Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile CPU Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging & Bundle3. The Noctua NH-L9i CPU Cooler4. Testing Methodology5. Thermal Performance6. Acoustic Performance 7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The Noctua NH-L9i colour scheme is very similar to that of any other Noctua cooler. Some consumers dislike the beige and red colours, while others think it creates a unique appearance.

Noctua uses a 14mm-thick, 92mm NF-A9x14 PWM fan which is capable of up to 2500 RPM operational speed with an airflow rate of 57.5 m³/h and acoustic output of 23.6 dbA.

Two sides of the NH-L9i's heatsink are closed to help maintain appropriate air pressure inside the fin array. Noctua embosses its company logo onto the outer metal plate. The heatsink's remaining two sides are left open to align with the natural path that the heat-saturated escaping air will take.

Noctua states the NH-L9i's height as 37mm with the fan, which is correct when the cooler is sat on a CPU, taking the CPU heatspreader as a reference point. When not installed, we measured the height to be 43mm – the 6mm increase due to the pre-installed mounting bracket.

As the Noctua NH-L9i CPU cooler only supports LGA 1155 hardware, Noctua pre-installs the necessary mounting brackets to reduce the consumer's installation time.

Comparable in terms of width and length to the Intel i5 3570K stock CPU cooler, the Noctua NH-L9i's reduced height makes it a good choice for users with inconvenient space constraints.

Noctua bases the NH-L9i's 95 x 95mm width and length dimensions around Intel's specified ‘keep-clear' socket zone to avoid unnecessary interference with components such as graphics cards and RAM.

Thanks to the pre-applied mounting brackets, installation was a fast procedure. Noctua directs users to apply thermal paste, mount the cooler and then secure it from the motherboard's rear side. This is a tricky procedure that had us crying out for an extra hand.

Once installation was finished, the Noctua NH-L9i was very securely attached to our motherboard. The low-profile design and narrow dimensions all but eliminate clearance issues with RAM, VRM heatsinks and other motherboard components.

Due to the very small height and secure installation of Noctua's NH-L9i CPU cooler, shipping a system with this heatsink pre-installed shouldn't cause any damage or movement worries.

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