Noctua NH-D15 G2
Twin-tower air · NF-A14x25r G2 · LGA1851/AM5
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB
Air tower
Noctua NH-D15 G2 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Noctua NH-D15 G2 lands at 95 and be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB at 91. That puts Noctua NH-D15 G2 ahead by 4 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Noctua NH-D15 G2 if…
- ✓Air-cooling king
- ✓Whisper-quiet fans
- ✓Rock-solid mounting
Pick be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB if…
- ✓Multi-socket bracket support
- ✓Quiet fans at idle
- ✓Strong TDP rating
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testThermals
Noctua NH-D15 G2Compared on the thermals sub-score
Noctua NH-D15 G2 leads on thermals (96 vs 91).
Noise
Noctua NH-D15 G2Compared on the noise sub-score
Noctua NH-D15 G2 leads on noise (98 vs 87).
Install
Noctua NH-D15 G2Compared on the install sub-score
Noctua NH-D15 G2 leads on install (92 vs 88).
Value for money
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGBSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB more score per dollar ($109 vs $149).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Noctua NH-D15 G2 | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Twin-tower air | Air tower |
| Fans | 2× NF-A14x25r G2 | — |
| TDP rating | ~280W | — |
| Height | 168 mm | — |
Noctua NH-D15 G2
- +Air-cooling king
- +Whisper-quiet fans
- +Rock-solid mounting
- −Large in case
- −Three SKUs (tall/offset/low-profile)
- −Brown isn’t for everyone
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB
- +Multi-socket bracket support
- +Quiet fans at idle
- +Strong TDP rating
- −Height may conflict with RAM heatspreaders
- −AIO pump noise varies
- −Installation requires motherboard-off
FAQ: Noctua NH-D15 G2 vs be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB
Which is better, Noctua NH-D15 G2 or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB? +
Noctua NH-D15 G2 scores 95 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Noctua NH-D15 G2 worth the price? +
At $149, Noctua NH-D15 G2 delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in noise.
Is be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB worth the price? +
At $109, be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB delivers a Specdex score of 91 — strongest in thermals.
Does Noctua NH-D15 G2 or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is better for thermals, Noctua NH-D15 G2 or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB? +
Noctua NH-D15 G2 — leads on thermals (96 vs 91). Compared on the thermals sub-score.
Which is better for noise, Noctua NH-D15 G2 or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 · RGB? +
Noctua NH-D15 G2 — leads on noise (98 vs 87). Compared on the noise sub-score.