We used the Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard 6 core overclock preset and manually set the DDR4 to 2666Mhz.
4.4Ghz is a healthy overclock for any CPU cooler to tackle. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 is on the back foot again with the NH-D15 cooler at idle by 4 °C and a sizable 10 °C under load conditions.
Sound levels are much closer, but the NH-D15 manages to nudge ahead again while keeping the CPU more comfortable than the Dark Rock Pro 3 can manage.
Conclusion
The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 we tested the NH-D15 against is now slouch. Performance wise it’s excellent and only really let down by it’s ultra fiddly fitting issues. With that said, the NH-D15 beats it in every test and is a breeze to fit. The NH-D15 is a flagship model in every sense, and you will get a nerd porn feeling every time you look at it or silently use it. If you want to overclock your rig the NH-D15 will give you lots over overhead to play with, excellent for an air cooler.
With the NH-D15 at £70.00 Inc VAT and the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 at £65.46 Inc VAT as currently listed on Scan.co.uk, the NH-D15 is a little more expensive, but when you consider it wins every performance test, and is not going to skin your knuckles when fitting, it is not really a reason to go for the Dark Rock Pro 3. The Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler in our opinion is not only the flagship Noctua, it’s the best air cooler we have seen to date, and gets out Editors Choice award.
Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler Review