Noise Levels & Fan Speeds

Testing Procedure

Fan noise testing is done at 25%, 50%, and 100% fan speed, with the dBA level being recorded by a Pyle PSPL25 sound pressure level meter at a distance of 30 cm. The fan(s) RPM results are taken at the same 25%, 50%, and 100% settings. The selected speeds are handled by MSI's Command Center software, and a Lamptron FC6 fan controller is also used as a secondary method of confirming RPM and dBA readings in case MSI's Command Center cannot control the fan(s), which ensures that proper results can still be obtained if the software fails. To give users the noise profile of the tested CPU cooler, testing is done using fan speed percentages instead of various load levels.

Noise Levels

I was surprised by how quiet the M9 is for such a small cooler with a 92 mm fan. At 32-41 dBA, the M9 is quieter than the Aidos and Katana 4 while performing similarly, which is a solid win for CRYORIG.

Fan Speeds

The RPM readings show a fantastic PWM range on the included fan. With a minimum of 600 and a maximum of 2102 RPM, the fan does a decent job, which allows the M9i to offer performance similar to the Aidos and Katana 4 whose fans spin at a maximum of 2495 RPM and 2450 RPM respectively.