Alpenföhn Civetta CPU Cooler Review

We decided to compare the Alpenföhn Civetta against the Xigmatek SD963 Loki and Intel LGA 1155 heatsink supplied with our Core i7 2600K CPU. Seeing as none of these coolers are built primarily for heavy overclocking, we decided to use an overclock of 4.0GHz with a BIOS set CPU voltage of 1.20V instead of our usual 4.4GHz, 1.240V overclock. We didn’t want to choke the coolers and test them above their realistic limits and targets after all.

Testing method:

• Stable recorded CPU temperatures from a 15 minute idle test
• Stable recorded CPU temperatures from a 15 minute load test
• The cooler’s fans are set at 100% speed unless otherwise stated
• All tests are repeated to check the consistency and reliability of the results
• Delta temperatures are used in the charts to provide more accurate results
• Maximum recorded noise output at 100% fan speed
• The supplied thermal paste is always used to make the results a fair interpretation of the cooler’s stock performance
• The temperature threshold we set before calling the test a fail is 65^oC above ambient but if the cooler manages to complete more than 75% of the test before rising above the 65^oC delta mark, we allow it to complete the test, provided it is capable
• A +/- 1 degree Celsius margin of error is incorporated by our CPU/GPU temperature recording method
• A +/- 0.1 degree Celsius margin of error is incorporated by our ambient temperature recording method

Test system:

• MSI P67A-GD65
• Intel Core i7 2600K
• 4GB DDR3 1600MHz
• XFX Radeon HD 4870 1GB
• 128GB Kingston SSDnow V100 (OS)
• Corsair TX650
• NZXT Phantom Case
• Supplied Alpenföhn thermal paste

Comparison used:

• Intel LGA 1155 stock CPU cooler
• Xigmatek Loki SD963

Software Used:

• Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
• HWMonitor
• Prime95