Overall and Final Verdict
So where does the Noctua NH-L9x65 land when it’s all said and done? Well just like its smaller brother, I love its small form factor. With Noctua introducing different cooling options that can handle even the higher end CPUs it has really opened up the options when it comes to our LANrig builds like our Lunchbox project builds. In fact, I’ve used the NH-L9i in 4 or 5 of our builds ranging from our LANrigs, to SFF routers. The NH-L9x65 just opens up even more options for AMD CPUs that have higher TDPs than the L9a can handle as well as the 6700K that caused the need for the L9x65 in our upcoming build. The move back to a universal mount does help with those options and it means if you want to switch to or from AMD or Intel you have the option. Like all Noctua coolers the NH-L9x65 is quiet and its cooling performance was spot on as well. It might not have matched the larger tower heatsink on our open air test bench, but it did get a lot closer than I thought possible in an enclosed ITX case.
Like all Noctua coolers the NH-L9x65 does cost a little more than I would prefer. You are getting Noctua quality and performance for your month, but when putting together a budget it is hard to throw down more for your heatsink than your ram for example. I also would really like to see Noctua come out with another fan options in their other fan lines. The grey on grey would be nice or an all-black fan, I’ve grown to like the Noctua colors but there are still a lot of people who don’t. Plus, in a build like ours it sticks out like a sore thumb.
That said the Noctua NH-L9x65 is a great option for anyone building a small form factor PC who needs the higher TDP when compared to the NH-L9a/I or if you just want a little room for overclocking. I don’t think you are going to find a better option in the form factor.
Live Pricing: HERE
