Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 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”

At stock CPU speeds, we see the £17/$30/€24 Gaia SD1283 matching the £35/€40 Cooler Master Hyper 612S in terms of load performance. This is very impressive considering the price differences, but the Hyper 612S isn’t really a performance orientated cooler. The Gaia’s bigger brother, the Aegir offers just under 10% better performance at load, but is over a 100% cost increase. Cooler Master’s £24/$25 Hyper 212 Plus proves to be a worthy contender, as always. Its load result manages to beat the Gaia’s by almost 11%.