Noctua today introduced new, LGA1700-specific revisions of its award-winning NH-L9i and NH-L9i chromax.black low-profile CPU coolers.

The new NH-L9i-17xx and NH-L9i-17xx chromax.black are ideal for building ultra-compact HTPCs and Small Form Factor (SFF) systems using Intel’s brand new 12th generation Core processors such as the Core i9-12900K, Core i7-12700K or Core i5-12600K. The new, optional NA-FD1 fan duct makes it possible to further improve the performance of the coolers by bridging the gap between the fan and perforated case panels in order to enable the coolers to draw in fresh air from the outside.

“We’re very happy with the performance of the NH-L9i-17xx coolers on Intel’s new LGA1700 CPUs”, says Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). “We have managed to dissipate up to around 160W on the Core i9-12900K, pushing it to over 4.2GHz, and up to 125W on the Core i5-12600K running at 4.3GHz. These are excellent results for such small coolers, making them fantastic options for highly compact Intel Z690 builds that pack a lot of processing power!”

The NH-L9i-17xx and the all-black NH-L9i-17xx chromax.black are the latest, LGA1700-specific revisions of Noctua’s award-winning NH-L9i low-profile CPU cooler. At a height of only 37mm, the NH-L9i is ideal for extremely slim cases and, due to its small footprint, it provides 100% RAM and PCIe compatibility as well as easy access to near-socket connectors even on tightly packed mini-ITX motherboards. The custom-designed SecuFirm2™ mounting system for the new LGA1700 socket makes installation a breeze and, thanks to the highly optimised NF-A9x14 92mm fan that supports fully automatic speed control via PWM, the NH-L9i-17xx runs remarkably quietly. Topped off with Noctua’s renowned NT-H1 thermal compound, the NH-L9i-17xx combines everything users have come to expect from Noctua’s larger coolers into a super-compact, premium-quality package for ITX and HTPC builds with Intel’s new 12th generation Core CPUs.

“For Small Form Factor builds, we now highly recommend the optional NA-FD1 fan duct kit, both to customers choosing the new NH-L9i-17xx models and to users of the existing NH-L9i and NH-L9a heatsinks”, explains Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). “It’s a simple yet highly effective way of boosting the performance of these coolers in compact cases. Tech-savvy enthusiasts have been creating similar ducts with their 3D printers for quite some time, but not everyone has the capabilities to do this, so we thought it would be great to offer an affordable, flexible duct kit that doesn’t require any special equipment or skills to set up.“

The new NA-FD1 fan duct kit makes it possible to significantly improve the performance of Noctua NH-L9i and NH-L9a series CPU coolers in Small Form Factor (SFF) environments where there is a gap of 5mm or more (up to 45mm) between the cooler and a perforated top or side panel. Bridging this gap, the duct prevents the cooler from taking in hot air from the interior and enables it to draw in fresh air from the outside through the perforated panel, which can, depending on the setup, improve CPU temperatures by as much as 5°C or more. As the duct is assembled from EVA foam spacers of different thickness , it is fully modular and can be adjusted in 1mm increments from 5mm to 45mm height in order to fit various different cases and configurations. In short, the NA-FD1 is a simple yet smart, flexible, and cost-effective way of boosting the efficiency of NH-L9a and NH-L9i series coolers