Noctua NH-D15 User manual

Required mounting parts:
Dear customer,
Congratulations on choosing the Noctua NH-D15. Built on the
basis ofthelegendary NH-D14 andcarryingonitsquestforultimate
quiet cooling performance, our flagship model NH-D15 is an elite-
class dual tower cooler for the highest demands. I’m confident that
you will be able to sense some of the research, attention and care
we’ve put into making this cooler. Enjoy your NH-D15!
Yours sincerely,
Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO
This manual will guide you through the installation process
of the SecuFirm2™ mounting system step by step. Prior to
installing the cooler, please consult the compatibility list on
our website (www.noctua.at/compatibility) and verify that the
cooler is fully compatible with your motherboard. Should you
encounter any difficulties, please check the FAQs on our website
(www.noctua.at/faqs) and don’t hesitate to contact our support
team at [e-mail]. Noctua cannot be held respon-
sible for any damage or losses caused by compatibility issues.
Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our
website: www.noctua.at/manuals
Removing the mainboard
In case you want to use the cooler on an assembled system and
your case doesn’t have a cut-out at the rear side of the mainboard
tray, you first have to remove the mainboard from the case in
order to be able to install the supplied backplate.
Step 1
Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are
pointing outwards.
2x NM-IMB2 Mounting Bars1x NM-IBP2 Backplate
4x NM-ITS1 Thumbscrews4x NM-IPS1 Spacers
Applying thermal paste
If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on
your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop
(4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.
Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower heat
conductivity and cooling performance!
Step 4
Place the backplate on the rear side of the mainboard so that the
bolts stick through the mounting holes.
Caution: Please make sure that the three cut-outs in the
supplied backplate align with the screws of the mainboard’s stock
backplate.
Installing the mounting bars
Caution:
Choose the alignment of the mounting bars according to the desired
final orientation of the cooler:
Step 3
First put the plastic spacers onto the bolts of the backplate, then
add the mounting bars.
Fix the mounting bars using the 4 thumb screws.
Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use
excessive force.
Attaching the backplate
Caution: The supplied backplate will install over the mainboard’s
stock backplate, so the mainboard’s stock backplate must not be
taken off.
Step 2
Orientation A Orientation B
Fastening the heatsink to the CPU
Caution: Please first take off the center fan as well as the protec-
tion cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.
Step 5
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | LGA115x
LGA115x

Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw
threads of the mounting bars.
Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.
Even with high-grade products and strict quality control, the
possibility of defects cannot be eliminated entirely. Therefore,
we aim at providing the highest possible level of reliability and
convenience by offering a warranty period of 6 years and direct,
fast and straightforward RMA service.
Should you encounter any problems with your NH-D15, please
don’t hesitate to contact our support team ([email protected]).
Please also consult the FAQ section on our website:
www.noctua.at/faqs.
Warranty, Support and FAQs
Use the heatsink with the centre fan only in order to guarantee
best compatibility with tall RAM modules. Add the second fan to
the front fin-stack for further improved cooling performance.
Connect the fan(s) to the mainboard’s CPU fan header(s). If
necessary, use the supplied NA-YC1 y-split cable to connect both
fans to one fan header.
Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case,
you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors
(L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans’ operating noise.
Caution: Never use one adaptor for both fans by putting it before
the y-split cable.
Caution: When using the L.N.A.s, check the temperature of your
CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications
of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic
throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the
cooling performance is insufficient, please increase case ventila-
tion or remove the L.N.A.s.
Fan Setup
Step 6
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | LGA115x
LGA115x
Reattach the centre fan and, optionally, install the second fan (in
grey) using the supplied steel clips:
2.
1.
3.
Mainboard Fans
Low-Noise Adaptor Y-Split Cable
Y-Split Cable Low-Noise Adaptors

Installing the mounting bars
First screw the NM-IBT2 bolts into the screw threads of the
LGA2011 socket frame.
Step 1
Then put the NM-IMB2 mounting-bars onto the bolts.
Required mounting parts:
Dear customer,
Congratulations on choosing the Noctua NH-D15.
Built on the basis of the legendary NH-D14 and carrying on its
quest for ultimate quiet cooling performance, our flagship model
NH-D15isanelite-classdual towercoolerforthehighest demands.
I’m confident that you will be able to sense some of the research,
attention and care we’ve put into making this cooler.
Enjoy your NH-D15!
Yours sincerely,
Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO
This manual will guide you through the installation process
of the SecuFirm2™ mounting system step by step. Prior to
installing the cooler, please consult the compatibility list on
our website (www.noctua.at/compatibility) and verify that the
cooler is fully compatible with your motherboard. Should you
encounter any difficulties, please check the FAQs on our website
(www.noctua.at/faqs) and don’t hesitate to contact our support
team at [e-mail]. Noctua cannot be held responsible
for any damage or losses caused by compatibility issues.
Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our
website: www.noctua.at/manuals
NM-IBT2 Bolts
4x NM-ITS1 ThumbscrewsNM-IMB2 Mounting Bars
Caution: Choose the alignment of the mounting bars according to
the desired final orientation of the cooler:
Orientation A Orientation B
Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are
pointing outwards.
Fix the mounting bars using the 4 thumb screws.
Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use
excessive force.
Applying thermal paste
If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on
your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop
(4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.
Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower the heat
conductivity and cooling performance!
Step 2
Fastening the heatsink to the CPU
Caution: Please first take off the center fan as well as the protec-
tion cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.
Step 3
Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw
threads of the mounting bars.
Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | LGA2011
LGA2011

Even with high-grade products and strict quality control, the
possibility of defects cannot be eliminated entirely. Therefore,
we aim at providing the highest possible level of reliability and
convenience by offering a warranty period of 6 years and direct,
fast and straightforward RMA service.
Should you encounter any problems with your NH-D15, please
don’t hesitate to contact our support team ([email protected]).
Please also consult the FAQ section on our website:
www.noctua.at/faqs.
Warranty, Support and FAQs
Use the heatsink with the centre fan only in order to guarantee
best compatibility with tall RAM modules. Add the second fan to
the front fin-stack for further improved cooling performance.
Connect the fan(s) to the mainboard’s CPU fan header(s). If
necessary, use the supplied NA-YC1 y-split cable to connect both
fans to one fan header.
Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case,
you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors
(L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans’ operating noise.
Fan Setup
Step 4
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | LGA2011
LGA2011
Reattach the centre fan and, optionally, install the second fan
(in grey) using the supplied steel clips:
Caution: Never use one adaptor for both fans by putting it before
the y-split cable.
Caution: When using the L.N.A.s, check the temperature of your
CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications
of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic
throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the cool-
ing performance is insufficient, please increase case ventilation or
remove the L.N.A.s.
2.
3.
1. Mainboard Fans
Low-Noise Adaptor Y-Split Cable
Y-Split Cable Low-Noise Adaptors

Attaching the mounting bars
First put the plastic spacers onto the screw threads, then fix the
mounting bars using the 4 long screws.
Step 2
Required mounting parts:
Dear customer,
Congratulations on choosing the Noctua NH-D15.
Built on the basis of the legendary NH-D14 and carrying on
its quest for ultimate quiet cooling performance, our flagship
model NH-D15 is an elite-class dual tower cooler for the highest
demands. I’m confident that you will be able to sense some of the
research, attention and care we’ve put into making this cooler.
Enjoy your NH-D15!
Yours sincerely,
Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO
This manual will guide you through the installation process
of the SecuFirm2™ mounting system step by step. Prior to
installing the cooler, please consult the compatibility list on
our website (www.noctua.at/compatibility) and verify that the
cooler is fully compatible with your motherboard. Should you
encounter any difficulties, please check the FAQs on our website
(www.noctua.at/faqs) and don’t hesitate to contact our support
team at [e-mail]. Noctua cannot be held responsi-
ble for any damage or losses caused by compatibility issues.
Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our
website: www.noctua.at/manuals
2x NM-AMB1 Mounting Bars
4x NM-APS1 Plastic Spacers4x NM-ALS1 Screws
Caution: The SecuFirm2™ mounting system requires a back-
plate, which is preinstalled on most AMD mainboards. If your
mainboard doesn’t have a backplate, please contact our support
team at [e-mail].
Removing the retention module
If your mainboard uses a retention module for CPU cooler instal-
lation, please remove it first. The SecuFirm2™ mounting system
will install directly to your mainboard’s stock backplate on the rear
side of the socket.
Step 1
Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are
pointing inwards.
Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.
Applying thermal paste
If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on
your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop
(4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.
Step3
Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower heat
conductivity and cooling performance!
Fastening the heatsink to the CPU
Caution: Please first take off the center fan as well as the protec-
tion cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.
Step 4
Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw
threads of the mounting bars.
Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.
AMD stock backplate
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | AMD
AM2

Even with high-grade products and strict quality control, the pos-
sibility of defects cannot be eliminated entirely. Therefore, we aim
at providing the highest possible level of reliability and conveni-
ence by offering a warranty period of 6 years and direct, fast and
straightforward RMA service.
Should you encounter any problems with your NH-D15, please
don’t hesitate to contact our support team ([email protected]).
Please also consult the FAQ section on our website:
www.noctua.at/faqs.
Warranty, Support and FAQs
Use the heatsink with the centre fan only in order to guarantee
best compatibility with tall RAM modules. Add the second fan to
the front fin-stack for further improved cooling performance.
Connect the fan(s) to the mainboard’s CPU fan header(s). If
necessary, use the supplied NA-YC1 y-split cable to connect both
fans to one fan header.
Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case,
you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors
(L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans’ operating noise.
Fan Setup
Step 5
Caution: Never use one adaptor for both fans by putting it before
the y-split cable.
Caution: When using the L.N.A.s, check the temperature of your
CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications
of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic
throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the cool-
ing performance is insufficient, please increase case ventilation or
remove the L.N.A.s.
Noctua NH-D15 | Installation Manual | AMD
AM2
Reattach the centre fan and, optionally, install the second fan
(in grey) using the supplied steel clips:
2.
3.
1. Mainboard Fans
Low-Noise Adaptor Y-Split Cable
Y-Split Cable Low-Noise Adaptors