NoFan CR-80EH Fanless Copper CPU Cooler Review

Final Thoughts

Price

The NoFan CR-80EH is what I would class as a budget cooler, it comes in at just under £40 here in the UK and that means it’s not beyond the reach of most consumers looking for a reliable CPU cooler. It does however become very good value for money when you look at the product ranges of companies like be quiet! which are often more expensive and sure they’re quiet, but they’re not silent.

Overview

To be honest this isn’t that great a CPU cooler, it’s actually one of the worst performing ones I’ve ever tested, but it’s all about how you look at the numbers that matters to the CR-80EH. Compared to the other coolers we’ve tested, the CR-80EH is easily beaten by most any cooler that costs half as much. Of course most of those budget coolers are a heck of a lot noisier than the NoFan.

When it comes to creating a silent build, things can get a little expensive finding the best components to give you both good thermal performance and as minimal noise. The NoFan is budget friendly and completely silent, but also offers reliable performance for those who have no intention of overclocking. If you’re wanting to build a high end gaming rig, forget it, this isn’t the CPU cooler for you. If you’re planning on building a NAS box, workstation, recording studio rig, HTPC or anything else that you would rather be seen and not heard, then you’ll be very happy with the CR-80EH.

An added bonus of the CR-80EH is that it looks superb, the copper heat pipes really add some unique visuals to the inside of your system and it’s a refreshing visual departure from the rectangle block with a fan on it.

Pros

• Silent performance
• Stunning design
• Affordable

Cons

• Not suitable for overclocking

eTeknix says: “NoFan have done a great job on the CR-80EH, it may not be much use for high-end overclocking, but it was never designed to be. It was designed to be seen and not heard, given that it’s one of the best looking and quietest CPU coolers I’ve ever tested, I’d say NoFan has succeeded in style, making this an ideal choice for a HTPC or similar style system.”

Thank you QuietPC for providing us with this sample.