I had a great time testing the Noctua NH-C14S top-flow cooler. I don’t know why, but I do enjoy testing CPU coolers, there’s just something about it that I like. Must be the fact that there are so many to compare to each other or something.

Performance

The thermal performance the C14s has to offer was great for the type of cooler it is. It’s c-shaped design and the single NF-A14 fan really allow for some impressive cooling. Looking back at the OC Load temperature and I was very pleased with the result. Not only would the C14S be amazing in a nice SFF build of sorts, it would also allow you to pretty much get a nice overclock on most CPU’s on the market. What’s even better is that if you want a bit better performance, this bad boy is ready to have a second fan strapped to it, which will likely result in knocking a few more degrees of the overall temperatures seen.

Design

The design of the cooler itself is quite nice and its versatility is a truly great feature. As mentioned in the closer look, if you have RAM with a bit taller heatsinks, you put the fan on the top. If you are looking to make use of the 115mm height and want to add it to a SFF build, then go ahead and put the fan on the bottom side of the fin array. Need the best performance the cooler can offer, go ahead and put a second fan on maximum heat dissipation. Aside from that, it’s also aesthetically pleasing and is definitely something you will want to show off if given the chance. The nickel-plated copper base and heat pipes do a great job of transferring the heat from the CPU to the aluminum fins and letting the fans blow it right out of the case.

Value

Coming in at just over £60 from our friends at Scan UK, the NH-C14S is definitely not the cheapest air cooler on the block, but you have to remember all of what you are getting for your money. The C14s is the successor to the original C14, has a deeper fin base and offers almost as good of cooling with only one fan. It is also designed to be compatible with a multitude of different builds and form factors and when it comes down to it all, the performance it offers is just amazing. Also, when you figure the fan should last upwards of 17 years and the whole setup comes with a 6-year warranty, which equates to roughly £10 a year, you really can’t go wrong.

If you are in the market for a new air CPU cooler of any type, the Noctua NH-C14S should definitely be on your list of ones to look into. Not only does it offer great performance and come with an amazing warranty from Noctua, it does so while being aesthetically pleasing!

Big thanks to Noctua for sending in their NH-C14S top-flow CPU cooler for review.