The Noctua NH-D14 packs some impressive specifications. Let's see how this baby actually performs under real life usage and where it stands compared to other cpu coolers.

We start with the Intel Core i7-920 processor under normal operation and stock voltages. As always, the less efficient cooler is Intel's stock device, which is typically bundled with the retail versions of Intel CPUs. Intel's cooler kept the CPU temperature at around 58 degrees Celsius (C) under full load. The Noctua NH-D14 cooler managed to lower the cpu temperature down to 43 degrees C (!), which is a very impressive performance and the best one we have ever measured in our labs:

Let's overclock the Intel Core-i7 920 at 3.60GHz. The Intel stock cooler is very weak here and the CPU temperature reached the 90 degrees C. The Noctua NH-D14 cooler showed its efficiency here kept the temperature at 58 degrees C. We got the same performance with a ProlimaTech Megahalems cooler with two 120mm Noctua NF-P12 fans installed!

Let's have a look at the noise levels. As usual, Intel's stock CPU is the less efficient cooler and thus, it is also the quieter producing just 37dB of noise, measured at a 30cm distance. At its full speed, the Noctua NH-D14 cooler produced 44dB of noise, which dropped to 40dB when we used the noise adapters:

Great performance and relatively quiet operation may cost you more. The Noctua NH-D14 is probably the highest-priced cpu cooler we have ever tested. The only product that could compete it in terms of performance is the ProlimaTech Megahalems cooler, which would cost you around $60, without any fan included! An 120mm NF-P12 fan would cost you some additional $22, meaning that you will need $104 for the Prolimatech Megahalems cooler plus 2x NF-P12 fans. That's much more than what you will need to get the Noctua NH-D14!