We always use the same test system with CPU coolers that we compare against each other. The full specifications of our test system are as follows:
Test system:
- ASUS P8Z77-V
- Intel Core i5 3570K with Gelid GC Extreme under the IHS
- 16GB Kingston HyperX 1866MHz DDR3
- AMD Radeon HD 5870
- 128GB Kingston SSDnow V100 (Boot Drive) and Samsung F3 1TB (storage)
- Antec High Current Gamer 620W
- Cooler Master Test Bench v1.0
We’d like to say a big thank you to ASUS, Antec, Kingston, Cooler Master and Intel for providing components that makes this testing possible.
Testing Methodology:
- We always use Gelid GC Extreme or Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste (almost identical performance) to make sure testing reveals the efficiency of the tested coolers not the efficiency of the bundled thermal paste.
- Prime 95 is run for 10 minutes and then the average maximum temperatures as recorded by CPUID HWMonitor are noted
- The system is left in idle for 10 minutes on the desktop and then the average minimum temperatures as recorded by CPUID HWMonitor are noted
- Fans are always left to operate at PWM speeds, if this is not supported then 100% fan speed is used
- Delta temperatures are always used (Observed temperature minus ambient temperature) and we keep the ambient at 22 (+/- 1) degrees for all testing although Delta temperatures correct for the changing ambient anyway.
- The average temperature across the four cores is taken on our quad core processor
- Acoustic measurements are taken 10cm away from the CPU cooler with the VGA fan disabled
- The cooling performance tests are run at stock 3.4GHz (with Intel Turbo up to 3.8GHz and stock voltage) and overclocked 4.5GHz (1.3 volts) settings
- All other coolers in the graphs have been tested under identical settings
- Each test is repeated 3 times for consistency of results
- There is approximately a 1 degree celsius margin of error in our temperature recording software
- There is approximately a 1dBA margin of error with our decibel meter
Software Used
Noctua are a premier brand hence the premium price but I feel it’s still too harsh on the back pocket for what you’re getting. Also you can only take this heat pipe technology so far before there’s nowhere else to go & it looks like they’re there already. If only Noctua would also do something about their god awful colour scheme…
Well if you consider its about 50mm smaller than the Shadow Rock TopFlow and is only 1 degree worse on an overclocked CPU I think that’s impressive indeed. The colour scheme is one of those age old debates, You either love it or hate it I guess. You’re right it is expensive, but lets face it, it really is a niche market and its a niche market product done very well.
are all the comparison heatsinks non-pwm? how is it that they’re oc fan noise is pretty much unchanged from stock fan noise?
“Fans are always left to operate at PWM speeds, if this is not supported then 100% fan speed is used” To my knowledge every heatsink on the graphs uses PWM. So all these comparisons are PWM. If it was non-PWM the stock/load acoustics would be identical.
it would’ve been nice to throw in some top performers like the silver arrow extreme or nh d14 just to see where this cooler stands. i’m looking for a cooler for the asrock z77e itx, but most of them do not fit because the pci-e slot sits right up against the cpu block. asymmetrical ones like the l12 seem to give some hope.
Unfortunately the NH-D14 is too old to sample. The other one is a possibility I will look into it.