Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 CPU Cooler Review

We repeated the testing procedures with our Intel Core i7 2600K CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz using a BIOS voltage of 1.240V which crept up to a maximum of 1.288V under load conditions. We must remind you that we have discovered our processor runs slightly hotter than usual, but seeing as all tests use the same CPU, the results aren’t biased.

When the heat is turned up, Xigmatek’s Gaia isn’t quite able to match the Hyper 612S’ load performance. It does however manage to offer better load performance (albeit within the margin of error) than one of its nearest pricing competitor, the £24/$40 Gelid Tranquillo Rev. 2. With the fairly hefty overclock applied, the Aegir is still ahead of the Gaia’s load performance, but by nearer to 9% this time, rather than the 10% previously seen. The mighty Phanteks PH-TC14PE keeps our 2600K CPU around 23% cooler than the Gaia does at load, but then again, its £70/$99/€80 price tag is also between 3 to 4 times larger than that of the Gaia’s.