Cpu cooler help

[Zeltic]

I was looking at a new cpu cooler and came down to the NH-U9S or the NH-D9L because of compatibility height with my case. I got confused looking at them in the cpu compatibility list. I have an I7-8700 and the D9L says medium turbo/overclocking head room while the U9S shows low headroom, but the U9S has a higher NSPR than the D9L that Noctua gives to the coolers. Am hoping you could provide a little clarification on the better one

[Chris Pratt]

The numerical rating is a measurement of heatsink efficiency given a constant heat load, whereas the CPU specific rating is based on testing the cooler with that specific CPU.

 

It does seem odd that the U9S has a higher numerical rating than the D9L, but a lower CPU rating. My best guess here is that even though the heatsink design of the U9S is technically better, the unique thermal properties of the 8700 actually favor the design of the D9L. There's doesn't seem to be a huge difference in either direction, so the fact that they trade blows here is probably because they're both sitting on the cusp of what is necessary for the CPU. 

[MadAnt250]

39 minutes ago, Zeltic said:

I was looking at a new cpu cooler and came down to the NH-U9S or the NH-D9L because of compatibility height with my case.

I own the NH-U9S, it is a pretty good little cooler, I bought it because of the limited space in my case.

 

Here is a review:

And Tech Deals, before he went crazy: