Thermaltake Frio Advanced CPU Cooler Review

Measuring temperatures is all about being consistent; therefore we make sure that the test is kept completely fair so that none of the coolers are at a disadvantage. We measure the CPU temperature using HWMonitor after a 15 minute idle period. We then measure the CPU temperature using HWMonitor after a 15 minute load period using Prime95 with the small FFTs setting.

The chart shows the delta CPU temperature (difference between ambient temperature and recorded CPU temperature). This way we can fairly compare each cooler without presenting any inaccuracies due to slight fluctuations in the ambient temperature or unfair results.

Here is an example of how to understand delta temperatures. “If the ambient (room) temperature is 25C and the recorded CPU temperature is 65C, the delta temperature is the CPU’s temperature rise above ambient temperature, therefore the delta temperature in this case would be 40C. If the ambient temperature is 23C and the recorded CPU Temperature is 80C, the delta temperature in this case would be 57C. Delta temperature = Recorded CPU temperature – Ambient temperature”

The £50/€50 Thermaltake Frio Advanced doesn’t get off to a great start. With our Core i7 2600K CPU running at its stock frequency, the Frio Advanced has settle for 2nd to last position along with Akasa’s Venom Voodoo. Price wise, the NZXT Havik 140 and Thermalright Silver Arrow are both slightly more expensive than Thermaltake’s offering, while the Venom Voodoo is the nearest, cheaper competitor. Comparing the performance of this set of coolers, the Frio Advanced gets beaten confidently by the Silver Arrow which is around 11% cooler but only £3 more expensive. The £10 cheaper Venom Voodoo dishes out another blow by managing to match the Thermaltake cooler’s performance. On the other hand, NZXT’s £54 Havik 140 can’t keep up and is 11.5% worse at cooling our 2600K than the Frio Advanced.