We used the Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard 6 core overclock pre-set and manually set the DDR4 to 2666Mhz.
This set the core to the default base frequency of 3.3Ghz but increased the turbo to 4.3Ghz. The stability test ensured it stayed at 4.3Ghz through the test.
With 50 °C at idle, it is 11°C higher than a be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 overclocked to 4.4Ghz on the same set up. Superbly, the load temperature is only 3°C higher than the Dark Rock Pro 3. Surprisingly, this was a single fan configuration, we didn’t feel the need to add the second NF-A9 fan at the time of testing, though prolonged over clocks would demand this.
34.7 Db at idle is only just higher than stock. Despite not being under load, this was still at 4.3Ghz with the occasional power save from the CPU. At load it resulted in a 0.2 Db higher than the Dark Rock Pro 3, which is amazing when you consider the size of the cooler and the single fan set up.
Conclusion
When you look at this as a standalone CPU cooler, it works really well. It is small, quiet, well made, PWM and has expansion options. PWM gives you a lot of control and the small foot print means it’s not going to get in the way of much.
It is perfect for a Thermaltake Core V1 or a BitFenix Phenom Mini ITX Chassis and won’t skin your knuckles trying to fit it either. It is also big on performance, we pushed it with a 30% overclock on an Intel i7-5820K and it didn’t throttle. It got hot, but nothing a second fan wouldn’t cure.
It managed to bite the Dark Rock Pro 3 in the ankles and run away, with not much to be worried about, despite the Dark Rock Pro 3 being twice the size, the performance is just about on par . The Dark Rock Pro 3 is also an absolute pain to fit.
Final Thoughts
It is not supposed to be a competitor to the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 but it does a fine job none the less. If you want big block CPU cooler performance in your small chassis, this maybe for you. From a consumer experience point of view, there isn’t anything bad about this cooler, and there is a lot good about it.
Noctua NH-D9L CPU Cooler Review
Package - 9.2
Performance - 9
Price - 9
Consumer Experience - 9.5
9.2
It is not supposed to be a competitor to the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 but it does a fine job none the less. If you want big block CPU cooler performance in your small chassis, this maybe for you. From a consumer experience point of view, there isn't anything bad about this cooler, and there is a lot good about it.