Product Comparison: Zalman CNPS12X vs Noctua NH-D14

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Zalman CNPS12X CPU Cooler

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Best Pick

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler

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General Specifications

Brand

Zalman

Noctua

Model

CNPS12X

NH-D14

Origin

China

Austria

About the Product

CNPS12X accommodates a broad range of sockets including Intel's upcoming LGA 2011 socket, as well as AMD's sockets. Switching noise eliminated! 120mm Triple Fans incorporated for ultra quiet operation and blue LEDs for cool aesthetics.

Combining a massive six heatpipe dual radiator design with an exquisite NF-P14/NF-P12 PWM dual fan configuration, the NH-D14 is built for ultimate quiet cooling performance. The NH-D14 is an elite choice for the highest demands in premium quality quiet cooling.

Key Specs

Cooling Type

Air Cooling

Max. Airflow

39 CFM

64.74 CFM

Number of Pipes

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Zalman CNPS12X CPU Cooler

Looks awesome. Cools CPU extremely well.
Does a great job at cooling and very quiet.
Cools very well. Quiet cooling. Works really well.
Great CPU cooler. I bought it because it looked really cool.
Really quiet, and cools well. Does a great job.

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler

It works really well. At 10 - 20% cpu it sits at room temp 17 - 19C. Under stress test (prime95) of the CPU it does not get over 30C. Old stock cooler was having trouble keeping it under 70C. Its quieter than the stock cooler.
Excellent construction, the base plate was super smooth and has a mirror finish.
Great cooling - I stress tested it to a max of 54 C... compared to the stock fan that let it run up to a whopping 79C (mobo will shut it down at 83C).
Cooling performance is top-notch... it dominates liquid coolers easily.
I know this is a discontinued cooler, but it is hands down terrific, I do highly recommend getting some PWM fans too (ideally Noctua NF-A14 industrial fans, expensive, but they are some of the best on the market) to cut down noise and increase airflow.

Size & Weight

Height

5.94 in.

6.3 in.

Width

5.19 in.

5.5 in.

Depth

6.06 in.

6.2 in.

Weight

2.2 lbs.

2.7 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Zalman CNPS12X CPU Cooler

Easy to install. Excellent size for my box.
I like this CPU cooler. Good size of this.
Really large, can block first PCI-E slot on some motherboards.
This thing is huge and not easy to mount.
I have a very large case, ATX super tower, and it did not fit in my case.

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler

Overall, if you can get over the size and the brown color scheme, this is probably the best air cooler on the market.
It's really big. This is really only a con if you have a small case though.
May have clearance issues with high profile RAM.
It is big. The 120mm fan would touch my ram sticks so I ended up taking it off and using it as a top case exhaust fan (push configuration).
It's huge, had to remove the heatsinks on my memory. Make sure you have lots of space in your case for this beast.

Features

Socket Compatibility

Intel:, 2011-3, 2011, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 775, AMD:, FM2, FM1, AM3 +, AM3, AM2 +, AM2

Intel:, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 775, 2011, AMD:, AM2, AM2 +, AM3, AM3 +, FM1, FM2, FM2+

Speed

1200 RPM

1300 RPM

Cooled CPU (Max. TDP)

130 W

220 W

Noise Level

24 dBA

19.8 dBA

Number of Coolers

Bearing Type

Long Life Bearing

SSO-Bearing

Heat-Exchanger Material

Aluminium

Copper

Power Connector Type

3-pin

Extras

Powerful Cooling Performance, I.H.D technology, Ultra Quiet, VFP Dual Heatsink, W-DTH Base Applied, Composite Heatpipe Applied, Black-Pearl Nickel Plating

6 heatpipe dual radiator design, Dual NF-P14/NF-P12 fan setup, Asymmetrical design for high compatibility, Excellent component cooling, SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, NT-H1 thermal compound

What customers say about "Features"

Zalman CNPS12X CPU Cooler

I'm using this CPU cooler with AMD A10-7890K processor and keeps the processor under 64 C when overclocked to 4.6GHz.
Provide a little more than sufficient cooling.
Great performance, cools down i7-3930k with no problems.
Looks great, very quiet even with 3 fans.
Keeps CPU temps very low on my Intel 3770, temps before were around 42-45, there now at 25 when idle.

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler

To my ears, it's silent (my graphics card or my back case fan are probably louder than this).
Perfect fitting with thermal paste evenly spread. The product has screw springs that serve to SECURELY fix the plating to the CPU and in this process helps squash and spread the thermal paste evenly across the surface.
Quiet. It is so much quieter compared to liquid coolers.
Perfect instructions, easy to read and understand (so many times I have had to stop and think about other instructions and wonder, what are they trying to say).
Can be hard to mount depending on the case and the size of your hands.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

2 year(s)

6 year(s)

Certifications

Other Information

Manual

Download

Manufacturer

Link