NOCTUA NH-U9S Chromax Black Single Tower CPU Air Cooler

The Noctua NH-U9S Chromax Black is a compact single-tower CPU air cooler designed for users who want effective thermal management in a small footprint without sacrificing system aesthetics. Built around a 92 mm tower heatsink, it uses a fully blacked-out design — black-coated heatsink, black NF-A9 PWM fan, black anti-vibration pads, black fan clips, and black mounting hardware — making it a natural fit for all-black builds or colour-coordinated setups. Cooling is handled by Noctua's NF-A9 PWM Chromax Black fan, which uses the brand's SSO2 self-stabilising oil-pressure bearing for long-term reliability. At full speed the fan reaches 2,000 RPM and produces up to 22.8 dB(A) of acoustic noise. Fitting the included NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptor drops the maximum speed to 1,550 RPM and reduces noise to 16.3 dB(A), while a minimum PWM speed of 400 RPM is available for near-silent idle operation. Maximum airflow is rated at 78.9 m³/h, dropping to 62.6 m³/h with the LNA attached. The heatsink's fins are soldered — not press-fitted — to the copper heatpipes, preventing the thermal-interface degradation that can occur over years of thermal cycling when dissimilar metals are merely crimped together. The base and heatpipes are copper with nickel plating, while the fins are aluminium. An extra set of fan clips is included in the box, allowing a second NF-A9 fan to be added in a push/pull configuration for improved thermal headroom. Installation is managed by the SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system, which supports Intel LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1200, LGA2011-0, LGA2011-3 (Square ILM), and LGA2066, as well as AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+ (backplate required), and AM4. NT-H1 professional-grade thermal compound is included in the box. With a 95 × 95 mm footprint (without fan), the NH-U9S does not overhang RAM slots on current Intel and most AMD motherboards, preserving full access to memory modules including tall heatspreaders. Total height with fan fitted is 125 mm; depth with fan is 95 mm; and the heatsink weighs 618 g with fan attached. Key Verified Specifications: - Fan model: Noctua NF-A9 PWM Chromax Black - Fan bearing: SSO2 - Max fan speed: 2,000 RPM (±10%) - Max fan speed with LNA: 1,550 RPM (±10%) - Min fan speed (PWM): 400 RPM (±20%) - Max airflow: 78.9 m³/h | With LNA: 62.6 m³/h - Max noise: 22.8 dB(A) | With LNA: 16.3 dB(A) - Input power: 1.2 W | Voltage: 12 V - Fan MTTF: >150,000 h - Heatsink dimensions (H × W × D, without fan): 125 × 95 × 68 mm - Heatsink dimensions (H × W × D, with fan): 125 × 95 × 95 mm - Weight with fan: 618 g - Material: Copper base and heatpipes, aluminium fins, soldered joints, nickel plating - Warranty: 6 years