Phanteks PH-TC90LS Low Profile CPU Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging & Bundle3. The Phanteks PH-TC90LS CPU Cooler4. Testing Methodology5. Thermal Performance6. Acoustic Performance 7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

We compared the Phanteks PH-TC90LS CPU cooler to Noctua's NH-L9i and the reference Intel cooler as supplied with our Core i5 3570K CPU.

Our graphs show actual temperatures of the CPU, not delta temperatures.

Ambient temperature was maintained at 19°C.

At both stock and overclocked CPU frequencies, we see the Phanteks PH-TC90LS cooler's performance sat between that of Intel's reference Core i5 3570K heatsink and Noctua's smaller NH-L9i.

Phanteks' model manages to outperform the Intel heatsink by a narrow margin, but the load cooling performance of Noctua's 8mm-shorter NH-L9i is 3°C better in both tests.

We were expecting to see the Phanteks cooler offer a greater performance increase over the stock CPU cooler. The PH-TC90LS is designed for use in confined SFF systems where airflow isn't high – the type of environment which poses a tough task for Intel's reference heatsink.

With our test system's high-airflow NZXT Phantom case, the performance gap between each cooler is compressed, as each model receives a large amount of air. This is likely to have an effect on the perceived performance increase of Phanteks' PH-TC90LS which is specifically designed for use in confined spaces.

Become a Patron!