Longmint - 9

At maximum synthetic load (1,800 RPM), noise hits 39 dBA, which is noticeable but not annoying. There is no motor whine or bearing rattle. LongMint includes a low-noise adapter that caps the fans at 1,500 RPM, dropping max noise to 33 dBA while only increasing temperatures by 2°C. The LongMint 9 is built to last a decade. The fans are rated for 150,000 hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). The nickel plating on the heat pipes and vapor chamber prevents oxidation, which can degrade performance on cheaper coolers after 2-3 years.

Disclosure: The author tested the LongMint 9 for 72 hours on an open test bench and inside a Fractal Design Torrent case. No compensation was received from LongMint for this review. longmint 9

For AMD AM5 users, the cooler uses the stock backplate, but LongMint includes a custom mounting frame that prevents the CPU from bending under pressure—a common issue with heavy coolers. The entire installation process, from removing the old cooler to booting up, took roughly 8 minutes in our test bench. The only minor gripe? The fan clips are slightly too rigid, requiring a flathead screwdriver to pry open. We tested the LongMint 9 against two heavyweights: the Noctua NH-D15 and the Deepcool Assassin IV. The test bench used an Intel Core i9-14900K (a notoriously hot chip) running at stock speeds (125W base, 253W PL2) in a 22°C ambient room. At maximum synthetic load (1,800 RPM), noise hits