A CPU cooler featuring the NF-A9x14?!? Let's break it down and see what we get from this 37mm high cooler!
Here's the spec:
| Dimensions (Heatsink): Dimensions(With Fan): FPI: Weight: Socket: Inc. Fans: | 95(H) x 95(W) x 24(D) mm 95(H) x 95(W) x 37(D) mm 17 345g (Heatsink), 420g (With Fan) Intel LGA115x 1x Noctua NF-A9x14 |
Accessories: Low Noise Adaptor, 92x25mm fan screws, NT-H1 thermal compound, metal Noctua case badge.
Design:
The design of this cooler is very simple. It is 100% compatible with RAM, 100% compatible with expansion slots and extremely compatible if not 100% compatible with SFF ITX cases. We don't normally cover the packaging in our reviews and leave that for the unboxing video however the packaging on this product is so gorgeous we couldn't leave it out. Upon opening the box you are greeted with a nice little layout showing off the L9i and its accessories.
| Plastic badges have always been pointless to me, just an added extra that SHOULDN'T be used and add extra cost to the product. Metal badges such as the one that comes with the |
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NH-L9i however are a different story. These give a little extra premium feel to the product that coupled with the box shown above make it look like a cooler on a completely different level to its competition. This coupled with the included NT-H1 thermal paste not only add to the image but also the value of this product, especially when you take into consideration the cost of NT-H1 at retail on its own.
At 37mm high with the included fan you should be able to fit this cooler in almost any case you can think of. 14mm of this is the fan(NF-A9x14) leaving 18mm for the fins and 5mm for the base and mounting hardware, replace the fan with a 25mm thick standard depth fan and you will increase not only the performance but also the height up to 48mm with it being a top-down cooler. This is still lower than most cases maximum capabilities.
At 37mm high with the included fan you should be able to fit this cooler in almost any case you can think of. 14mm of this is the fan(NF-A9x14) leaving 18mm for the fins and 5mm for the base and mounting hardware, replace the fan with a 25mm thick standard depth fan and you will increase not only the performance but also the height up to 48mm with it being a top-down cooler. This is still lower than most cases maximum capabilities.
While still on the topic of dimensions, when you look at the cooler from a birds-eye view you will notice it doesn't venture much further out than where the socket mounting holes are located. This makes it 100% compatible with RAM slots and PCIe slots on all common sockets and all common form factors so that is one thing less to worry about!
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To some this will beg the question "Is it that 'powerful' then?" and to answer this we will obviously go on to test it but here are some facts. It features 17 fins per inch on the heatsink and has two heatpipes both in a U shape forming a 'UU' design within the heatsink, helping dissipate the heat evenly. Now while heatsinks are not my forte per se, I have had considerable experience with them and must point out that compared to other heatsinks I have worked with, the fins on this heatsink and other Noctua heatsinks for that matter are far sturdier and thicker making them impossible to bend by accident which should in-turn be better for smoother airflow and lower noise.
Performance:
Test Bench:
| Component: Case Processor Cooler Fans Motherboard Ram Power Supply Storage | Product: (Reviews linked) BitFenix Prodigy Intel Core i5 4570 Silverstone TD02 Silverstone AP123 Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI Corsair Vengeance LP 2x4GB Cooler Master V450S Samsung 840 EVO 120GB | Sponsor: BitFenix HZmedia Silverstone Silverstone Gigabyte HZmedia HZmedia HZmedia |
For testing methodology click this.
Results:
From the graphs it looks as though the L9i is falling behind and is maybe not a very good cooler. I must point out however that this is an exceptionally small cooler specifically designed for small systems and <65W TDP Processors. We are running it on an 84W Haswell processor with Prime95 running. I am thoroughly impressed with this as I had around 15-20°C to work with before needing to worry, If possible the processor could have probably still been overclocked and been safe though that's not me recommending it.
As it is a 92mm cooler with the aim not really being to change the fan at all, we decided to not test the cooler with a different fan. Here is the results compared to the NF-F12 heatsink comparison chart.
Conclusion:
If you plan on running your processor stock and want something small, the L9i might be one of the best coolers to choose from. It's compact design coupled with the A9x14 both help strengthen and secure your motherboard and also give it that small but powerful aesthetic feel.
The L9i may not be the best performing cooler on the market but neither is it the biggest, loudest or most obnoxious. It's place is definitely with HTPC styled ultra-quiet and small media PC's but I would never be afraid to push it outside it's comfort zone, all in all a solid, well built little CPU cooler!
Now we have enough coolers to test it against AND a new rating format, here's our Verdict!
The L9i may not be the best performing cooler on the market but neither is it the biggest, loudest or most obnoxious. It's place is definitely with HTPC styled ultra-quiet and small media PC's but I would never be afraid to push it outside it's comfort zone, all in all a solid, well built little CPU cooler!
Now we have enough coolers to test it against AND a new rating format, here's our Verdict!
Verdict:
| Performance: Build Quality: Features & Compatibility: Aesthetics & Packaging: Value For Money: | 15/40* 15/15 13/15 10/10 15/20 | Total: |
*Please note that these ratings are in comparison to the entire CPU AIO Cooling market including both air and water coolers. If we were to compare this purely in comparison to Low-Profile coolers which we hope to actually do a feature on in the future, please use the stock cooler as an example of what the NH-L9i is really competing against.
Awards:
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