I purchased this CPU cooler because it has great performance and low noise by a very reputable company. These features make it one of the best CPU coolers for the price. Like most product categories, if you spend more money, you get better performance and more features. CPU coolers are no exception. You could opt to spend no money can use the stock CPU heat sink, which is fine if you do not overclock, but you will have to tolerate noise and increased temperatures. If you want to take a step up by spending about $35 dollars then there is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo which has great performance but noise is not great. A step above that is the Noctua NH-U9B which has both. The cooler also comes with two Noctua 92mm fans unlike the Hyper 212 which I believe only comes with one fan. The cooler is safe to purchase for both AMD and Intel users too because it includes mounting brackets for both. High quality Noctua thermal paste is also included with enough for multiple mountings. With this CPU cooler installed on my Intel Core i5 4570 I get 27 degrees C in the winter and 31 degrees C in the summer. It goes up to 60 when under load. These numbers are typical for stock, but I have not tried it under overclocked settings with an unlocked CPU. The noise is okay but not silent. In fact, it is the noisiest component in the computer. I think I may not have the fans configured right for silence. The thing to know about this cooler is that higher profile RAM will work but the fans will have to be moved higher on the heatsink which is possible due to the bracket being capable of being placed on another set of grills on the heatsink.
Pros:
Great performance for a small CPU cooler
Not too big and bulky
Includes mounting hardware for both AMD and Intel
Includes high quality thermal paste
Includes two fans
Noctua quality
Cons:
Fans are not 4-pin PWM
Color of Noctua fans are always questionable
Did not experience the silence that these fans are marketed as
Bracket for fans are a bit difficult to use to mount fans
High profile RAM will be obstructed but the fans can be placed higher
Other thoughts:
Includes a nice, thick case badge
| Brand | Noctua |
|---|---|
| Series | NH-U9B SE2 |
| Item model number | NH-U9B SE2 |
| Item Weight | 1.25 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 3.75 x 3.74 x 4.92 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.75 x 3.74 x 4.92 inches |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Xion |
| ASIN | B0065SFEE8 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | October 12, 2009 |
