A Better Look at Things:

The Noctua NH-U9B SE2 comes packaged in the familiar Noctua branded box. On the package we see oodles of product information including features, specifications and diagrams of AMD and Intel installations. On the front of the package is a windowed area revealing one of the Noctua NF-B9 fans. We even see the Dragonsteelmods 5/5 stamp on Noctua’s list of previous awards.

Opening the box reveals the NH-U9B SE2 cooler, two NF-B9 fans, a bag of common parts, an installation set for AMD and Intel processors, four fan mounting brackets, a Phillips screwdriver tool and a set of instructions. In addition they include their HT-N1 thermal compound and four anti-vibration strips. Noctua provides a separate set of instructions for Intel and AMD which helps prevent confusion. Unlike some other cooler manufacturers these instructions are clearly explained with diagrams and use proper English.

At first glance the NH-U9B SE2 looks like a shrunken head version of the NH-U12P SE1366. We find the Noctua logo on top of the cooler with four adjacent protruding heat pipe ends on each side. The cooler’s dimensions are 12.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 7.1 cm and 460 grams without the fan and 12.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 9.5/12.5 and 550/640 grams depending on whether one or two fans are attached. Its base and heat pipes are composed of copper; the cooling fins are aluminum with soldered joints and nickel plating.

The base is designed to have microgrooves to allow high viscosity thermal compounds to be dispersed uniformly in a thin layer; so don’t expect a mirror finish on the base. For socket 775, 1136 and 1366 installations, Noctua provides a back plate that is insulated with a foam pad to prevent the cooler from shorting out the motherboard. This back plate has three hole positions on each arm of the back plate corresponding to the specific Intel socket type. The AMD system mounts using the pre-existing back plate.

The bag labeled “common parts” includes two sets of low noise and Ultra low noise adaptors, fan mounting clips, mounting brackets and screws, anti-vibration pads, a tube of HT-N1 thermal compound, a metal case badge and a Phillips screw driver to installing the brackets. Noctua doesn’t leave anything out for installing this cooler!

The included 92mm NF-B9 fans have seven fan blades each with a serrated edge and can work with Low-Noise (LNA) and Ultra Low-Noise Adaptors (ULNA). These notches are known as Vortex Control Notches designed to split the airflow into smaller vortices across the fan blades thus spreading the fan noise a wider range of frequencies making them less perceptible. They are designed to push 38CFM of air through the blades.

As with most Noctua products, the fans are brown and rest in a beige housing. Their wiring is silicon sleeved and the cable provides plenty of length. The fans operate at a rotational speed of 1600 RPM at full speed, 1300 RPM with LNA and 1000 RPM using the ULNA.