Noctua NH-U9S, NH-D9L and NH-La9-AM5 review: Three powerful air coolers for economical CPUs
When it comes to PC air cooling, the name Noctua very quickly comes to mind. The Austria-based manufacturer has been in the business for years and as a result, brings with it a lot of expertise. They make suitable cooling solutions for all common sockets and processors. We were already able to see how effectively the Noctua NH-D15 could cool a powerful system based on an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with Noctuas NH-D15. However, cases aren't always able to accommodate such large coolers. On top of this, a lot of efficient processors don't always require cooling units to this extent. The three test subjects (Noctua NH-U9S, NH-D9L and NH-La9-AM5), which we have taken a closer look at in this test, represent relatively compact models produced by the premium manufacturer.
Noctua don't specify a TDP value for their models, which is often listed by other manufacturers. Instead, the spec sheet lists an NSRP value (Noctua's standardized performance rating). Please refer to the Noctua homepage for more details on NSRP values. For this reason, we used the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X as a basis for this review.
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The Noctua NH-U9S in detail
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The Noctua NH-U9S is a tower cooler with 5 heat pipes that dissipate the processor's heat from the base plate to the fins, which in turn are cooled by a 92-millimeter fan. The cooler was easy to set up in our AM5 test platform - the NH-U9S comes with everything you need for assembly. As expected, the cooler has a very good quality build and our test model didn't have any flaws whatsoever - which is to be expected from a premium product in this price range. Furthermore, the manufacturer also includes tools for assembly and a tube of thermal paste. We tested the standard version of the Noctua NH-U9S with nickel-plated surfaces and the typical Noctua fan. If you're not a fan of this design, the Noctua NH-U9S also comes in a Chromax Black version.
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The Noctua NH-D9L is built similarly to the Noctua NH-D15 and is a dual-tower cooler. In total, the Noctua NH-D9L is equipped with 4 heat pipes to quickly lead heat to the fins. Active cooling is handled by a 92-millimeter fan that is fitted right between the two towers. As with the Noctua NH-U9S, we can find everything needed for installation in a separate box. The installation on our test system went similarly to that of the Noctua NH-U9S. The appropriate tools, as well as thermal paste and two retaining clips to install a second fan, are all included. The build quality of this cooler meets the Noctua standard and is also flawless. All surfaces are nickel-plated, which gives the cooler a premium feel. Unlike a lot of the other Noctua coolers, the Noctua NH-D9L doesn't come in the Chromax Black version.
The Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is a low-profile CPU cooler, which is suitable for very compact cases due to its very low height. This version of the cooler is only suitable for the AM5 socket. You can find specially adapted versions of the product for the AM4 socket - this should be taken into account when purchasing. Likewise, you can also find custom-fit low-profile coolers for Intel systems under the name NH-L9i.
With this model, the manufacturer takes a different approach when it comes to installation due to its design. The Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 has to be screwed in from the back of the motherboard. With a little bit of finesse and good finger dexterity it is securely fixed, although installation was a lot easier with the two tower coolers from this review. As expected, the build quality of the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is also excellent. At just under 500 grams, this compact cooler weighs quite a bit - but this means that the manufacturer didn't skimp on materials despite the cooler's compact size. This model includes the required screws, appropriate tools, a tube of thermal paste as well as a low-noise adapter to minimize the fan's speed. By the way - this low-noise adapter can be found in all Noctua fans we tested.
NH-U9S, NH-D9L and NH-La9-AM5 performance comparison
In our tests, we compared the performance of all three test samples. For context and to better understand the results, we also put the larger NH-D15, NH-D12L and NH-U12A models through these tests. However, the results showed no significant differences between them. All three test samples couldn't keep the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X from surpassing the thermal limit of 95 °C. However, with a maximum of 142 watts, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is also much more powerful than what the three coolers can compensate for.
The maximum values were determined in the Prime95 stress test, which simulates an extreme scenario that is not realistic in everyday use. In order to simulate heat development with a non-X processor, we limited the power of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X to 88 watts - and the results already looked much better. Only with the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 were we able to measure values above the 90 °C mark.
Although we initially saw high temperatures in the stress tests, their performance as measured by the CPU benchmarks proved to be almost identical to the more powerful coolers. This leads us to believe that an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X as well as an AMD Ryzen 5 7700X with up to 142 watts of power consumption are able to be effectively cooled during everyday use.
Temperatures - CPU Temperature Prime95 | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) |
Performance Rating - Percent | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Cinebench R23 | |
Single Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Multi Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Cinebench R20 | |
CPU (Single Core) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
CPU (Multi Core) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) |
wPrime 2.10 | |
32m | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
1024m | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) |
Geekbench 5.4 | |
Multi-Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Single-Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Geekbench 5.0 | |
5.0 Multi-Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
5.0 Single-Core | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 | |
64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
7-Zip 18.03 | |
7z b 4 | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) |
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) |
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) |
CrossMark | |
Overall | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Productivity | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Creativity | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
Responsiveness | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D15) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-L9a-AM5) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D9L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U9S) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-D12L) | |
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Noctua NH-U12A) |
* ... smaller is better
Verdict - premium coolers with good cooling performance

The Noctua NH-9US, Noctua NH-D9L and Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 are three compact yet very powerful CPU coolers. Nevertheless, the Noctua NH-9US and the Noctua NH-D9L are both tower coolers suitable for all common CPU sockets and are each equipped with a 92-millimeter fan. The Noctua NH-L9a-AM5, on the other hand, is a very flat top blower cooler perfectly suited for Mini-ITX systems due to its extremely flat design.
However, you can't demand too much from the coolers' performance. Both tower coolers can be used with CPUs with a power consumption of around 100 watts, but the flat Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 should only be paired with more economical 65-watt processors.
The Noctua NH-9US, Noctua NH-D9L and Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 all delivered good performance levels in our tests. The coolers' looks and feel are exactly what is to be expected from a premium product in this price range.
As always, design and feel-wise, we can't critique Noctua at all. The coolers are built very well and everything fits perfectly together during assembly. With a price of $44.95 for the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 and up to $59.95 for the Noctua NH-9US, this is to be expected if you are paying such a premium price.
Prices and availability
All three Noctua CPU coolers from this review can be purchased from Amazon. The Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 starts at $44.95. The Chromax Black edition can be purchased for $54.95. The Noctua NH-D9L can currently be purchased for $54.95 and the Noctua NH-U9S can be had for $59.95.
Transparency
The present review sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.