INTRODUCTION

   For the most part the market is filled with medium to large sized Tower CPU coolers which thanks to their high cooling efficiency are suitable for use by gamers, professionals and overclockers and small to medium sized top-down CPU coolers which offer good performance levels for their size and are mostly targeted towards people with limited space in their systems such as HTPC owners. However from time to time we do see small tower type CPU coolers which can fit everywhere and usually land between the above mentioned solutions in terms of performance. The only problem with this type of coolers is quality since most of the time we see models by manufacturers who mostly care about keeping a low cost. Noctua is amongst a handful of manufacturers that put quality and performance before cost for their products and their latest NH-U9S is one such bright example.

   Designed in Austria, Noctua's premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 3000 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua's fans and heatsinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe. Noctua comes from a cooperation of the Austrian Rascom Computerdistribution Ges.m.b.H. with the Taiwanese cooling specialist Kolink International Corporation, pooling more than ten years of experience in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end cooling components. Established in 2005, Noctua took the international silent enthusiasts' hearts by storm and quickly developed into one of the most acclaimed suppliers of premium quality quiet cooling products. Today, Noctua is present in more than 30 countries across the globe and working with several hundred sales partners. Chosen by noise conscious PC users, system integrators and industry clients alike, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance.

  Although very compact in size the brand new NH-U9S CPU cooler by Noctua is basically a cut-down version of their very successful NH-U14S and NH-U12S models (design-wise always) so although the large reduction in size means we can't expect similar performance (far from it actually) still we're quite curious to see how it performs. That being said the NH-U9S supports most CPU models (old and new) comes ready with an high-speed NF-A9 PWM 90mm fan and if by any chance that's not enough for some people Noctua has made it possible for users to mount a second NF-A9 PWM fan in push and pull configuration for improved cooling performance. So the time has come for us to see what our good friends over at Noctua have been working on lately.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Noctua used the same box for the NH-U9S as with all their models so at the front we see a 2D barcode, the main features list and a picture of the NF-A9 PWM fan as background.

A more in-depth features list is placed on the right side of the box while on the left we see the specifications and bundle contents lists.

A few words about the product can be seen at the rear of the box in 8 different languages.

The features list is also placed at the top.

Both the bundle and the NH-U9S are placed inside cardboard boxes.

Aside superior quality and performance another thing you can always expect from Noctua is plenty of bundle contents. So the NH-U9S (and the NF-A9 PWM fan) is accompanied by two extra fan mounting clips, NT-H1 thermal paste tube, low noise adapter, Noctua case badge, screwdriver, backplate and all the necessary bits and pieces required to install the cooler onto Intel LGA1150/1155/1156/2011 (LGA2011-0/3) and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2/FM2+ mainboards.

THE NOCTUA NH-U9S

With a height of just 125mm the 618g heavy NH-U9S is almost just as small as some low-profile models (with the fan the NH-U9S is 95mm wide and 95mm deep).

The NF-A9 PWM fan has a maximum rotational speed of 2000RPM (+-10%) with which it can achieve airflow levels of up to 46.4CFM with just 22.8dBA of noise.

Noctua has engraved their logo at the top fin as you can see from the above picture (the hole next to it is used to mount the cooler onto your mainboard with the bundled screwdriver).

The main body of the cooler is made out of 43 aluminum fins part of which is bend on the sides to help keep air from leaking out from the heatsink.

A total of five 6mm nickel plated copper heatpipes leave the base of the NH-U9S and pass through all of its fins.

Noctua has once again used a mirror like finish for the copper base which really looks great.

By adding a 2nd NF-A9 PWM fan the NH-U9S becomes 122mm in width. Unfortunately since our Intel Core i5-3770k was unavailable at this time we can't see how the NH-U9S performs against low-profile solutions but to make up for that we used both single and dual fan configurations for our tests.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   After we wrapped up all our tests it was quite clear that we should had tested the NH-U9S with our Intel Core i5 3770k test rig but since we didn't have access to it at this time we had to go with our primary Intel Core i7 3930k test rig. However the fact that the NH-U9S managed to keep our system running even at heavy load is really very important and shows just what this very small CPU Cooler is capable of. Of course even the much cheaper Raijintek managed to keep our system running but the NH-U9S performed better. Now normally the 4.5 degrees Celsius between these two similarly sized coolers (the Raijintek Aidos is 136mm tall however) isn't something that I’d tell people to pay over twice as much for but the NH-U9S is also 5.3dBA quieter and for HTPC users that's a big deal. And then you have the top notch craftsmanship Noctua alone can offer and although the end user is paying for that (naturally) i think it's well worth the extra money especially since the NH-U9S is covered by a 6 year warranty.

   Since the Noctua NH-U9S 95mm CPU cooler is a brand new product it has yet to reach our friends across the Atlantic so you can currently only get it from within the EU for a price of 59Euros (Amazon.co.uk). Now compared to several low-profile CPU Coolers the NH-U9S doesn't really cost that much more but you can get a full sized mid-end CPU cooler model for the same amount of money so in the end it all comes down to interior space. So if you can fit a larger model inside your system then go ahead since you'll be getting a better bang for your money, at least in terms of cooling efficiency. However if space is a problem then the NH-U9S model by Noctua is the way to go and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Small Size (no clearance issues)
- Excellent Performance (for its size)
- Noise Levels
- Dual Fan Solution
- Socket Compatibility
- Bundle
- 6 Years Warranty

CONS

- Price (For Some)