Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4 | Installation Manual
Dear customer,Congratulations on choosing the Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4.Having received more than 200 awards and recommendations from international hardware websites and magazines, our flagship model NH-D15 has become a benchmark for elite-class dual tower coolers. The SE-AM4 version is a dedicated special edition for AMD’s AM4 platform featuring the latest SecuFirm2™ mounting system for AM4. Enjoy your NH-D15 SE-AM4!
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. Please also make sure that your PC case offers sufficient clearance for the cooler and that there are no compatibility issues with any other components (e.g. tall RAM modules). Double-check that the heatsink and fan clips do not make contact with the VGA card or other PCIe cards. Noctua cannot be held responsible for any damage or losses caused by compatibility issues.
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 [email protected].Multilingual versions of this manual are available on our website: www.noctua.at/manuals
Required mounting parts:
AMD stock backplate (pre-installed on the motherboard)
Step 1
Removing the stock retention module
First, remove the motherboard’s stock CPU cooler retention module by unscrewing it from the backplate. The SecuFirm2™ mounting system will install directly to the stock backplate, so please keep it in place.
If your motherboard does not include a stock backplate, please contact Noctua customer support at [email protected].
Step 2
Attaching the mounting bars
Choose either the short NM-AMB4 or the long NM-AMB5 mounting bars according to the desired final orientation of the cooler.
First, put the NM-APS4 plastic spacers onto the screw threads of the backplate, then fix the mounting bars using the four long screws.
For the short NM-AMB4 mounting bars, make sure that the curved sides are pointing inwards. For the long NM-AMB5 mounting bars, make sure that the curved sides are pointing outwards.
Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don’t use excessive force (max. torque 0.6 Nm).Please note that on some motherboards, the long NM-AMB5 mounting bars may not fit due to making contact with components on the motherboard. In such cases, the cooler can be installed with the short NM-AMB4 mounting bars only.
Step 3
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 the supplied NT-H1 thermal compound onto the center of the heat spreader.
Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower heat conductivity and cooling performance!
Step 4
Fastening the heatsink to the CPU
Caution: Please first take off the centre fan as well as the protection cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.
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, but don’t use excessive force (max. torque 0.6 Nm).
Step 5
Fan Setup
Reattach the centre fan and, optionally, install the second fan (in grey) using the supplied steel clips:
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 they 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 ventilation or remove the L.N.A.s.
Should I take the cooler off before transporting my system?As it is not possible to reliably calculate or control the forces that act upon a system during transport (e.g. in shipping), we generally recommend, for safety reasons, taking the cooler off. Noctua cannot be held responsible for any damage that may arise due to excessive stress during transport if you keep the heatsink installed.
Warranty, Support, and FAQs
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 SE-AM4, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team ([email protected]).Please also consult the FAQ section on our website: www.noctua.at/faqs.
References
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