Visual inspection
The Noctua NH-D9L chromax.black is a small form factor air CPU cooler that is equipped with just a single 92mm fan but can accommodate up to three 92mm fans. In terms of the design, this CPU cooler does have a lot going for it, starting with the small heatsink that is painted all black, to match the chromax.black theme as well as its mounting system which has been color coded as well.
One of the main features of this CPU cooler is its symmetrical shape and great clearance around the CPU socket. The NH-D9L has a height of 110mm, a width of 95mm and a depth of 95mm, with a weight of just 531g.
The heatsink of the NH-D9L chromax.black is identical in shape with that of the regular NH-D9L, however, since we have the NH-D9L chromax.black edition, everything has been painted black to match the chromax.black style.
In terms of the shape and design, this heatsink is symmetrical, with a dual tower structure and a centered fan placement.
Each of the two towers features no less than 35 fins, and thus the cooler has a total cooling fin count of 70 fins.
The build quality of the heatsink is great, easily on the same level as the NH-D15 and similar models. The cooling fins have smooth edges on all sides and the finish of the black paint has no issues no matter where you look.
The fins are shaped at the center to aid with the airflow generated by the center mounted fan as well as add more depth to the design of the heatsink.
The sides of the cooling fins are bent downwards, the reason for this is to create a simple yet sturdy mounting point for the fan clips.
The NH-D9L features four copper made heatpipes, which have been nickelplated for a better look and added durability, however, over the plating Noctua has added the chromax.black paint to match the rest of the cooler.
These heatpipes has an outer diameter of 6mm and are arranged in a U shape to facilitate the heat dissipation.
The heatpipe endings do not have an even shape, but they are close enough in terms of looks that they do not affect the look of the cooler.
The baseplate used with this cooler is made from a solid copper block and is nickeplated for added durability and heat transfer. The surface of the baseplate has a subtle radial pattern as is the case with many Noctua CPU coolers. This pattern will not affect the evenness of the spread of the thermal compound.
The CPU cooler can accommodate multiple 92mm fans, however, by default it comes with just one, the Noctua NF-A9 PWM chromax.black. This fan has a speed range of 400-2000RPM. Thanks to its PWM functionality and 4-pin connector, the speed can be controlled via the motherboard or a fan hub with no issues.
The fan frame has the usual features that we’ve come to love from Noctua. The obvious one is the rubber pads installed on all corners of the fan frame. While this will prevent scratching the cooling fins of the heatsink, its main purpose is dampening any of the vibration that might appear from the spinning motion of the fan impellers and bearing.
The cable used with the NF-A9 PWM chromax.black is long enough to reach most if not all fan headers that are often located around the CPU socket. It uses a standard 4-Pin connector for power and has a good sleeving protecting it.
