The review here will discuss the differences between the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 vs NH-D15 CPU cooler.
These CPU coolers are air coolers and got on the market in 2019. Concerning the performance judgment, both support a proper air-cooled setup with performance matching the most AIO cooler systems.
Most of the time, PC builders get confused in the matter of which one is the best air cooler. Here we will discuss this confusion about the Noctua NH-D15 vs be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 CPU cooler to determine which is the best air cooler for you to install while building your PC.
Differences Between Dark Rock Pro 4 and NH-D15 CPU Coolers
There are differences between Dark Rock Pro 4 and NH-D15 CPU Coolers. Let’s have a look!
Dimensions
The size of Dark Rock Pro 4 is a bit less than NH-D15. The depth of NH-D15 is 135mm, while the Dark Rock Pro is 14mm short. Dark Rock Pro 4 is also slightly smaller in height than NH-D15, whereas the NH-D15 is 14mm wider than Dark Rock Pro 4. Comparing the height of both CPU coolers without fans installed, they almost look similar, but the NH-D15 is 3mm shorter than the Dark Rock Pro 4.
Airflow
As both the coolers use different fans and even different-sized fans, their airflow cannot be directly compared. Therefore, it would be good to get the benefit over the other due to having a bigger size. Dark Rock Pro 4 uses dual fans where one is silent wings 3 120mm and the other one is 135mm. The 135mm fan has an airflow of 60CFM, whereas the NH-D15 uses dual 140mm NF-A14 fans that are specially designed for high airflow, and each of them can throw around 82 CFM of air. This makes NH-D15 a better cooler for airflow and cooling. Also, both the CPU coolers can have one more fan installed on the other side.
Weight
Both the coolers are heavy and big. Along with fans installed, both coolers weigh more than 1KG, but the NH-D15 weighs 200 grams more.
Heat pipes
Heat pipes play an important role in dissipating heat from the processor, and they are connected from the bottom to the aluminium heatsink to absorb the heat from the processor. Dark Rock Pro 4 uses seven heat pipes, whereas NH-D15 uses six heat pipes. The more heat pipes a cooler use, the more likely it will perform better.
Similarities in Dark Rock Pro 4 and NH-D15
There are many similarities between Dark Rock Pro 4 and NH-D15. Let’s have a look at the significant one!
Design
Both Dark Rock Pro 4 and NH-D15 are dual-tower coolers that use dual fans. Also, both coolers are compatible with the latest Intel and AMD sockets.
1. Noctua NH-D15 (Air Cooler)
Firstly let’s discuss the dimensions of the Noctua NH-D15. It is 5.91 x 6.34 x 6.5 in size category.
It has a connectivity of 4-Pins and has a voltage of 12 Volts.
When it comes to Noctua NH-D15, it is compatible only with a Desktop PC having a Noise level of 24.6 dB. It is constructed using Copper (base and heat-pipes), soldered joints, aluminum (cooling fins), and nickel plating. The rotation speed goes to a maximum level of 1500 RPM.
Going into more details of the Noctua NH-D15, it is a masterpiece of CPU coolers. It has a design with six heat pipes with two built-in fans that provide the best cooling performance for overclocking/near-silent systems.
Also, the two fans are highly optimized NF-A15 140mm fans with PWM support and are made up of Low-Noise Adaptors for automatic speed control.
Noctua NH-D15 is an award-winning CPU cooler and is a successor of NH-D14. Many leading hardware businesses and websites have recommended it at an international level.
As the debate here is about the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 vs NH-D15, the Noctua NH-D15 has a better cooling performance than the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4. Although, both the Noctua NH-D15 and be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 has almost similar cooling performance and is as good as the 240mm AIO liquid-cooled systems. It’s awe-inspiring that both NH-D15 and be quiet! have these capabilities.
If we compare the cooling aspect of NH-D15 with Dark Rock Pro 4, the NH-D15 has estimated 1-3 degrees cooler performance than the Dark Rock Pro 4 working under load. Some of you might be thinking that the CPU cooler’s efficiency is also dependent on the airflow mechanism, thermal performance, and the case internal factors.
However, we can assure you that the Noctua NH-D15 will squash the last ounce of speed from your PC after it has been installed.
The warranty offered by Noctua NH-D15 is spread across the span of 6 years, which is three years more than the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4. This gives you a massive perspective on the Noctua Company’s customer care nature. They have got you all covered up if, God forbid, some problem arises.
One of the weird things that have come under our observation is the fan mounting system of both of these CPU coolers, i.e., the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 and the Noctua NH-D15. It has been reported online by many users and expert PC builders that the fan mounting system of Noctua NH-D15 is far easier to install in comparison to the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 fan mounting system.
The cooling mounting was the same between the two CPU coolers under discussion.
Specifications of Noctua NH-D15:
Dimensions LxWxH | 5.91 x 6.34 x 6.5 inches |
Width | 140mm |
Depth | 80mm |
Height | 155mm |
Connector | 4 – Pin |
Noise | 24.6 dB |
TDP | 300W |
RPM | 0 – 1500 |
TR4 Socket | No |
1151 Socket | Yes |
2066 Socket | Yes |
Maximum Airflow | 80 CFM |
Minimum Airflow | 33 CFM |
Warranty | Almost 6 Years |
2. Be Quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4
The size dimensions of the are quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 are 5.35 x 5.74 x 6.41 inches.
The connection type is 4-Pin PWM. It is an air cooler and has compatibility with desktop CPUs having the Noise Level at 24.3 dB. Its construction is made of Copper.
The design of the be quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4 is a funnel-shaped frame for the air to have high pressure. It consists of seven high-performance copper heat pipes. The Dark Rock Pro 4 has two virtually inaudible Silent Wings PWM fans with cooling fins optimized following the airflow.
The debate on the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 vs NH-D15 shows us that the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 has a quieter performance at a marginal level when idle and under load in contrast to NH-D15. There is a 1-3 decibel decrease when you use the Dark Rock Pro 4 instead of NH-D15. So, if you require a quieter operation, be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is the CPU cooler to go for.
The DESIGN COMPARISON of the Dark Rock Pro 4 vs NH-D15 lets us know that the Dark Rock Pro 4 is much better than the NH-D15 design as it is much sleeker and has a matte black finish. Unlike the Dark Rock Pro 4, the NH-D15 has a marmite look. Keeping this in mind, if looks are what matters to you along with a smooth hurdle-less performance, then be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU Cooler is the product for you.
Specifications of Be Quiet! Dark Rock PRO 4:
Dimensions LxWxH | 5.35 x 5.74 x 64.09 inches |
Width | 135mm |
Depth | 90mm |
Height | 180mm |
Connector | 4 – Pin PWM |
Noise | 24.3 dB |
TDP | 350W |
RPM | 500 – 2000 |
TR4 Socket | No |
1151 Socket | Yes |
2066 Socket | No |
Maximum Airflow | 90 CFM |
Minimum Airflow | 34 CFM |
Warranty | Almost 3 Years |
FAQs
If you compare Noctua NH-D15 with any of the high end liquid coolers (closed loop), you’ll not find something better than Noctua NH-D15 as it’s one of those products which deliver great cooling performance while working quietly. If you still want to look for others, you can check the following CPU Coolers:
- Corsair H100i GTX
- NZXT Kraken X61
- Thermaltake Water 3.0
Extreme S - DEEPCOOL Captain 240M
- CM Nepton 240M
Other than two things, Noctua D15 is one of the finest CPU Coolers you’ll find in the market. The first thing is, it is costly. Secondly, you cannot fit Noctua into a smaller case all the time. It has something to do with the cases and their standard sizes.
Obviously, AIO coolers are much quieter than the Air Coolers. That’s because the fans in the Air Coolers rotate faster than the fans of the AIO to maintain and stabilize the temperature of the system.
That depends completely on your needs. The CPU cooler will keep the processor from thermal throttling because the temperature will not get high, and it will always ensure to get the best performance from the CPU. Even though a stock cooler is good enough, you should get an aftermarket cooler if you need to overclock the processor because it will provide you with better and more stable performance to keep the temperature low.
Conclusion
Lastly, the debate about Dark Rock PRO 4 vs NH-D15 comes down to your requirements. These CPU coolers are the best available coolers in the market and can deliver the best air cooling performance for your setup. You won’t be disappointed if you choose any one of the two.