Noctua NH-L9i Low-Profile CPU Cooler

Category: Cooling

Created on Tuesday, 20 November 2012 01:02

Written by Steve

I didn't realize that unpacking something as simple as the NH-L9i would become such a great experience, but it was. When I first opened the box for the NH-L9i I was presented with all the accessories and manual neatly laid out on a custom cut piece of foam. Every accessory and piece of hardware had it's place, right down to individually cut holes for each of the installation screws to sit in. I felt like I should have been unpacking the keys to my new Ferrari, not opening the lid on a $49 CPU cooler! Kudos Noctua. First impressions are the ones that last and Noctua has done a great job of making sure you don't forget what it was like to unpack this cooler.

The included hardware and accessories with the NH-L9i are kept fairly minimal. Since there's two variations of the cooler, one for Intel and one for AMD, there's no need to include a bulky multi-platform installation kit. Instead, the bracket needed to install the cooler is pre-installed and since it's not heavy enough to need a backplate, it literally takes nothing more than the fastening of four screws to have it fully installed on your CPU. Some extra accessories you'll still find in the box include a low noise adapter for the fan (model NA-RC7), a full size tube of Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste, a heavy steel case badge, and an installation guide (which is seen tucked on the under side of the top of the box). Noctua also throws in an extra pack of fan installation screws which are intended for use with mounting thicker fans onto the heatsink.