Installation
As we noted earlier in this review, the Noctua NH-L9i didn’t come with many accessories. This did, therefore, lead us to suspect that the installation method was going to be simple, if not a bit unusual. Well, when fitting this to our test bench, that was certainly the case. Don’t worry though, it’s all good news!
Mounting
The cooler mounted to our Intel 1151 motherboard through the installation of four screws. These fit directly from the base of the motherboard where you’d usually expect to see a ‘backing plate’. Without this component, however, you can simply sit your cooler onto the CPU (after applying some thermal paste) and then attach it via the bottom. This is literally thermal paste, sit the cooler in place, 4 screws, plug in the fan, and away you go!
If you are worried about those screws potentially damaging your motherboard, however, fret ye not! While we would advise some lighter touches as it comes to the final tightening, the screws do have a cushioned base to ensure that the metal doesn’t come into direct contact with the board.
Overall Thoughts
Thanks to its very easy installation method, it took us no longer than about 5 minutes to install the Noctua NH-L9i. With the only exception being a ‘pushpin’ design (often seen with stock coolers) this installation method is amazingly easy to work with and while being an absolute doddle for someone with even basic experience, this cooler provides no challenge to someone new to coolers either!
With its low-profile sleek-black design, it just looks fantastic too! In terms of aesthetics, this is a huge step up from stock-coolers or other less visually impressive designs!
