Noctua NL-LC1 360mm and 420mm CPU liquid cooler Review
Thermal Testing – Gaming
OC3D CPU Cooler Gaming Test
With this new CPU testing rig, we wanted to experiment with analysing the “gaming” performance of CPU coolers. After all, all-core stress tests are not a common workload for most PC users. Games do not usually put huge levels of stress on all cores of your processor, especially if your CPU has a high core count. We also wanted to see if your choice of CPU cooler impacts GPU thermals under a GPU-focused stress test. After all, your CPU cooler can have a huge impact on the overall airflow pattern of your PC.
This testing procedure uncovered something. What we found was that AIO CPU liquid cooling solutions gave us lower GPU thermals. This makes sense, as these solutions pump hot air directly out of our test system and act as an exhaust. That said, the impact on GPU thermals was minimal. We only saw drops of 2-3 degrees during this test. Given this lack of difference, we will now focus exclusively on CPU thermals with this test.
For our CPU game test, we used Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker’s benchmarking tool for our gaming test. This test can run for a long time and moves between CPU and GPU-limited parts of the game. This test was used at a resolution of 1080p at maximum settings.
1,000 RPM Fan Test
All of Noctua’s modern coolers provide strong low-noise performance. The NH-D15 G2 delivers the best performance of any air cooler we tested, and the NL-LC1 liquid coolers deliver strong performance in their class.
1,500 RPM
At 1,500 RPM, both Noctua coolers continue to deliver strong cooling performance, sitting amongst the best-performing coolers on our charts.
Max RPM test
At maximum speeds, Noctua’s NL-LC1 coolers fall down our charts a little. That said, the only reason for this is because Noctua didn’t give its fans crazy-high maximum RPM values. If Noctua let its fans run at crazy speeds, I’m sure these coolers would be chart-toppers. That said, Noctua knows that nobody wants their PCs to sound like leaf blowers. Even with lower maximum fan RPMs (and noise levels) than competing products, Noctua’s LC1 series still delivers strong cooling performance.
