Noctua have recently created quite a stir with their latest heavyweight offering, the NH-D14 Premium CPU Cooler which uses their new NF-P14 FLX 140mm fan. Noctua have been kind enough to supply us with two of these fans, which I'll be evaluating from a case cooling viewpoint. This is Noctua's first 140mm model and is a welcome addition to their catalogue of top quality fans, most of which we've tested previously. Will Noctua be able to build on the quality, performance and quietness of these earlier products?  Read on to find out...

About Noctua:

"Designed in Austria, Noctua's premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 800 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua's fans and heat sinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe."

Who are Noctua
"Noctua comes from a partnership of the Austrian Rascom Computer distribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance."

Technology
"Scientific know-how pooling and state-of-the-art simulation environments allow for advanced, highly optimised products that set new benchmarks for performance to noise efficiency. Over the years, Noctua has put itself on the forefront of quiet cooling innovations with its unique, psycho-acoustically optimised impeller designs as well as new bearing and drive technologies such as the SSO-Bearing (Self-Stabilising Oil Pressure Bearing) or the Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) system. Thanks to advanced aerodynamic design measures like Vortex-Control Notches and Bevelled Blade Tips, Noctua's products are renowned for pushing the envelope in axial fan technology."

Quality and Service
"In a market that's increasingly driven by cost saving rather than customer dedication and flooded with branded budget products, we take pride in striving for excellence both in product and service quality. For example, our heatsinks feature all soldered joints for maximum performance and durability, our fans' 150,000h+ MTBF is backed up by a full 6 years manufacturer's warranty and when AMD introduced AM2 and Intel introduced LGA1366, we provided thousands of users with mounting kits for free. As a result, an ever growing base of avid Noctua users not only swears by the thoroughgoing premium quality of our products, but also by our excellent, customer-friendly service."

Next, the official specs...