Conclusion

Performance

The NH-L9a-AM4 CPU cooler performed well at stock CPU speeds, keeping the processor cool and stable throughout all runs. Further, the cooler was virtually noise-less. However, its compact size and small fan limited its use to stock processor speeds only. The unit just doesn't have sufficient cooling capacity to keep up with any level of enthusiast grade overclocking. With that said, the cooler would be perfect for a base system build where you wanted to show off the internals or for a micro-system build where noise production trumps overclocking prowess.

Pricing

As of March 01, the Noctua NH-L9a-AMD CPU cooler was available at Amazon.com for $39.90 with Prime shipping, as well as Newegg.com for $39.90.

NH-L9a-AMD CPU Cooler

Conclusion

The NH-L9a-AMD CPU cooler lives up to Noctua's design ethos, embodying a decent performing cooler with a minimal noise footprint. The cooler uses Noctua's standard nickel-plated copper and aluminum hybrid design to great effect with embedded heat pipes designed to wick the heat away from its copper core across the aluminum radiator. Its horizontal design gives it a minimal footprint while its u-shaped embedded heat pipes allows it to maintain its small footprint for massive board compatibility. However, its small design limits its performance potential with it able to cool a Ryzen 7 processor well at stock speed only. The one Achille's heel for the cooler is its mounting design. Mounting the cooler requires board removal from your case as well as two hands to secure the cooler in place while you screw in the mounting posts through the board's bottom.

Strengths

  • Performance under stock CPU operating conditions
  • Build and machining quality of the cooler
  • Size compatibility with any motherboard configurations
  • Fan noise in tested configuration
  • Radiator fin density – 16 FPI versus 11 FPI found on most other Noctua air cooler
  • Manual quality

Weaknesses

  • Hard to use bottom-up cooler mounting mechanism
  • Small fan limits performance to stock-only use
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