Author: Andrew Schembri Date: January 06, 2008 Manufacturer: Noctua Provider: Noctua

« Specs: Page 3: Testing

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NT-H1 was put up to the test against our previous leader, OCZ Freeze. The OCZ paste was installed first followed by the Noctua. Arctic Silver ArctiClean stages 1 and 2 were used before application of grease. Grease was applied using the ‘dot and twist method’ since both manufacturers recommend this way. Temperatures were read Gigabyte’s EasyTune 5 software. Load situation is defined as 15 minutes on Prime95, while idle 5 minute is measured 5 minutes after Prime95 was shutdown, and idle 15 minute is measured 15 minutes after Prime95 was shutdown.

Test System:

• AMD AthlonXP 2800+ @ 3200+
• Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2 nForce 2 ultra 400
• (512MB x2) Corsair XMS PC3500
• ATi X850 AGP
• Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2
• NEC DVD+/-RW
• Lite-On CD-RW
• Western Digital WD4000KD
• Western Digital WD1600JB
• Western Digital WD1200JD
• Enermax Liberty 500 watt
• ThermalRight AX-7 heat sink with Thermaltake SmartFan II on full setting
• Thermaltake Xaser 6000A case with Antec 80mm tri LED fans

Temperatures reported with a “.5” at the end show that the software was constantly changing between one temperature and the next. NT-H1 is the clear temperature champ here, with a 1.5 C drop in peak temp and a faster drop to a stable temperature. Very impressive!

Conclusion

Noctua’s list of features for this paste couldn’t represent the product any better. It has excellent performance, is easy to install, has no burn-in time, and is not electrically conductive. The other features are not possible for me to test, such as the 2 year shelf life and 3 year installation life. Noctua NT-H1’s performance and features earn it the Editor’s Choice Award!

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