Enermax ETS-T40-VD CPU Cooler Review

The target audience for Enermax’s ETS-T40-VD are users who want to cool their overclocked CPU effectively while also having a stylish and trendy looking cooler.

Focusing on the cooling performance in comparison to the competitors, the ETS-T40-VD falls right where we would expect it to. The performance is similar to that of Xigmatek’s SD128264 Aegir, slightly behind Cooler Master’s mighty V6GT and better than Cooler Master’s Hyper 612S. All 4 of these particular coolers retail for a similar price, so the performance can’t be considered revolutionary or class-leading, but it isn’t disappointing either. One point worth noting though is that we are reviewing the most expensive version of the ETS-T40 series which is bundled with the 120mm Enermax TB Vegas Duo fan. There are 2 cheaper versions available which use the exact same heatsink and will offer a better ‘bang for buck’ factor.

The installation was predominately painless with just the few awkward areas. Backplate attachment had us begging for a third hand, but other than that, we didn’t run into any hiccups. Once installation was complete, the mount was very stable and interfered with hardly any of the neighbouring components.

Appealing aesthetics are equally as important to the ETS-T40-VD as its cooling performance. The attractive design is tied together with the use of one of the most eye-catching fans around in Enermax’s own TB Vegas Duo. The wide range of LED colours and manoeuvres are certain to interest enthusiasts who use a case with a side panel window and love to show off their attractive system. Enermax cover every aspect of making the cooler look amazing by using a black braided cable on the fan and even giving users an external method of changing the LED colours and manoeuvres via a button wired to the fan.

As far as balanced CPU cooler offerings go, Enermax have one of the market’s high-rollers in the ETS-T40-VD. It retails at a fairly competitive price, offers good performance against some of its similarly priced competitors and looks absolutely stunning. Not only does it have all of those positive points in its locker, its acoustic output is also very low, lower than the majority of its main competitors. Some of you may consider the ETS-T40-VD variant slightly overpriced, but if that is the case, the cheaper ETS-T40-TA or ETS-T40-TB variants should suit you down to the ground.

Enermax have made a commendable first outing into the particularly competitive CPU cooler market. Their £37 ETS-T40-VD cooler offers good performance, a fairly competitive price tag, astounding appearance and low noise operation. The cooler is a good all-rounder, but doesn’t excel particularly in an area other than aesthetics. For this reason, we feel the Enermax ETS-T40-VD deserves a well-earned eTeknix ‘Innovation award’. Hopefully, this is the first of many impressive products to come from Enermax’s CPU cooling department.