Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU Cooler Installation Manual

Step 1: Removing the Mainboard (If Necessary)

In case you want to use the cooler on an assembled system and your case doesn't have a cut-out at the rear side of the mainboard tray, you first have to remove the mainboard from the case in order to be able to install the supplied backplate.

Step 2: Attaching the Backplate

Caution: The supplied backplate will install over the mainboard's stock backplate, so the mainboard's stock backplate must not be taken off.

Place the backplate on the rear side of the mainboard so that the bolts stick through the mounting holes.

Caution: Please make sure that the three cut-outs in the supplied backplate align with the screws of the mainboard's stock backplate.

[Diagram showing the backplate positioned on the rear of the motherboard, with bolts protruding through mounting holes.]

Caution: Choose the alignment of the mounting bars according to the desired final orientation of the cooler:

Orientation A [Illustration showing mounting bars aligned in one direction]

Orientation B [Illustration showing mounting bars aligned in the opposite direction]

Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are pointing outwards.

Fix the mounting bars using the 4 thumb screws.

[Diagram showing the mounting bars attached to the protruding bolts on the backplate, secured by thumbscrews.]

Step 3: Installing the Mounting Bars

First put the plastic spacers onto the bolts of the backplate, then add the mounting bars.

[Diagram illustrating plastic spacers being placed onto the backplate bolts, followed by the mounting bars.]

Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don't use excessive force.

Step 4: Applying Thermal Paste

If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop (4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.

[Diagram showing a small drop of thermal paste being applied to the center of the CPU heatspreader.]

Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower heat conductivity and cooling performance!

Step 5: Fastening the Heatsink to the CPU

Caution: Please first take off the protection cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.

Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw threads of the mounting bars. Note that you can reach through the blades of the fan using the supplied screw driver. There is thus no need to take off the fan for installation.

[Illustration of the heatsink being placed onto the CPU and screwed down using the provided screwdriver, reaching through the fan blades.]

Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.

Connecting the Fan

Connect the fan to the mainboard's CPU fan header. Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case, you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors (L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans' operating noise.

Caution: When using the L.N.A., check the temperature of your CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the cooling performance is insufficient, please increase case ventilation or remove the L.N.A.

Step 1: Installing the Mounting Bars

First screw the NM-IBT2 bolts into the screw threads of the LGA2011 socket frame.

[Diagram showing NM-IBT2 bolts being screwed into the LGA2011 socket frame.]

Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are pointing outwards.

Fix the mounting bars using the 4 thumb screws.

[Diagram showing the mounting bars attached to the socket frame and secured with thumbscrews.]

Then put the NM-IMB2 mounting bars onto the bolts.

[Diagram showing NM-IMB2 mounting bars being placed onto the bolts.]

Caution: Choose the alignment of the mounting bars according to the desired final orientation of the cooler:

Orientation A [Illustration showing mounting bars aligned in one direction]

Orientation B [Illustration showing mounting bars aligned in the opposite direction]

Caution: Gently tighten the screws until they stop, but don't use excessive force.

Step 2: Applying Thermal Paste

If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop (4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.

[Diagram showing a small drop of thermal paste being applied to the center of the CPU heatspreader.]

Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower the heat conductivity and cooling performance!

Step 3: Fastening the Heatsink to the CPU

Caution: Please first take off the protection cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.

Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw threads of the mounting bars. Note that you can reach through the blades of the fan using the supplied screw driver. There is thus no need to take off the fan for installation.

[Illustration of the heatsink being placed onto the CPU and screwed down using the provided screwdriver, reaching through the fan blades.]

Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.

Connecting the Fan

Connect the fan to the mainboard's CPU fan header. Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case, you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors (L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans' operating noise.

Caution: When using the L.N.A., check the temperature of your CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the cooling performance is insufficient, please increase case ventilation or remove the L.N.A.

Step 1: Removing the Retention Module

If your mainboard uses a retention module for CPU cooler installation, please remove it first. The SecuFirm2™ mounting system will install directly to your mainboard's stock backplate on the rear side of the socket.

[Diagram showing the removal of the stock AMD retention module.]

Caution: The SecuFirm2™ mounting system requires a backplate, which is preinstalled on most AMD mainboards. If your mainboard doesn't have a backplate, please contact our support team at support@noctua.at.

Step 2: Attaching the Mounting Bars

First put the plastic spacers onto the screw threads, then fix the mounting bars using the 4 long screws.

[Diagram showing plastic spacers being placed onto screw threads, followed by mounting bars being attached and secured with screws.]

Caution: Make sure that the curved sides of the mounting bars are pointing inwards.

Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.

Step 3: Applying Thermal Paste

If there are residual traces of thermal paste or thermal pads on your CPU, please clean them off first. Then press a small drop (4-5mm diameter) of NT-H1 onto the centre of the heatspreader.

[Diagram showing a small drop of thermal paste being applied to the center of the CPU heatspreader.]

Caution: Applying too much thermal paste will lower the heat conductivity and cooling performance!

Step 4: Fastening the Heatsink to the CPU

Caution: Please first take off the protection cover at the bottom side of the heatsink.

Then put the heatsink onto the CPU and screw it to the screw threads of the mounting bars. Note that you can reach through the blades of the fan using the supplied screw driver. There is thus no need to take off the fan for installation.

[Illustration of the heatsink being placed onto the CPU and screwed down using the provided screwdriver, reaching through the fan blades.]

Caution: Tighten the screws until they stop.

Connecting the Fan

Connect the fan to the mainboard's CPU fan header. Depending on your CPU and the temperature inside the case, you may interconnect the supplied NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptors (L.N.A.) in order to further reduce the fans' operating noise.

Caution: When using the L.N.A., check the temperature of your CPU using appropriate software (e.g. the respective applications of your mainboard manufacturer), in order to evade automatic throttling of the CPU due to the increased temperature. If the cooling performance is insufficient, please increase case ventilation or remove the L.N.A.