Noctua NH-U9S U-Type Tower CPU Cooler Review

Introduction

Noctua is one of the most recognisable cooling brands around and for those who don’t recognise the name, you will most likely recognise the colours. Noctua are famous for two things, extremely high-quality products and that beige/brown colour scheme; love it or hate it, you can always pick a Noctua out of a crowd.

“Continuing the renowned legacy of Noctua’s award-winning NH-U9 series, the NH-U9S is a premium quality quiet CPU cooler in classic 9cm size. Its asymmetrical design with 5 heatpipes not only provides even better cooling performance than the previous generation but also improves compatibility: Thanks to its 95x95mm footprint, the NH-U9S clears the RAM and PCIe slots on all Intel and most AMD based mainboards, including µATX and ITX. Combined with its 125mm height, this makes the NH-U9S a highly versatile solution with excellent case, RAM and PCIe compatibility. The included NF-A9 premium fan supports automatic speed control via PWM for outstanding quietness of operation and a second, optional NF-A9 fan can be added for further improved performance in dual fan mode. Topped off with the trusted, pro-grade SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, Noctua’s proven NT-H1 thermal compound and full 6 years manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-U9S is a deluxe choice through and through.” – Noctua

It’s no secret that Noctua has made some truly amazing coolers over the years, offering products that are virtually as good as you can get before taking the leap up to a water-cooled solution; which isn’t ideal for every kind of build anyway. Their latest cooler certainly is set to take on the world of water cooling, but it does promise to be a premium quality solution for those who need a more compact cooler. Equipped with a 95mm fan, a compact cooling tower and a tight bundle of heat pipes, I’m eager to see how this little cooler performs!

Nicely designed packaging with all the major specifications you’ll need to know clearly labeled.

In the box, you’ll find everything comes meticulously packaged, with separate pouches for both Intel and AMD mounting kits, as well as the general components, extra fan clips and a syringe of Noctua’s award-winning thermal paste.

You’ll also find some nicely formatted and easy to follow instruction booklets for each socket type.

The cooler is very compact, yet surprisingly heavy; it may be small, but there’s a lot of metal here.

There’s a single 95mm Noctua fan included with the cooler, which comes pre-installed, although you will have to remove it to install the cooler. It’s a fairly typical Noctua fan in terms of design and naturally, it’s of a very high quality.

The 95mm fan mounts using two simple metal clips and comes with rubber coated corners to help reduce any vibrations.

The fin stack is tightly packed and the individual fins are quite thick and strong compared to most coolers. Since this is the “S” version, it clocks in with 95mm dimensions, compared to the “B” model, which is 120mm, this means that it’ll provide you with improved compatibility with chassis, motherboards and other components.

Despite its tiny size, the NH-U9S packs five copper heat-pipes to help move heat through to the aluminium cooling fins.

The copper base plate and the heat pipes come with a gorgeous nickel playing and the CPU contact plate is polished to a mirror shine.