Review on Noctua NH-D9L: High-Performance CPU Cooler with NF-A9 92mm Fan (Brown) by Jorge Tupou

I replaced the stock cooler on my 3600 with this one and damn it's a good upgrade. I was looking at a more powerful cooler like the D15, but it wouldn't match my Node 804's specs. I was a little hesitant as 92mm fans can be louder, but Noctua seems to have put some magic into these things. The fan on this thing is quiet compared to the AMD Wraith cooler and almost inaudible under load if you go into the bios and set it to a quiet profile. Even if there is a temperature rise due to CPU overclocking, there is only a slight "whistle” compared to the stock cooler, which sounds like a 1990s Honda. Anything that's fairly quiet when idling makes a big difference as I usually just leave my computer running in the background when I'm at home, even if I'm sleeping in the same room. Aftermarket tower cooler, this thing puts the stock cooler to shame. While idle, temperatures are about the same, ranging from the low to mid-40s C. Under load in CPU-intensive games, I hit my CPU's maximum frequency with temperatures well below the "safe limit". From what I've noticed, the temperature peaked at around 72C, while the stock cooler would have peaked at 80C. I tried a second Noctua 92mm fan in a push-pull configuration hoping to drop temperatures even further. But cooling performance seems to be more limited by surface area than airflow here on the D9L. Temperatures didn't change much under load or when idling, a degree or two at most, but I think that's within the margin of error. The main benefit I've seen in adding a second fan is that it lowers temperatures from high peaks faster than it actually lowers constant temperatures. If you can afford it and your body can handle it, the bigger the better. A larger radiator with a larger fan that can move the same amount of air at lower RPMs offers a noticeable benefit in lowering temperatures and noise. But it's a worthy contender for those with a smaller body or a smaller budget.