Introduction

A big thank you to Noctua for supplying the review sample.

With a reputation built on outstanding performance, exceptional quality, and ultra-low noise levels, Noctua remains a premier manufacturer of air-cooling products. Much like the towering Mount Everest, they continue to serve as the benchmark to which all others are compared. The distinctive tan and brown color scheme may not appeal to everyone, but it remains a hallmark of the brand. Most PC enthusiasts can recognize it at a glance, and that brand awareness, combined with some of the best warranty and after-sales support in the industry, ensures Noctua remains a quintessential favorite among enthusiasts. Forging this reputation with consistent results over decades, Noctua has earned their status.



The Noctua NH-D15 G2 was already a standout cooler in terms of performance, but its price was a bit hard to swallow. Now, the NH-D15 G2 chromax.black variant enters the scene, offering a sleek, all-black design that many users will find more visually appealing. However, this stealthy look comes with a bump in price.

Under the hood, the core specifications remain unchanged. You still get the same eight heat pipes, dual fin stacks, and NF-A14x25r G2 fans. The main difference is the appearance, along with any minor production tweaks that Noctua has made. In general, I am also curious to see if the chromax color scheme affects performance. Some manufacturers have had issues with various coatings leading to reduced performance, so this review will determine if there's any noticeable impact here. So lets not waste any time and jump right in!

Packaging

In terms of packaging the chromax.black series is a bit more refined visually, with the NH-D15 G2 chromax.black being no exception having the cooler prominently displayed on the front for a clear look at Noctua's top tier offering. Turning to the left side, Noctua details the cooler's features, which include its offset design for PCIe clearance, speed offset on the fans for improved acoustics, and of course the six-year warranty. As for the back it essentially describes the overall goal of the cooler's design and lists some of its features again.


Looking on the right side you will find the cooler's specifications such as its height and weight along with the fan's max RPM and airflow with a scope of delivery. Finally, the top just has the Noctua logo, product name, and general branding.

Contents

To protect the cooler Noctua uses cardboard inserts that surround the heatsink itself while keeping all the mounting hardware neatly tucked away in a separate smaller box.


Noctua's SecuFirm2 mounting system has evolved into SecuFirm2+, featuring Torx screws in place of Phillips head. This switch seems unnecessary to me, but I will admit it is otherwise superior to the older design, however, should you lose the Torx screwdriver it might cause a few short term headaches, as noted in the original NH-D15 G2 review, although it's not a huge deal.

That said, the NH-D15 G2 chromax.black supports all current mainstream sockets but skips Threadripper and Intel HEDT platforms such as LGA2066 and LGA2011. Considering these platforms' age and smaller user base, this omission is not unreasonable. Furthermore, Noctua's track record of supporting future sockets even with older coolers means forward-looking support is highly unless there is a catastrophic event in the meantime like a comet hurtling towards the earth.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 4× AMD mounting screws
• 4× AMD spacers (gray)
• 4× Intel mounting screws
• 4× Intel mounting screw C clips
• 4× Intel spacers (blue)
• 4× Intel spacers (black)
• 4× Thumb screws
• 4× Fan clips
• 2× AMD mounting arms
• 2× Intel mounting arms
• 2× 140 × 150 × 25 mm fans
• 2× Low noise adapter
• 1× Fan Y-cable
• 1× AMD thermal paste guard
• 1× Thermal paste wipe
• 1× Intel backplate
• 1× Tube of NT-H2 thermal paste
• 1× Torx driver
• 1× Metal Noctua badge