Prolimatech Genesis CPU Cooler Review

Cooling performance of Prolimatech’s Genesis is very respectable, but not quite the revolution they advertised it to be. Using a pair of 1000 RPM fans it manages to offer performance which is sandwiched between that of mid-range competitors such as the Hyper 212 EVO and high-end challengers in the Noctua NH-D14 and Thermaltake Frio Advanced. It was never able to reach the performance levels of  Thermalright’s and Phanteks’ air cooling kings and couldn’t match either of Corsair’s AIO units. It is a shame to see that as the CPU’s heat is increased, the Genesis’ performance deficit widens even against its single-tower contenders. At 4.7GHz, the combination of slimline heatsinks and 1000 RPM fans bordered on their heat dissipation threshold. This caused the heat transfer and dissipation to become inefficient and insufficient in removing the growing amount of thermal energy. With all that said, the ability to complete our extreme 4.7GHz test is worthy of a mention. It is also worth noting that using a pair of higher speed fans such as Scythe’s 1850 RPM Gentle Typhoons will unlock the extra potential stored within the Genesis heatsink.

Using the 1000 RPM fans may not have been the best option in terms of performance, but focusing on the acoustic values, it definitely worked in that respect. Even though there is an absence of noise-reducing rubber mounts, the pair of Blue Vortex 14 fans used on the Genesis still managed to push themselves into a lead in our acoustic performance test. While the Prolimatech fans may operate quietly, the TY-140 fans on Thermalright’s Silver Arrow aren’t much louder, use a 4-pin PWM header and also offer better performance when combined with the Silver Arrow heatsink.

Installing the heatsink was straightforward, well-documented and resulted in complete sturdiness. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the fan attachment method. The clips are fiddly, insecure and also limit fan compatibility. If you are wanting to use the Scythe Gentle Typhoon fans we mentioned earlier, you’d better get the zip-ties ready as the fan clips simply won’t suffice. Some people may view the heatsink as a nightmare to work with due to its large size and awkward dimensions. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. As long as you install your RAM before the heatsink, installation problems should be kept to a minimum. Clearance on the other hand could cause issues. The heatpipes entering the upright tower came very close to interfering with the VRM heatsink on our MSI motherboard. Tall RAM modules such as Kingston’s HyperX T1 aren’t going to fit under the heatsink but slightly shorter modules such as G-Skill’s RipjawsX or Mushkin’s Blackline modules should fit without problems.

Prolimatech offer compatibility for every modern Intel and AMD socket including LGA 2011 via the use of separate mounting screws. The Genesis is priced at £59.99/€59,90/$79.99 without any fans making it one of the most expensive air coolers on the market before the additional cost of fans is added.

While Prolimatech’s Genesis may not live up to its price tag by offering slightly underwhelming performance that is surpassed by cheaper options, it is an innovative design. That innovative design is of questionable use when considering today’s RAM, VRM and MOSFET are components which don’t run hot enough to warrant the more active cooling supplied by the Genesis. We have to show some respect and gratitude towards Prolimatech for putting their minds to work as an attempt to liven up a monotonous market. Prolimatech can be very proud for creating such a unique cooler which doesn’t fall flat. Next time though, perhaps some larger fin arrays which supply extra surface area and a lower price tag would both be good ideas.