Without question one of the most affordable and thus commonly upgraded
components by PC builders and enthusiasts alike is the CPU cooler. While
things have definitely improved in the past few years, upgrading the
stock cooler that comes with AMD or Intel processors still grant you a
number of improvements. Generally the main goal is to lower operating
temperatures, but aftermarket coolers can also reduce operating volumes
and provide a greater overclocking headroom.
There are literally hundreds of options to choose from, though not all
of them will deliver the desired results. Numerous times we've found
third party coolers that perform no better than the standard box cooler,
or worse, improve things at the cost of increased noise output, making
them impractical upgrades.
But first things first, you need to make sure that the cooler you are
considering is compatible with your platform of choice and that it will
fit inside your case. Another aspect is value, as aftermarket CPU
coolers can vary a lot in price. For example, LGA1155-compatible coolers
start at around $15 and can go above $100, so it is important to work
out how much you are going to need to spend.
It is also worth mentioning that most aftermarket products are air
coolers, but there's also a wealth of liquid cooling systems on offer as
well. However today we're going to avoid going down that path, as we
take a look at four new air cooling products.
Included in the comparison are the Thermalright True Spirit 140,
Prolimatech Panther, Thermaltake Frio Advanced and Noctua NH-C14. All
four are designed to support multiple platforms on both AMD and Intel
camps. They range in price from just $40 all the way to $85, so it will
be interesting to see how they compare and more importantly what they
offer over stock cooling units.
We'll go into detail one by one and then put them to the test...
Thermalright True Spirit 140
Recently Thermalright has focused their attention towards budget cooling
units, which is a surprising move from a company that almost defined
the high-end air cooler. If you look at the products offered by
Thermalright before the True Spirit line came about you will find the
Venomous X ($70), Silver Arrow ($85), Archon ($85), AXP-140 ($70) and
MUX-120 ($60).
The Thermalright True Spirit 140 is set to cost just $40, with an
alternative version using a 120mm fan version at the bargain basement
price of $30.
We hear the True Spirit range is designed to set a new value benchmark
by using a high quality heatsink. The heatsink utilizes half a dozen 6mm
copper heatpipes that pass through a pure copper base that has been
nickel plated for a mirror shine.
The heatsink itself boasts that patented Thermalright Ultra style heatsink fin array which provides a huge 150mm by 125mm dispersion area. This allows the True Spirit 140 to take full advantage of that 140mm Thermalright TY-140 PWM fan which produces just 21dBA of noise at the maximum speed of 1300 RPM.
The cooler's 800 gram weight suggests this is a very large unit.
Dimensions of 155mm long, 53mm wide and 170mm tall make this anything
but small. The weight and size specifications alone make the $40 price
point hard to believe.
Another advantage is that out of the box, the True Spirit 140 can be
installed on either AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 or Intel LGA775/1155/1156/1366
platforms without having to purchase any additional mounting kits. That
said, those seeking LGA2011 support will be required to purchase a
separate mounting kit as that platform was released after the True
Spirit 140 was designed.
The installation process for either AMD or Intel platforms is the same.
The process requires rear access to the motherboard, though this
shouldn't be a big issue with most of today’s quality computer cases
that provide this.
Overall we found the installation a little too fiddly, especially when
compared to the other coolers featured in this article. Not only is the
mounting process for the heatsink a bit awkward but the fan clips are
also a pain in the proverbial, and we found mounting the 140mm fan took
some persuasion. Finally, Thermalright offers a comprehensive
compatibility list for the True Spirit 140 on their website, so be sure
to check your motherboard off the list before purchasing.
Prolimatech became a well-known manufacturer for their high performance
Megahalems air cooler, then went on to create other competitive
products such as the Mega Shadow, Super Mega, Armageddon and Genesis. At
the time of their arrival all these products had one thing in common:
their high cost. In general, they were all expensive heatsinks costing
upwards of $70 without a fan.
Prolimatech Panther
The company did very well for a number of years, but like Thermalright
it seems Prolimatech has also been forced to go with the times and as
such has begun developing budget-minded products.
The Panther measures 130mm long, 50mm wide and 161mm tall making it a smaller than the True Spirit 140, though being 5% shorter does mean it will support a broader range of cases. It also only receives four 6mm copper heatpipes which have been nickel plated.
Included in the package is a 120mm red LED fan which spins at between 800 - 1600RPM depending on processor temperature, and mounting kits for AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 and Intel LGA1155/1156 platforms. There are separate mounting brackets and back plates for AMD and Intel CPUs, while the Intel LGA775/1366/2011 platforms are not supported.
The installation is relatively straightforward with the Panther, though the user will require rear access to the motherboard tray. Overall we found the process to be quick and easy on both platforms. Given the design and size of the Panther we feel it should suit almost all motherboards.
Thermaltake Frio Advanced
Their most recent performance series is called "Frio." The original model, known simply as Frio, tipped the scales at a whopping 1042 grams which included a pair of 120mm fans. Those fans were capable of spinning at 2500 RPM where they could move 101.6 CFM, though doing so would generate a rather loud 43 dBA.
The Frio was followed by the FrioOCK which was even heavier at 1093 grams. The extra weight was attributed to the larger 130mm fans which moved 121 CFM at just 2100 RPM.
Now we have the Frio Advanced, which was released in conjunction with the new Intel LGA2011 platform. The cooler does support all modern AMD and Intel platforms out of the box however. The Frio Advanced appears to be a more mainstream offering compared to its predecessors as it’s lighter and the fans move less air.
The Frio Advanced features just five copper heatpipes which connect to an aluminum base. However this design sees the five 6mm copper heatpipes coming in direct contact with the CPU surface. This method is referred to as HDT (Heatpipe Direct Touch). I first tested a heatsink using this design back in 2008 when looking at the then new OCZ Vendetta series.
Given the size of those heatsinks the results were impressive, so we have high hopes for the much larger Frio Advanced. This cooler measures 130.6mm long, 122mm wide and 159.2mm tall giving it a similar height to the Prolimatech Panther.
However the Frio Advanced is considerably wider, as it boasts not one fan but two, and they are 130mm in diameter. The 130mm fans can move 88.77 CFM when spinning at full speed, though as they are PWM controllable they operate in the 800 - 2000 RPM range. These are not LED fans though they feature red blades as well as vibration-absorbent gaskets which are designed to decrease noise during operation.
Like the True Spirit 140, the Frio Advanced utilizes an all-in-one backplate design, meaning both AMD and Intel users will be faced with almost the same installation process. The Frio Advanced features the most comprehensive platform support as it is fully compatible with the AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 and Intel LGA775/1155/1156/1366/2011 platforms.
Noctua NH-C14
Like Prolimatech, Noctua built its name by targeting enthusiasts with
massive high performance air coolers. Today little of that has changed,
they still focus on making things big. The NH-D14 is a perfect example
of this as it is by far the biggest and heaviest cooler in our roundup.
Although the NH-C14 is not a new product (it was released over a year
ago), it remains their latest high-end cooler and as such we thought it
was worth including. The NH-C14 features a rather unique design which is
unlike anything else featured in our comparison.
The NH-C14 features what Noctua calls their “C-Type top-flow” design which uses six 6mm heatpipes that extend up into a horizontal array of aluminum fins. Connected to a copper base which is nickel plated, the heatpipes are then soldered to the fins for better thermal contact.
The C-Type top-flow makes the NH-C14 more compact, and while this is certainly not a low-profile design, it is much lower than comparable tower coolers. The NH-C14 heatsink alone weighs 900 grams and can support 140mm fans, but it stands just 105mm tall. You can maintain the 105mm height using a single 140mm fan, while adding a second extends the height to 130mm.
Not all motherboards will provide enough clearance for the lower 140mm
fan, so in some situations only the top mounted 140mm fan will be an
option. The NH-C14 ships with a pair of Noctua NF-P14 140mm fans, making
the $85 asking price easier to justify.
With both fans installed the NH-C14 tips the scales at 1000 grams and measures 140mm wide, 166mm long and 130mm tall. This gives the NH-C14 a massive 140mm by 166mm dispersion area, which is 24% larger than that of the Thermalright True Spirit 140 -- by no means a small heatsink.
Another advantage to the C-Type top-flow design is that it forces a lot of air over other critical system components, such as the motherboard's power phase and the memory modules.
The included NF-P14 140mm fans feature a quality SSO bearing (self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearing) which surpasses current types of ball, sleeve or liquid bearings in terms of long-term stability and quietness. The fans operate at between 750 - 1200 RPM and generate just 19.6dBA at full speed.
Installing the Noctua NH-C14 on either AMD or Intel platforms is quick and easy. Helping to speed up the process considerably is the fact that Noctua has pre-installed the fans. As such the user simply needs to attach the mounting mechanism to the socket and then attach the heatsink. All in all this entire process can be over within a matter of minutes.
The NH-C14 features what Noctua calls their “C-Type top-flow” design which uses six 6mm heatpipes that extend up into a horizontal array of aluminum fins. Connected to a copper base which is nickel plated, the heatpipes are then soldered to the fins for better thermal contact.
The C-Type top-flow makes the NH-C14 more compact, and while this is certainly not a low-profile design, it is much lower than comparable tower coolers. The NH-C14 heatsink alone weighs 900 grams and can support 140mm fans, but it stands just 105mm tall. You can maintain the 105mm height using a single 140mm fan, while adding a second extends the height to 130mm.
With both fans installed the NH-C14 tips the scales at 1000 grams and measures 140mm wide, 166mm long and 130mm tall. This gives the NH-C14 a massive 140mm by 166mm dispersion area, which is 24% larger than that of the Thermalright True Spirit 140 -- by no means a small heatsink.
Another advantage to the C-Type top-flow design is that it forces a lot of air over other critical system components, such as the motherboard's power phase and the memory modules.
The included NF-P14 140mm fans feature a quality SSO bearing (self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearing) which surpasses current types of ball, sleeve or liquid bearings in terms of long-term stability and quietness. The fans operate at between 750 - 1200 RPM and generate just 19.6dBA at full speed.
Installing the Noctua NH-C14 on either AMD or Intel platforms is quick and easy. Helping to speed up the process considerably is the fact that Noctua has pre-installed the fans. As such the user simply needs to attach the mounting mechanism to the socket and then attach the heatsink. All in all this entire process can be over within a matter of minutes.
Testing Notes, Operating Temperatures
Both the idle and stress tests are run for 20mins and then the
lowest/maximum values are recorded. Prime95 is used to place all four
cores under 100% load for the 20 minute period. The room’s ambient
temperature is kept at a constant 21 degrees.
When testing the coolers we remount them onto the CPU three times and
record the idle/load data. Each time the thermal paste is wiped clean
from both the CPU and the heatsinks base. The best result is displayed
rather than the average of all the recorded data.
Because we record the temperatures using EVEREST Ultimate Edition, the same version is used every time with the same motherboard using the exact same BIOS revision. Furthermore, the same Intel Core i7 2600K processor was used clocked at the default 3.4GHz as well as an overclocked 4.7GHz configuration.
All tests were conducted using a vertical motherboard orientation, positioned upright in a traditional tower computer case. The heatsinks that feature heatpipes are positioned so they span horizontally.
Furthermore, all power saving features have been disabled when testing with our Core i7-2600K processor. This means CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E), C3/C6 State Support, CPU Thermal Monitor and EIST have all been disabled. Turbo Boost has also been disabled locking the frequency of the processor.
As you can see, the Intel stock cooler performs poorly even when the Core i7-2600K is operating at the default 3.4GHz. Although the Prime95 small FFTs test places maximum stress on all cores, you can expect similar loads when performing certain tasks such as encoding. Even at idle with the power saving features disabled, the stock cooler idled at 45 degrees.
In comparison the aftermarket coolers did a significantly better job at keeping the Core i7-2600K cool. The Thermaltake Frio Advance which was the worse performing cooler still reduced the load temperature to 47 degrees, just 2 degrees warmer than the Intel stock cooler at idle. The Frio Advance was also able to reduce the idle temperature to 31 degrees.
The Prolimatech Panther was able to shave another 2 degrees off the stress test, and idle temperatures by 4 degrees. Then the Thermalright True Spirit 140 matched the Panther at idle but reduce the stress temperature by another 2 degrees. This means that the True Spirit 140 is able to match the stress temperature of the Prolimatech Megahalems.
Finally, the Noctua NH-C14 took the top spot with a stress temperature of just 41 degrees. The idle temperature was also reduced to 24 degrees, meaning a few degrees above ambient room temperature.
The performance trends found with the Core i7-2600K clocked at 4.7GHz were similar to those at 3.4GHz. The Thermaltake Frio Advanced was 2 degrees warmer than the Prolimatech Panther, which was 3 degrees warmer than the Thermalright True Spirit 140. Finally, the Noctua NH-C14 ran the coolest rig at just 54 degrees when fully stressed.
Even when overclocked all the coolers were near silent with the Core i7-2600K at idle. When stressed the Prolimatech Panther remained silent and the True Spirit 140 was barely audible. The Thermaltake Frio Advanced was audible but not what we would call loud, while the Noctua NH-C14 was unquestionably loud under load.
The Intel Core i7-2600K
makes a perfect case scenario of a processor that can really benefit
from an upgraded cooler. Despite being a more expensive unlocked
processor, Intel bundles the Core i7-2600K with the same low profile
heatsink that comes with the cheaper Core i5/i3 processors.
Because we record the temperatures using EVEREST Ultimate Edition, the same version is used every time with the same motherboard using the exact same BIOS revision. Furthermore, the same Intel Core i7 2600K processor was used clocked at the default 3.4GHz as well as an overclocked 4.7GHz configuration.
All tests were conducted using a vertical motherboard orientation, positioned upright in a traditional tower computer case. The heatsinks that feature heatpipes are positioned so they span horizontally.
Furthermore, all power saving features have been disabled when testing with our Core i7-2600K processor. This means CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E), C3/C6 State Support, CPU Thermal Monitor and EIST have all been disabled. Turbo Boost has also been disabled locking the frequency of the processor.
As you can see, the Intel stock cooler performs poorly even when the Core i7-2600K is operating at the default 3.4GHz. Although the Prime95 small FFTs test places maximum stress on all cores, you can expect similar loads when performing certain tasks such as encoding. Even at idle with the power saving features disabled, the stock cooler idled at 45 degrees.
In comparison the aftermarket coolers did a significantly better job at keeping the Core i7-2600K cool. The Thermaltake Frio Advance which was the worse performing cooler still reduced the load temperature to 47 degrees, just 2 degrees warmer than the Intel stock cooler at idle. The Frio Advance was also able to reduce the idle temperature to 31 degrees.
The Prolimatech Panther was able to shave another 2 degrees off the stress test, and idle temperatures by 4 degrees. Then the Thermalright True Spirit 140 matched the Panther at idle but reduce the stress temperature by another 2 degrees. This means that the True Spirit 140 is able to match the stress temperature of the Prolimatech Megahalems.
Finally, the Noctua NH-C14 took the top spot with a stress temperature of just 41 degrees. The idle temperature was also reduced to 24 degrees, meaning a few degrees above ambient room temperature.
The performance trends found with the Core i7-2600K clocked at 4.7GHz were similar to those at 3.4GHz. The Thermaltake Frio Advanced was 2 degrees warmer than the Prolimatech Panther, which was 3 degrees warmer than the Thermalright True Spirit 140. Finally, the Noctua NH-C14 ran the coolest rig at just 54 degrees when fully stressed.
Even when overclocked all the coolers were near silent with the Core i7-2600K at idle. When stressed the Prolimatech Panther remained silent and the True Spirit 140 was barely audible. The Thermaltake Frio Advanced was audible but not what we would call loud, while the Noctua NH-C14 was unquestionably loud under load.
Final Thoughts
When we first reviewed the Sandy Bridge architecture Intel provided
their BXXTS100H cooler, which is a 130mm tall tower style cooler
featuring a 95mm fan capable of spinning at 2600 RPM. Although this
cooler offers considerably better performance, it is an optional extra
worth over $40.
For that kind of money the Thermalright True Spirit 140 is a much better option. The large True Spirit 140 cooler provides near silent operation, even when fully stressed and overclocked. Given the price and performance of the True Spirit 140 it is without question the best value cooler featured in our roundup and is very likely the best value product on the market today.
The next most affordable cooler in our roundup was the Prolimatech Panther. Had it not been for the amazing performance of the True Spirit 140 we would certainly be a lot more impressed with what Prolimatech brought to the table. At $55 however, the Panther is not only more expensive than the Thermalright, but we found it to be 2-3 degrees warmer. There is just one area where the Panther was able to best the True Spirit and that was in the installation process - the Prolimatech approach is far simpler.
Higher up the food chain we have the Thermaltake Frio Advanced, a brand new product that we have been keen to check out. Sadly this cooler failed to prove its weight in gold, delivering subpar performance at a premium price.
On the bright side the Noctua NH-C14 delivered. Though it was only marginally cooler than the cheaper Thermalright True Spirit 140, and became much louder when stressed.
Therefore when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck, we recommend going with the Thermalright True Spirit 140. It is dirt cheap at $40, provides high-end performance and is compatible with all modern AMD and Intel platforms right out of the box. The Noctua NH-C14 provided our best results, making it a top pick for overclockers, though should you configure heatsinks such as the Megahalems with similar fans you will likely get similar results.
source:www.techspot.com For that kind of money the Thermalright True Spirit 140 is a much better option. The large True Spirit 140 cooler provides near silent operation, even when fully stressed and overclocked. Given the price and performance of the True Spirit 140 it is without question the best value cooler featured in our roundup and is very likely the best value product on the market today.
The next most affordable cooler in our roundup was the Prolimatech Panther. Had it not been for the amazing performance of the True Spirit 140 we would certainly be a lot more impressed with what Prolimatech brought to the table. At $55 however, the Panther is not only more expensive than the Thermalright, but we found it to be 2-3 degrees warmer. There is just one area where the Panther was able to best the True Spirit and that was in the installation process - the Prolimatech approach is far simpler.
Higher up the food chain we have the Thermaltake Frio Advanced, a brand new product that we have been keen to check out. Sadly this cooler failed to prove its weight in gold, delivering subpar performance at a premium price.
On the bright side the Noctua NH-C14 delivered. Though it was only marginally cooler than the cheaper Thermalright True Spirit 140, and became much louder when stressed.
Therefore when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck, we recommend going with the Thermalright True Spirit 140. It is dirt cheap at $40, provides high-end performance and is compatible with all modern AMD and Intel platforms right out of the box. The Noctua NH-C14 provided our best results, making it a top pick for overclockers, though should you configure heatsinks such as the Megahalems with similar fans you will likely get similar results.
