New Desktop Build for 2023 - CPU Choice?
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On the noctua site, on which I went there these days because I will also make a new computer build, in the compatibility lists there is a red cross for incompatible cpu coolers and a blue cross for cpus cooler which will be above the pci port of the gpu. So maybe noctua says to turn it 90° but doesn't say the pci gpu slot will be doomed.
The nh-D14 is 158 mm wide with this dimension it is likely that the gpu slot is condemned. 150 mm is the limit, it all depends on the plate on the back of the gpu. The nh-d14 has an asymmetrical profile, I don't know which one but if it's to avoid touching the memory sticks then maybe it won't touch the gpu slot at 90°.
At 90° the right side of the heatsink could touch the memory, It will then require low profile memories.
If the gpu slot is condemned because of the first fan, the solution would be to put the first fan on the second tower in suction. You will then have to see if the cooling performance will be good in this configuration.
That's a lot to know, you should buy another motherboard.
edit: Just above the gpu slot on the motherboard you have chosen there is like a plastic covered heatsink quite high.
Last edited by itsme1; 04 Apr 2023 at 08:20.
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Even if there is clearance turning it 90 is also not that great if you are doing traditional airflow like intake coming from the front of your case and you will be missing the stream of intake in a sub optimal way.
idk it sounds like a compromise to me or else we would see more commonly people having their CPU coolers with fans vertical facing just thinking about feels funny.
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i guess if you are going to spend then just do it right and get a proper cooler designed for that socket. the analogy would be a Lamborghini but putting cheap ass tyres on it that are used and don't even fit that well.
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Even if there is clearance turning it 90 is also not that great if you are doing traditional airflow like intake coming from the front of your case and you will be missing the stream of intake in a sub optimal way.
idk it sounds like a compromise to me or else we would see more commonly people having their CPU coolers with fans vertical facing just thinking about feels funny.
I have the motherboard now. I'm inclined having seen various comments to buy a new totally compatible cooler. I've spotted the Noctua NH-D12 which is compliant for the CPU, motherboard, RAM and case. Oddly the NH-D12 has a lower Noctua NSPR value of 148 rather than 161 for the NH-D14 but the NH-D12 has a higher rating for overclocking despite being a more compact cooler.
Any suggestions for better air cooling fans which are compatible? I'll only buy from firms having a good motherboard compatibility checker i.e. Noctua and Be Quiet.
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Now you have all the parts, you could try dry fit before fitting into the case, i.e. no paste on the cpu.... and check gpu and memory clearance.
As far as airflow goes, the panel on case top will be raised for exhaust flow.
ATM with your current cooling solution... you can at least try it out. If it doesn't work you've not lost any money yet.
The reason I chose my current cooler is because:-
1, it's offset away from the memory slots when fitted.. and if I need to fit more memory.
2, It's at max TDP for my CPU and it's still very quite at maximum temps.
3, Didn't really want liquid cooling.
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The noctua site is not 100% reliable. The noctua nh-d15s which is the asymmetrical version of the nh-d15, the best of noctua. It is, in the width of the gpu slot / top of the motherboard, 150mm the limit for the gpu slot. As it is asymmetrical, the 150mm are shifted upwards. It is indicated compatible with your asus motherboard but it must be mounted at 180° because it is also asymmetrical in width memory / heatsink vrm motherboard, it will touch the vrm if it is not at 180°. At 180° the 150mm will be offset downwards so no clearance for the gpu.
For the nh-d12(L) it is not reliable either, it cannot be as efficient as the nh-d15, nh-d15s and the nh-u12a with a lower rating.
The be quiet dark rock pro 4 is not compatible with the motherboard. You have nothing left except the nh-d12l.
If it was me in this situation I would prefer a 90° cpu cooler that matches the max performance/tdp of the cpu to one that isn't able to handle it the best. I don't think there is much difference if the cpu fan is not angled like the intake one.
If you are testing the NH-D14 at 90° consider trying without the heatsink of the m.2 slot above the gpu slot. A lower normal m.2 radiator should do the trick if the asus is a problem.
Thanks for the rep. have to sleep...
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AIO coolers are the dominate style of cooler in today's landscape so we are seeing less support for traditional Air style coolers and they are becoming an after though when designing a motherboard because they know this, it would not surprise me if they phase out eventually as there is less and less manufactures making them.
Everything just keeps getting bigger especially around or close to the LGA. Tall ram big GPU Big VRM etc, the space for an air cooler has been diminishing for a while.
one or two cooler options for a current platform and they don't even fit properly without some compromise is a reflection of this where as 10 - 15 years ago you would have several options and more space.
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AIO coolers are the dominate style of cooler in today's landscape so we are seeing less support for traditional Air style coolers and they are becoming an after though when designing a motherboard because they know this, it would not surprise me if they phase out eventually as there is less and less manufactures making them.
Everything just keeps getting bigger especially around or close to the LGA. Tall ram big GPU Big VRM etc, the space for an air cooler has been diminishing for a while.
one or two cooler options for a current platform and they don't even fit properly without some compromise is a reflection of this where as 10 - 15 years ago you would have several options and more space.
I don't really want the complexity and cost of an AIO cooler. I'm going to reuse the Noctua NH-D14 fan albeit at a 90 degree rotation, insert an extra case bottom and top fan and connect the front and rear 3 pin case fans currently connected to the manual fan controller in the Nanoxia Deep Silence case to the motherboard fan controller connections. The new motherboard allows separate fan curves to be set for 5 case fans plus the CPU fan.
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That Thermalright Cooler might be a solution but Thermalright don't provide a motherboard compatibility list unlike Noctua who are very good in this respect.
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AIO coolers are the dominate style of cooler in today's landscape so we are seeing less support for traditional Air style coolers and they are becoming an after though when designing a motherboard because they know this, it would not surprise me if they phase out eventually as there is less and less manufactures making them. Everything just keeps getting bigger especially around or close to the LGA. Tall ram big GPU Big VRM etc, the space for an air cooler has been diminishing for a while. one or two cooler options for a current platform and they don't even fit properly without some compromise is a reflection of this where as 10 - 15 years ago you would have several options and more space.
It's rather the asus motherboards that cause problems with the best cpu coolers: Several ASUS Z690 & B660 Motherboards not compatible with Noctua coolers
CPU coolers and motherboards are having physical compatibility issues | PC Gamer
There is always a need to know the compatibility. 
I had already seen this gamernexus review, I will also do a new build so I snoop around the web, this review is for a tdp of 198 watts, the i7 13700k is 252watts. The noctua can also be overtaken in idle but once the tdp is well increased it reveals its cooling potential and beats or equals the others with a normalized fan sound. The Thermalright Peerless assassin is oriented 2 towers of 120mm with 6 heatpipe. The noctua nh-d15 2 towers of 140mm with 6 heatpipes, and I saw a review of this noctua at 260watts (I'll put the link if I find it). The noctua nh-15 is an evolution of the nh-d14, but in fact it is practically identical, the noctua has only one centimeter more in the width gpu slot/high motherboard, it can cause problems with gpus with a thick back plate. They have the same number of heatpipe 6, noctua talks about more split heatpipe (better spread over the heatsink I understand) for the nh-d15, maybe marketing just like the NSPR indicated higher than the nh-d14.
edit: You also have to take into account the thickness of each tower. For the Thermalright Peerless assassin they seem to be thinner than the noctua but not sure about that.
Edit 2: here the noctua nh-d15 at 260watts with other cpu coolers. Read instead of watching the video. I looked at the test protocol it is good and it was improved/changed with advice from an engineer. It is done in a closed case as most people do, cpu cooler horizontally.
ANOTHER Noctua Win - NH-U12S REDUX CPU Cooler Review
Edit 3: You also have to consider the cfm (cubic feet per minute) of the fans. Those of the noctua nh-d14 fans are high.
Last edited by itsme1; 06 Apr 2023 at 13:46.
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