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 is a well-designed, low-profile CPU cooler that is able to offer a noticeable performance boost over the cooling capabilities of Intel's supplied heatsink.

Managing to outperform the Intel Core i5 3570K stock CPU cooler with more diminutive dimensions, Noctua's engineering team has designed an efficient heatsink for the NH-L9i. When coupled with the 92mm NF-A9x14 PWM fan, the NH-L9i is able to offer performance that is very respectable, when taking its size into account.

Acoustic levels aren't the strongest aspect of the Noctua NH-L9i CPU cooler – the 2,500 RPM fan operating at full speed is louder than the Intel reference heatsink. A total noise output of 40.9 dbA isn't intrusively loud, although it can be noticed easily when one's system is situated in a quiet room.

If 40.9 dbA is more noise output than you are happy to put up with, simply utilise the PWM fan's dynamic speed control or make good use of Noctua's supplied low-noise adapter that limits fan speed to a maximum of 1,800 RPM.

Installation was a fast and generally straightforward procedure. Holding the cooler in place on the motherboard's front side while fastening it from the back had us urging for an extra hand. One solution is to rest the cooler on a flat surface, although this method can help to promote movement which causes trails of thermal paste to be left over one's motherboard.

One of the Noctua NH-L9i CPU cooler's main issues is its lack of compatibility. Users wanting to carry the cooler over to a different, non-LGA 1155/1156, platform can't use the NH-L9i. Both the Intel, L9i, and AMD, L9a, variants offer support for their individual platform, only.

While both the Intel and AMD versions have their subtle differences, consumers are unlikely to feel happy about being forced into another purchase, should they choose to change platform. The slight performance drop, in the case of the larger NH-L9a, is a worthy compromise for added compatibility.

Priced at £31.99 from Amazon, the Noctua NH-L9i targets mini-ITX and small form factor users, to who complying with space constraints is generally more important than all-out cooling performance. For users that desire a low-profile CPU cooler that offers a noticeable performance improvement and size reduction over Intel's LGA 1155 stock heatsink, the Noctua NH-L9i is a worthwhile purchase.

Pros:

• Very small size.
• Unlikely to cause clearance issues with RAM, VRM heatsinks and motherboard components.
• 6 year warranty.
• Low-noise adapter supplied and PWM fan.
• Can handle high overclocks for a cooler of its size.

Cons:

• Limited compatibility – not cross-platform.
• Fan isn't particularly quiet at full speed.

KitGuru says: A well-designed CPU cooler that eliminates the worry about space constraints and component clearance.

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