SilentiumPC Fortis 5 CPU Cooler Review

A Closer Look

Out of the box, the SilentiumPC Fortis 5 has a nice sleek aesthetic that certainly does a good job in dispelling the long-held belief (by some at least) that it’s impossible for an air cooler to look nice. Overall, it both looks and feels like a good quality design. As with all cooling solutions, however, there are clearly a number of individual components that go into making the overall product. Let us, therefore, take a closer look at some of them!

Contact Plate

The contact plate has 6 coated copper pipes leading to it from each side which is exactly what you want to see from a high-performance cooling solution. More pipes mean more heat can be sent to the different parts of the radiator for better distribution and dissipation. You’ll also note quite a nice pattern to the underside of the radiator. The only pity is that when this is installed, it won’t be visible. A nice touch nonetheless, though.

The contact plate itself is nice and large, supremely polished, and rather than a coating, it has left the copper directly exposed (I like this!). Its size should provide excellent contact for both Intel and AMD processors with the only exception being HEDT models such as the AMD Threadripper.

Radiator

The most eye-catching aspect of the radiator is undoubtedly seen in its rather unusual design. As you can see in the picture below, while one side is (basically) flat, the other has an insert to the centre. Does this achieve anything? Probably not. Visually though, it’s quite appealing.

With a sleek black cover to the top of the radiator stack, as well as a well-sized and somewhat subtle SilentiumPC logo to the centre, this definitely adds a lot to the overall aesthetic which shouldn’t make this CPU cooler look out of place in any kind of system build.

Fan

The SilentiumPC Fortis 5 is provided with one fan out of the box. It should be noted though that for users looking for an extra bit of cooling performance, you are provided with a second set of fan clips should you, at a future date, look to upgrade this.

The fans blades are certainly eye-catching with their serrated edges. I have no idea whether these really have any impact on the airflow performance but, let’s be honest, they look pretty cool and certainly give a little something extra to the overall aesthetics of this cooler.

A look at the rear of the fan confirmed it to be a SilentiumPC Fluctus 140mm design. Featuring a Dynamic Fluid Bearing, this shouldn’t just give strong levels of airflow but, all going well, also some exceptionally quiet levels of acoustic output.

Overall

Some may consider the SilentiumPC Fortis 5 to look a little basic, but in my opinion, the aesthetics are definitely there. They’re subtle for sure, but its sleek understated look, and particularly so the contrast of black and silver, really make this product pop. As noted earlier in this review, I see absolutely no reason why this couldn’t fit in with any kind of PC build.