Most mid-range Asus card models allow easy removal of the shroud. We have already tried classic 120mm fans on the card, which do not fit very well on a narrow and long card. With them, the card becomes significantly wider and they do not cover the heatsink along its entire length. A trio of smaller 92mm fans fits a 30cm card better. After testing the low-profile NF-A9x14, we will try how the NF-A9 with the standard 25mm height performs.
I discussed the operating characteristics of the Prime GeForce RTX 5070 in a review a few months ago. The sample I tested had one fan noisier than the others. Because of that, the card was not completely quiet even at minimum speeds. The card was more audible than it could have been. However, this would probably not be accepted as a reason for an RMA. With most Asus cards, though, you can easily replace the fans, because they allow the shroud to be removed without taking off the heatsink.
The Prime RTX 5070 is 30 cm long, but relatively narrow. Due to its proportions, classic system fans with dimensions of 120×120 or 140×140 mm are therefore not very suitable for the cooler. Compared to two 120mm fans it is longer, but for three it is already too short.
The heatsink under the shroud is divided into two fin stacks. Thanks to this, two 120mm fans can be mounted so that they blow over most of the fin area.
We already tried this in one of the previous articles. However, two 120mm fans are wider than the trio of original fans on the Prime RTX 5070, so they overhang to the sides and part of the airflow passes outside the heatsink.
The surface of the heatsink is better covered by a trio of smaller 92mm fans. In the previous test, we replaced the trio of Asus Axial-Fan fans with three low-profile 92mm Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM fans. With them, the width of the card can remain the same and they can blow over more fins than two larger fans. A major advantage is that the height of the cooler does not change; the disadvantage is that low-profile fans generally do not deliver the same performance as fans with the standard 25mm height.
Today, therefore, we will compare the original Axial-Fan fans and the low-profile NF-A9x14 PWM with standard-size 92mm Noctua NF-A9 PWM fans.
In the next photo, you can see the NF-A9x14 in the first position and the standard NF-A9 behind it. With the card fitted with a trio of 25mm fans, you will already need four free slots in the case.
The fan comes in packaging with a hinged front and back.
In the package you will also find a lot of accessories. These include the NA-EC1 four-pin extension cable, the NA-RC7 low-noise adapter for reducing voltage and thus fan speed, the NA-YC1 four-pin Y-splitter, four NA-AV1 anti-vibration mounts, and a set of four standard plastic screws.
| Size (Form factor) | 92 × 92 × 25 mm |
| Speed range | 0–2000 rpm |
| Airflow (max.) | 78.9 m³/h (46.44 CFM) |
| Acoustical noise (max.) | 22.8 dB(A) |
| Static pressure (max.) | 2.28 mm H₂O |
| Rated voltage | 12 V |
| Input power (typical) | 1.12 W |
| Connector | 4-pin |
| Colour | Brown |
| Warranty | 6 years |
Included accessories:
- NA-RC7 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
- NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable
- NA-EC1 30cm extension cable
- 4x NA-AV1 anti-vibration mounts
- Fan screws
Like the NF-A9x14, the taller NF-A9 is also manufactured in a black variant, NF-A9 HS-PWM chromax.black.swap, with interchangeable anti-vibration pads. While the low-profile NF-A9x14 had higher maximum speeds in the black version, the standard NF-A9 has the same operating speed range.
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Thanks! Test in the series I was waiting for most… until i saw info about 3x P9 from Arctic!
The result surprised me somewhat. I did not expect the A9 to be top performer on a graphics card heatsink due to it’s fin density and their blade design, but I assumed they would make up for it with their thickness and ultimately perform at a level similar to the A9x14. That is why I am very pleased to hear about another test using the Arctic P9’s, especially since it is difficult to find any truly representative tests of 92 mm fans online, aside from a Thermaleft tests of a few models from years ago.
yes, I agree with everything you wrote, 🙂↕️
… but the competition in this size segment is quite low
… about a dozen products, half of which are manufactured by ThermalRight, which are difficult to buy here in Slovakia…sadly 😉
–“… but the competition in this size segment is quite low…
note: of course I meant the DIY sphere, in the pro sphere (servers, racks,…) there are quite a few fans of this size from Sanyo Denki, Delta, Sunon, etc., including 38 mm thick ones.
Unfortunately, it’s not only Slovakia. When I looked for the Thermalright TL-B9, the only option left was AliExpress (not counting local stores, which likely don’t ship internationally anyway). In practice, we’re basically limited to the Arctic or Thermalright P9.
The Pro/Industrial models are potentially interesting, but the main issues are pricing in detail, availability on the secondary market, and the noisy dual-ball bearing design. I’d honestly love to use those 38 mm “fat” fans, but I’m seriously concerned that they only become effective near their rated speed of around 5000 RPM. Unfortunately, if 1500 RPM is already audible, then 3000 RPM would be absolutely deafening.
And on top of that, not every fan even has a P/Q curve published, so it’s really hard to tell at a glance whether the claimed good CFM/mmH2O will translate into something usable in a normal home setup. A lot of the time, where the blade design itself is not optimized much, they’re just brute-forcing it with higher RPM and extra thickness.
yes,..but in the pro-sphere noise is not an obstacle, brute force and durability are important.
That’s why DBB and high RPM (= high static pressure).
Many of the pro solutions usually don’t even have a standard PC header…and 1A is often too little 😉
— „In practice, we’re basically limited to the Arctic or Thermalright P9…“
Among the more affordable fans, there’s also the Endorfy Zephyr 92. Another well-available option is the Noctua NF-A9 PWM, but that one is more expensive.
great job, did you upload the 3d files somewhere? I’d love to try them out too
Thank you for the praise! If I’m not mistaken, we don’t have any 3D models anywhere. And it’s possible that that won’t change either—Adam no longer works for HWCooling. :)⠀