Ever since Heatpipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology was first introduced in exposed copper heatpipe coolers such as the Zaward VIVO, Xigmatek HDT-S1283, and OCZ Vendetta, overall heatsink sizes have been reduced while the cooling performance has dramatically improved. Not eveyone is a believer in the new cooling technique, and some manufacturers have stuck by their tried-and-true designs. Benchmark Reviews has received the Scythe Mugen 5-Heatpipe CPU Cooler SCINF-1000, and the practice of "bigger is better" will be put to the test.

Many manufacturers search out designs that will help them develop a product known for extraordinary performance. Benchmark Reviews has already reviewed many of the very best CPU coolers available to enthusiasts, from the very unique and original design of the Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 and VIVO to the oversized Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369. Not long ago, we even reviewed the Ultra ULT33186 Chilltec TEC CPU cooler which combined three different cooling technologies into one solution. All of these products performed very well, but none of them really set itself apart from the pack like the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 did. In this review we will test the OCZ Vendetta (OCZTVEND) Exposed Copper Heatpipe Direct Touch CPU cooler against a field of well-established competitors.

Ideally every CPU cooler should perform well, which most do. But in the age of advertising and marketing, consumers are easily mislead into believing a product will perform well just because of the company branding it. I have reviewed some very nice coolers over the summer by some of the most well known names in the industry; only to be let down by their claims of premium performance. Well, to be honest, prior to very recently I had never heard of Xigmatek before. Just a few weeks ago Benchmark Reviews unveiled the Xigmatek HDT-S1283, which tested to be the best-performing CPU we have seen to date. Perhaps on the same level is the Xigmatek XP-S964 Copper Heatpipe CPU Cooler.

Many manufacturers search out designs that will help them develop a product known for extraordinary performance. Benchmark Reviews has already reviewed many of the very best CPU coolers available to enthusiasts, from the very unique and original Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 CPU Cooler to the oversized Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369 CPU Cooler. Not long ago, we even reviewed the Ultra ULT33186 Chilltec TEC CPU Cooler which combined three different cooling technologies into one solution. All of these products performed very well, but none of them really set itself apart from the pack. In this review we will test the Zaward VIVO PCJ004 Exposed Copper Heatpipe Direct Touch CPU cooler against a field of top competitors.

Heatpipes have not been an integrated part of the CPU heatsink for very long now, but the tall design with a fan fixed to the front has already been done several times over. Copper heatpipes, and later copper bases, helped reach the coolest temperatures available from air cooling, but enthusiasts didn't have to wait long for the next advancement. Xigmatek has delivered the HDT-S1283 Exposed Copper Heatpipe CPU Cooler with 120mm cooling fan, and Benchmark Reviews is simply amazed by the unprecedented results. This is by far the best cooler we have yet to test.

A thermo-electric cooler (TEC), also known as a Peltier Cooler, is a solid-state active heat pump capable of transferring heat from one side of the device to the other. The Ultra ChillTec CPU cooler ULT33186 uses a TEC, sandwiched between two copper plates, each plate with four heat-pipes leading to a large fan cooled radiator. Ideal for hardcore cooling, Benchmark Reviews will discover the potential advantages over standard air cooling solutions, and weigh the ChillTec against a large collection of competitors.

Summer is the perfect time for many things: vacation, picnics, camping, and spending time at the beach. Unfortunately, all this warm weather means that computers will not be running as cool as they normally would, and system stability can become threatened. Benchmark Reviews has recently tested the MaxOrb CL-P0369 from Thermaltake. Read on to discover if this product is a computer enthusiast and overclockers dream, or just another fancy fan with some heat pipes.

The engineers at Zaward are something like a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci, because they have taken to a unique style of functional cooling devices. One of their featured products is the Sylphee aluminum CPU cooler. Benchmark Reviews tested this dual-heatpipe dual-impeller cooler, and it proved to be a very unique product, with results just as uncommon. Read on to see if function came before fashion, or if these looks can kill your system.