- Review -
NH-L9a-AM4
The results were interesting with both coolers performing roughly the same at stock speeds. This makes sense, as both the Wraith Stealth and the Noctua L9a are rated for up to 65W TDP. Both idled at 31C, and were split by a single degree under full synthetic load. The NoctuaNH-L9A-AM4 temped in at 72C, with the Wraith at 73C. One major difference between the two coolers was the noise level. The Wraith, while not loud, was beginning to border on being unpleasant in my office.
Jumping up to that 3.95GHz mark, the Noctua starts to really differentiate itself from AMD’s stock offering. The Wraith Stealth idle increased to 38C, and jumped up to 84C under full synthetic load, with the fan ramping up to 100% at times. The Noctua didn’t seem phased at all by the increased current, seeing just a 3C increase at Idle, and MATCHING its temperature under load. All while staying at the same whisper-quiet 23dB.
"[F]or small form factor builds, or just to cut down on the noise of your PC, I would say the Noctua NH-L9A-AM4 is well worth the $40 asking price." (Ron Perillo, Modders-Inc.com)
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