Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile CPU Cooler Review

 

Unboxing

 

The packaging for the NH-L9i is very similar to other Noctua packages, it’s the colors we’ve come to associate with Noctua.

nhl9i1 nhl9i2

 

Opening the box you’ll be greeted with the instructions on the top half and then you’ll see the top of the cooler and accessories nestled in a soft foam bed in the bottom half.

nhl9i3

 

In the bottom half you’ll see the top of the cooler, a full tube of NT-H1 thermal compound, a low-noise adapter, four thumbscrews and a nice Noctua case badge.

nhl9i4

 

Here’s everything that comes in the box:

nhl9i5

 

So yes it is a full tube of thermal compound and not just a small sample. The included low noise adapter can be used with the fan to lower the speed and reduce the noise.

nhl9i6

 

The four thumbscrews included are the mounting hardware, yes that’s all that you use to mount the cooler in your system.

nhl9i7

 

Noctua does include a bag a long screws, these can be used if you want to install a larger or thicker 92mm fan with the cooler for added cooling ability.

nhl9i8

 

The case badge that Noctua includes isn’t some cheap paper thing, it’s thick metal and high quality, just like Noctua coolers.

nhl9i9 nhl9i10

 

Here’s the Noctua NH-L9i cooler, with the fan attached the size of the cooler is 95mm x 95mm x 37mm, so yeah it’s small. I guess you could call this the front or top of the cooler, here you’ll see the tops of the heat pipes and the Noctua logo. It’s a small cooler, but it’s heavy for it’s size, it’s compact and well made.

nhl9i11

 

The opposite side has holes where the heat pipes would be and the Noctua logo is there again.

nhl9i13

 

Here’s a side view of the cooler, there’s a lot of cooling fins in the compact design.

nhl9i12

 

The fan is the Noctua NF-A9x14, which is a 92mm fan but only 14mm thick. The fan is attached to the cooler with screws, so it’s semi-permanent. The NF-A9x14 is a special fan in that it’s thin but it’s designed to fully utilize all of the space of the fan to move the most amount of air in the most effective way. So don’t be fooled by the small size of this fan, it’s made to move a lot of air and keep things cool.

nhl9i14

 

The fan has built-in vibration dampening and it runs at 2200 – 2500rpm normally. The included low noise adapter will slow the fan down to 1800rpm for a lower noise level in your case.

nhl9i16

 

Here’s the bottom of the cooler with the protective covering on it the base. The only thing of note here is the mounting brackets really, they’re pre-attached for you. This is the first time I think Noctua has came out with two different coolers for AMD and Intel, usually they’re universal and you install the bracket you need.

nhl9i15

 

I tried to get a picture of the heat pipes for you through the fins, but it’s hard to do.

nhl9i17

 

You can see the heat pipes when you look directly from the top, but still not perfectly. That’s the best I can do for you…

nhl9i18

 

Then here’s the bottom with the covering on it:

nhl9i19

 

The base of the NH-L9i isn’t exactly a mirror finish or perfectly smooth, but it doesn’t have to be as we’ve learned long ago. Sure a mirror finish looks nice, but it’s not necessarily the best when it comes to thermal transfer. The base does appear flat and that is important!

nhl9i20

nhl9i21