Noctua NT-H2 VS NT-H1: Which Is Best For Cooling Your CPU?

• 

  Performance Winner

  Night NT-H2

  Noctua’s NT-H2 is an upgrade to the company’s already well-known NT-H1 thermal paste. The NT-H2 range offers even better performance while remaining easy to use. The NT-H2 paste also comes with three included cleaning wipes.

  Pros

  • Best Cooling Performance
  • Easier to apply
  • Comes with included cleaning wipes

  Cons

  • Price compared to NT-H1

• 

  Still great

  Night NT-H1

  The original thermal paste from Noctua. NT-H1 has been tried, tested, and trusted by many over the years. The Nt-H1 thermal paste will get the job whether you are changing the paste on an office PC or getting ready to overclock your CPU.

  Pros

  • Cheaper than NT-H2
  • Still offers good cooling performance

  Cons

  • Not quite as good as its successor

Thermal paste is an essential part of any PC build. It helps to make sure there are no air pockets between your CPU and CPU cooler, which allows for better heat dissipation. Keeping your CPU as cool as possible will ensure it is running efficiently and offers optimal performance. If your CPU gets too hot, you can run into problems with thermal throttling.

Price, availability, and specs

Widely available but the difference in price may put you off

Both Noctua’s NT-H1 and NT-H2 thermal pastes are readily available from most places that sell thermal pastes such as Amazon and Newegg. At the time of writing, the 3.5g tube of NT-H1 can be had on Amazon for $9.90 with either an AMD5 CPU guard or three cleaning wipes. The 3.5g tube of NT-H2 comes with three wipes as standard and costs $12.95. However, for $13.90, you can get the AM5 guard with it as well, which, for the price, is well worth it. Newegg is currently a bit more expensive, with the 3.5g tube of the NT-H2 costing $17.45, though you’d be buying from a third-party seller. The NT-H1 is out of stock at this retailer.

• Night NT-H1

  Electrically conductive

  No

  Density

  2,49 g/cm³

  Operating temperature

  -50 to 110°C

  Color

  Grey

  Recommended usage time (on the CPU)

  up to 5 years

  Volume

  1,4 ml

• Night NT-H2

  Electrically conductive

  No

  Density

  2.81 g/cm³

  Operating temperature

  -50 to 200°C

  Color

  Grey

  Recommended usage time (on the CPU)

  up to 5 years

  Volume

  1,2 ml

Related

What are the differences?

Minor differences allow for better performance

The new NT-H2 uses a new mixture of metal oxide micro-particles that allows for better and lower thermal resistance. It does this by allowing for a reduced bond-line thickness at typical mounting pressure, which in turn, results in better performance in most scenarios. The official specifications show that the NT-H2 has a higher density but a lower volume. In Noctua’s testing, the company claims to see a 2°C difference in temperatures when using the NT-H2 thermal paste.

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Testing and Performance

Close to Noctua’s claims, but not quite all the way there

When it comes to testing thermal pastes and even CPU coolers, I like to do a few different tests to really see how they perform. My testing methodology consists of checking temperatures at idle, while gaming, and under full load. For my idle readings, I restart the PC, let it boot up to the Windows desktop, and then leave it to idle for 5 minutes before getting the results.

For gaming, I am currently using Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. I load into the game and play a couple of multiplayer maps before taking the temperature readings. Lastly, for load, I use Prime 95 and run the Small FFTs test which is designed for maximum heat output.

Every time I apply thermal paste to my CPU, I start with a small pea-sized blob and I spread it to cover the whole CPU. I do this for consistency in testing and to ensure the whole CPU surface is covered. When spreading the paste, it gives the CPU cooler the best chance of having its baseplate completely covered. For this comparison, I used the Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU.

While I couldn’t quite replicate the 2°C, I did manage to get a difference of 1.2°C when using the NT-H2. This is proof that the NT-H2 thermal paste is better, but if you’re already using NT-H1, it is probably not worth the hassle of changing it.

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Which is right for you?

Price or performance? You will have to choose what matters most to you

When it comes to finding the best thermal paste or best CPU cooler in 2024, there are loads of options. You will have to ask yourself if you need the best performance possible, or would you like something a little more friendly on the budget.

In terms of overall performance, Noctua’s NT-H2 wins hands down. In all my testing, the NT-H2 gave me a lower CPU temperature every time, no matter what test was being done. If you are looking for the best cooling possible, this is going to be the one to go for if you want one of Noctua’s thermal pastes.

Night NT-H2

This premium thermal paste from Noctua uses the brand’s famous NT-H1 paste as a base and then improves on it via a unique formula of micro particles for even better thermal performance. Like with the H1, you can still expect excellent ease of use and fantastic long-term stability, too.

With that being said, if you are already using the NT-H1 thermal paste, there is no need to change it. The NT-H1 still offers good performance and the differences in temperatures are not worth a complete change. However, if you are looking to buy some thermal paste, the NT-H2, while more expensive, is going to be the one to go with. When all is said and done, you will want the best temps possible!

Night NT-H1

The Noctua NT-H1 is a highly reliable thermal paste solution you can find right now. It works well even for extreme overclocking conditions.