x Intel backplate
• 1x Tube of NT-H1 thermal paste
• 1x Phillips screwdriver
• 1x Metal Noctua badge
• 1x Installation guide