Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3, Premium-Grade CPU Cooler for AMD sTRX4/TR4/SP3 (140mm, Brown)

Very easy to install. I didn't know until I got it that you can get one with a second fan. I'm ordering that for my computer as the Threadrippers runs even warmer than I thought it would. Make sure you have good airflow in the case! It works very well at stock speeds and maybe a mild overclock, but beyond that, unless you have a way to keep your computer room very cool, it will get warm. I tried the 3960x with a liquid cooler at first, but although it kept it below the throttling speed, it was getting quite warm. The standard water coolers just don't cover enough of the cpu to keep it cool.Putting it in was very easy. Cleared the memory on my Gigabyte Aorus Wifi Pro MB with no problem, but I only have four sticks of ram. If I had more, it would have hit the top of the sticks closest to the cpu and wouldn't fit. If you are planning on using more than four sticks, they had better be very low profile. Your MB may be different and have more spacing though. It cleared my video card which is in the first slot by at least 6 mm, although there is an adjustment to move it up to 6 mm higher up in the case if needed.Heatsink seems to be solid and very well made. It's tall, so check your clearance with the side of the case. I've got an old Cooler Master HAF 932 case and have four fans mounted on the side, and it still cleared with plenty of room. Even though it came with only one fan, it includes clips for a second one and a tube of thermal paste. It also comes with a short cable you can attach to the second fan to keep it at about 1200 RPM for quietness. I don't think the second fan will add that much extra noise as they are rather quiet fans and are 140 mm. They come with extra rubber isolation pads to keep the fan from vibrating against the cooler.All in all, a good product for a fair price, (considering what everything costs these days). Amazon shipping is also very quick, even without paying extra for faster shipping. I ordered it on a Wednesday evening, and it arrived on Friday about noon. I live near a large city, so your mileage may vary!

I really like the NH-U14S. It's very capable, but I'm not an overclocker and didn't expect it to cool beyond stock settings which are somewhere around 330W or so at the wall. That would put the CPU socket probably around 250W. I do NOT suggest the smaller version of this cooler. If you are going to air-cool a threadripper and choose Noctua, you want to get the U14S.A couple of notes on this cooler:The cooler partially blocks one DIMM slot, but its above the slot. Simply removing the fan (which takes 2 seconds) clears the slot for putting a DIMM in or taking it out, then the fan can be put back on and will be above the DIMM. This is a major plus.The cooler includes one fan, but also includes a strap for a second fan so you can boost heat extraction (and noise) by adding a second 140mm fan if you like. The fan is fairly quiet considering what its being asked to do. A lower-noise setup is possible if you use XFR2 + PPT settings to reduce the power envelope below stock.The cooler is designed for front-to-back airflow. Front-of-case fan-in, cooler pulls the air through to the back of the case, and a rear case fan to pull the air out. I recommend a front AND rear fan at a minimum, inline with the CPU socket.The cooler is fairly hefty and I do not recommend a vertical motherboard. Keep the motherboard flat if you use this cooler (and this is true for any bulky air cooler).If you need more cooling, intend to mount sideways (vertical motherboard), or need to fit the threadripper into a lower-profile case, consider a liquid cooling setup such as an Enermax. The advantage of using a liquid cooling setup is that you don't really have to worry about case airflow so much, whereas with an air-cooled setup you have to make sure that the front-to-back path is clear.The advantage of air-cooling is that it is extremely robust (no liquid to leak, no AIO pump, the fan is the only moving part). The disadvantage is that you will have non-uniform heat distribution on the motherboard. For example, the DIMMs on the exhaust side of the fan run considerably hotter than the DIMMs on the front-side, and same for the VRMs. So air-cooling is best when you aren't pushing the limits of the system, whereas liquid cooling is best if you are (or for the other reasons iterated).-Matt

I finally swapped my AIO water cooler for a Noctua CPU fan on my AMD Threadripper, 1950X and wow, what a difference! I was nervous about air cooling such a powerful chip, but this Noctua is a game-changer.The build quality is phenomenal, and installation was surprisingly easy. The best part? Silence! My old AIO always had a hum; this Noctua is practically inaudible, even under heavy load.Even better, my temperatures are lower or comparable to the liquid cooler, but with no pump hum or leak worries. My Threadripper system feels more stable, quieter, and happier.If you're considering air cooling for a high-end CPU like Threadripper, or just want to simplify your setup, get one of these.