Noctua NH-D9L CPU Cooler Review

[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion

Jumping straight into the performance aspect of the NH-D9L and we can see it holds its own quite well for its intended purpose. The NH-D9L is designed more so for HTPC type computers that do not require a top-down cooler and as such, the smaller size, of course, restricts its performance a bit, but not so much that one should be concerned. Looking back upon the thermal performance benchmark results at the NH-D9L managed to handle an overclocked 4770K even with only one fan being used. Now, of course, when two or three fans were in use the performance was much better and this is to be expected. Overall the NH-D9L will be able to cool a standard HTPC with ease or if need be, it can handle a more beasty rig, maybe a nice LAN rig of sorts?

When it comes to the design of the NH-D9L, it’s from Noctua so need I really say more? Well, for those who don’t know, Noctua doesn’t play around when it comes to quality or design. While the NH-D9L is designed for more compact smaller PC’s and/or HTPC builds it is still made from the best of quality components and designed to offer exceptional performance. The only area of design we can question when it comes to Noctua is their brownish colour scheme they use on some of their fans, but at the end of the day we can’t fault them for this as they still perform great, which when all is said and done is the most important aspect of design. The dual tower fin array and four heatpipes are designed to give users the cooling power they need and deserve to help keep their CPU cool in a number of different situations.

Now for my least favourite part of any review, the value aspect. For the money, the NH-D9L offers exceptional performance based on its form factor and intended use but on the same hand, it is definitely not the cheapest of coolers for its form factor. However, if you want quality and guaranteed performance you are more than likely willing to pay an extra premium for this and given so, the NH-D9L is not ridiculously priced but falls into the range it should, the top tier.

When all is said and done, yes you may be able to find a cheaper cooler out there, but will it offer the same performance and design of the NH-D9L? Most likely not. The NH-D9L is not meant to be the top-dog of air cooling but instead, a great cooler for smaller builds and which this in mind it is exceptionally designed and will do its job. If you are in the market for a smaller cooler that offers great RAM/CPU compatibility then the NH-D9L is definitely worth a look.

I would like to thank Noctua for sending the NH-D9L in for review and look forward to seeing what they will come out with next.