The L9 is extremely well-made, a cooler for special missions. Unfortunately, with the included fan, it is not what we call silent everywhere and always, marginally better than Intel's inbox cooler. Adding another 25mm fan improves performance and noise levels, but at the same time, the price/performance ratio becomes even worse. Overall, it delivers what it promises (albeit at a somewhat high cost).

In a narrow box with 0 air flow, the Intel cooler reached 80 degrees Celsius, while with the Noctua it stayed at 60 degrees Celsius, and we're talking about summer temperatures of 35++ degrees Celsius! The noise is audible but at reasonable levels. I didn't expect it, I was very satisfied!