Noctua's best full-speed number among the picks is the NF-B9 redux's 17.6 dB(A). Thermalright's is 22.4 dBA (MAX), from the TL-9015 at 2700 RPM.
| Maker | Lowest full-speed figure among the picks | Fan | Speed |
|---|
| Noctua | 17.6 dB(A) | NF-B9 redux-1600 PWM | 1600 rpm |
| Thermalright | 22.4 dBA (MAX) | TL-9015 | 2700 RPM |
| ARCTIC | 0.4 Sone, no dB(A) value | F9 PWM PST | 150 to 1800 rpm |
The table shows each maker at its best. It is not a brand ranking, because neither maker describes its test.
By maker first, then by the top speed each figure was quoted at.
Noctua's spec pages give a maximum noise row and, where an adaptor ships in the box, a second row "with LNA". Thermalright marks noise, speed, airflow and pressure "(MAX)" in its tables, which we take as the figures at rated speed. ARCTIC pairs a sone rating with a speed range, so its figure belongs to no single speed at all. Our explainer on comparing decibel ratings covers why we keep makers apart.
What is the quietest Noctua 92mm fan?
At full speed, the NF-A9 FLX: 17.1 dB(A) at 1600 rpm. Both NF-B9 redux-1600 versions, 3-pin and PWM, follow at 17.6, and only the PWM redux was in stock on Amazon.
| Noctua fan | Noise | Speed | Airflow | Pressure |
|---|
| NF-A9 FLX | 17.1 dB(A) | 1600 rpm | 64.6 m³/h | 1.62 mmH2O |
| NF-B9 redux-1600 PWM and 3-pin redux-1600 | 17.6 dB(A) | 1600 rpm | 64.3 m³/h | 1.61 mm H₂O |
| NF-A9x14 PWM, 14 mm | 19.9 dB(A) | 2200 rpm | 50.5 m³/h | 1.64 mm H₂O |
| NF-A9 PWM, its chromax.black.swap and the 5V PWM | 22.8 dB(A) | 2000 rpm | 78.9 m³/h | 2.28 mm H₂O |
| NF-A9x14 HS-PWM chromax.black.swap | 23.6 dB(A) | 2500 rpm | 57.5 m³/h | 2.11 mm H₂O |
At the same 1600 rpm, the newer A9 blade on the FLX lists half a decibel under the older B9, with almost identical air and pressure. Our Noctua fan decibel page covers every size Noctua makes.
Adaptors take off 5.5 to 8.7 dB(A)
They do it by capping top speed. The NF-A9 FLX shows the widest spread, from 17.1 dB(A) at 1600 rpm bare down to 8.4 at 1050 on the Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor.
| Fan and adaptor | Noise | Capped speed |
|---|
| NF-A9 FLX with U.L.N.A. | 8.4 dB(A) | 1050 rpm |
| NF-A9 FLX with L.N.A. | 11.6 dB(A) | 1250 rpm |
| NF-A9x14 PWM with L.N.A. | 13.5 dB(A) | 1700 rpm |
| NF-A9 PWM with L.N.A. | 16.3 dB(A) | 1550 rpm |
Of those four, only the NF-A9x14 PWM was in stock on Amazon as a single fan. On a PWM fan the adaptor lowers the ceiling and leaves the floor where it was: Noctua says the NF-A9 PWM's adaptor reduces "the maximum speed during PWM control from 2000 to 1550rpm", so the board still runs the low end. The chromax.black.swap NF-A9 PWM lists no adaptor in its box at all.
Slim fans list lower and give up pressure
Both makers print a lower figure for the slim frame. Noctua's 14 mm NF-A9x14 PWM lists 19.9 dB(A) at 2200 rpm against 22.8 at 2000 for the 25 mm NF-A9 PWM, and Thermalright's 15 mm TL-9015 lists 22.4 dBA (MAX) at 2700 RPM against 23.85 at 2200 for the 25 mm TL-P9.
What the thin frames lose is pressure.
| Fan | Depth | Airflow | Pressure |
|---|
| Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM | 14 mm | 50.5 m³/h | 1.64 mm H₂O |
| Noctua NF-A9 PWM | 25 mm | 78.9 m³/h | 2.28 mm H₂O |
| Thermalright TL-9015 | 15 mm | 42.58 CFM | 1.33 mm H2O |
| Thermalright TL-P9 | 25 mm | 32.77 CFM | 1.98 mm H2O |
On Noctua's side airflow drops too. Thermalright's pair runs the other way, with the slim fan moving more air.
How loud are Thermalright's 92mm fans?
Between 22.4 and 23.85 dBA (MAX) across three tables, each at a different rated speed. The slim TL-9015 lists 22.4, the TL-B9 23 and the TL-P9 23.85, which makes the lowest of the three also the fastest, at 2700 RPM.
Only the TL-9015 and TL-P9 were in stock on Amazon. The TL-B9 has the strongest sheet, 54 CFM and 2.24 mm H2O at 2500 RPM, yet no listing turned up for it. Variants copy their parent's table: the TL-9015W and TL-9015R match the TL-9015, and the ARGB TL-P9-S matches the TL-P9. None of these pages shows a price.
Pressure for a heatsink or filter
Pressure keeps air moving through cooler fins or a dust filter, and the fans with the lowest full-speed figures give some of it up. Noctua's NF-A9 PWM and its chromax version lead at 2.28 mm H₂O, with Thermalright's TL-P9 next among the in-stock fans.
| Fan | Pressure | Speed | Noise |
|---|
| Noctua NF-A9 PWM chromax.black.swap | 2.28 mm H₂O | 2000 rpm | 22.8 dB(A) |
| Thermalright TL-P9 | 1.98 mm H2O | 2200 RPM | 23.85 dBA |
| Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM | 1.64 mm H₂O | 2200 rpm | 19.9 dB(A) |
| Noctua NF-B9 redux-1600 PWM | 1.61 mm H₂O | 1600 rpm | 17.6 dB(A) |
| Thermalright TL-9015 | 1.33 mm H2O | 2700 RPM | 22.4 dBA |
For a whole cooler rather than a replacement fan, see our CPU cooler guide.
ARCTIC rates the F9 in sone
The F9 PWM PST gets 0.4 Sone across a 150 to 1800 rpm range, and no dB(A) value. Turning sone into decibels takes a frequency breakdown that ARCTIC does not publish, and this figure is tied to no single speed anyway. Our sones and decibels explainer covers the two scales.
Of the three makers, ARCTIC is the one with a US dollar price: a US$10.99 MSRP for the F9 PWM PST. Its US page showed the fan as currently not available on November 7, 2026, and the US pages for the P9 PWM PST returned no specification table to our requests.
Which 92mm fan runs on 5 V or USB power?
Noctua's NF-A9 5V PWM, rated like the 12 V fan at 22.8 dB(A) and 2000 rpm.
It lists 1.07 W at 5 V with the same 78.9 m³/h and 2.28 mm H₂O, and ships with a USB power adaptor cable plus OmniJoin adaptors for unusual fan headers. Amazon had it only as a two-pack sold under Noctua's brand. Our 80mm fan guide and 40mm fan guide cover the smaller 5 V and 24 V options.
