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For testing today we are using an AMD Phenom 1055T based system and have overclocked it to 3.7ghz. We tend to concentrate often on Intel systems, but in regards to value for money the 1055T is one of the best processors on the market right now.
Comparison Coolers:
ThermalTake Contac 29 Cooler (review here)
Noctua NH D14 (review here)
Xigmatek HDT S1284EE
Coolit Domino ALC
Zalman CNPS10X Flex
Coolermaster Hyper Z600
Vantec VAF-1225 AeroFlow FX120
Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme
OCZ Vendetta 2
CoolerMaster Hyper 212
Asus Silent Square EVO
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
Processor: AMD Phenom 1055T
Motherboard: MSI 890 GXM-G65
Graphics: Sapphire HD5670 Crossfire X (review coming soon)
PSU: Thermaltake 675W
Hard Drive: Intel 160GB X-25M SSD
Chassis: Silverstone Precision SST PS05 (1 extra intake fan applied)
Memory: Kingston 8GB DDR3 1600mhz
With air conditioning, room ambient temperatures were kept at a steady 25c, comfortable conditions for most people. Load temperatures were recorded by looping Cinebench R11.5 for a 30 minute period under 100% load and recording the maximum results. These are real world conditions … the application uses the Cinema 4D rendering engine.
When possible fans were set to high positions.
We use the following for measurements as many onboard software based results are not accurate.
MultiMeter Thermal Probe
Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2
Raytek Laser Temp Gun 3i LSRC/MT4 Mini Temp
The Noctua NH C12P SE14 delivers great results with our overclocked processor hovering around the 40 degree mark under load. This is the same result as the Domino ALC, which is a liquid cooling solution.
These results are incredible, the cooler is almost inaudible and manages to keep temperatures within 2 degrees of the awesome Xigmatek HDT S1284EE. Bear in mind this is without using the optional adapters to reduce fan speeds further. Let's see how they work.
When we reduced the fan speeds with the optional adapters Noctua (supplied in the box) the noise level drops even further. Normal speed is quiet, Low Noise is barely audible and Ultra Low Noise is almost silent. We will see how these affect temperatures however with our overclocked 1055T processor.
Well I think these results speak for themselves – even with the Ultra Low Noise Adapter installed the temperatures never reach 50c under load. Bear in mind with the passively cooled Sapphire graphics cards in this system you wouldn't even know it was turned on.
They do build some lovely coolers. this is beautifully designed and big fans are a winner.
Everyone loves Noctua, if they don’t they dont know what they are talking about. My big problem with them is the price. They are overpriced IMO. Great products, fantastic cooling, but do they actually sell a cooler under £50?!
Another great review KG – I concur with previous views. love their fans in particular as they have such a long life and high quality internals. only concern is the price again. I dont mind paying for a high quality product but there are many others out there and sometimes they cost considerably less.
This particular product would appeal to me more than the austrian sandwich you reviewed a while ago. Its more compact, less fitting restrictions and probably quieter. Obviously if I was overclocking a 980x I might have a different view, but im not.
I recently bought one of the 120mm fans and I was stunned how good it was, after I replaced my old akasa unit. Pushed more air, was quieter and didnt rattle. (I can hear weird noises with most fans).
Nice cooler indeed, shame about the massive price.
The Noctua 14cm fan on this cooler is exceptionally well designed, uses all the best components with no corners cut, the rated life is 4-5 times that of a standard fan.
This is most impressive, I particularly like the noise levels. or lack of.
In a lot of situations, there is a really simple test you can apply to see if the more expensive cooler is worth buying
Comparing a budget cooler, like the Contac29, to a top end cooler like the Austrian-Sandwich, look at the price difference and ask yourself “Can I upgrade to a better CPU for the difference ?”
With something like a Core i3 530, the answer will be YES, but with an i7 930 the answer will be NO
Cannot promise this is 100% foolproof in all cases, but it is a decent rule of thumb
If you’re into games, apply the same price difference to your graphic card selection – where the CPU cooler saving might make a 5670 into a 5770, but it will never make a 5770 into a 5850
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http://spotyourshop.com/home-and-office/cooler-and-fan/gurugram