Page 4 - Conclusion
Here we are at the end of the Noctua NH-C14S review, and we are left with some interesting results. For one, Noctua quality stands tall here. Build quality is top notch, in both sturdiness and consistency. Design choices have been taken from their tried and true solutions, borrowing many different features such as notched teeth and a similar V-shape front from past Noctua coolers. In addition, Noctua has almost mastered the C design with the ability to fit a variety of situations for slimmer cases, or to accommodate for taller memory. Small changes from the original NH-C14 means the cooler will not interfere with the top PCI Express slot too. Finally, the excellent NF-A14 PWM fan is quiet, but able to do its job. When it comes to actual performance, the Noctua NH-C14S is a mixed bag. For one, it performed better than the original Noctua NH-C14 in single fan configuration. On the other hand, compared to the much smaller Noctua NH-L9x65, the NH-C14S was only a couple of degrees better. An additional fan can be added to the Noctua NH-C14S for better cooling results, but a NF-A14 PWM fan costs around $30. Thus, we have a bit of a puzzling conclusion. Four years ago, when the original Noctua NH-C14 was released, it was marketed as a smaller but still full-sized alternative to the then larger NH-D14 at 75% of the cost. Fast forward to today, and the Noctua NH-C14S is still making headway with improvements, but this cooler has an MSRP of $75, while the recently released Noctua NH-D15S is available for five dollars more, but with much better performance. Other competition from all-in-one liquid coolers are a similar story too. In essence, the Noctua NH-C14S does not have the same type of competitiveness in the market as it used to. If air cooling is still your preference for a quieter operation, the larger NH-D15S is definitely worth the extra five bucks. However, for those with less physical room to move, the Noctua NH-C14S is, on its own, still a very good choice.
Noctua provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.2/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The Noctua NH-C14S is an upgrade over the original NH-C14, but the rest of the market is catching up to Noctua's cooling dominance.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
