Best CPU Cooler Performance

When it comes down to it, consumers that shop for aftermarket cooling products only want one thing: the very best their money can buy. It makes perfect sense, too. Since so many products flood the market every day, it all comes down to price and performance. Based on this principal, Benchmark Reviews searches out the latest CPU coolers and tests them under real-world overclocked conditions. Want to know which cooling products stand-out? This quarterly update to our Best CPU Cooler Performance series will separate the good from the bad.

After publishing the first quarterly comparison article of the series, our methodology was adjusted to include test results with both reference and performance cooling fans. A follow-up article comparing the Vendetta 2 vs TRUE vs HDT-S1283 was later published using the new methods, and the results more accurately illustrated the performance an overclocking enthusiast might receive compared to someone who buys the product and uses it in the stock form. These changes helped up re-work our testing just in time for the last Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q2 2008 article.

Benchmark Reviews strives to offer the overclocker and hardware enthusiast community solid evidence reflecting the true performance of computer products through rigorous testing and evaluation. I personally understand that many of the readers who visit Benchmark Reviews have been involved with other community websites for several years, and therefore take our test results personally. So now that our test process has been reworked, we have collected the most complete source of benchmark results possible and gathered in a controlled environment. The purpose of this third article of our series is to document performance and declare the best CPU coolers available as of Q3 2008.

Computer hardware is an ever-evolving industry, and since Moores law only applies to an exponentially growing transistor count then there should probably be another law for cooling. In the very recent past there have been two major trends which have accelerated the performance potential of CPU cooler. That first development was the use of heat-pipes to directly contact with the CPU surface; which resulted in the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology. The second development is by no mean a new concept, just new to our industry in specific. For many years now heatsinks have been full of right angles, but very recently companies have begun to recognize the need to disrupt smooth airflow and reduce the laminar skin effect which allows air to travel just above the solid surface. Some manufacturers have used at least one of these new concepts in their product design, and only a few are beginning to incorporate both. Benchmark Reviews will see how much this effects the overall performance as we test a large segment of products.

Before we introduce our newest collection of CPU coolers, let's establish that our tests consist of methods we have determined to be the best for our one singular purpose. Our methodology isn't written in stone, and could very likely be changed or modified as we receive justification (and feedback from the community). Our scope is limited to stand-alone products only, meaning those products which can be installed and operated without additional critical components needed or kit construction. This generally excludes nearly all liquid cooling systems, which may potentially offer better performance than the products we test for this article. Suffice it to say however, the vast majority of gamers and enthusiasts are using air-cooled solutions and therefore we target this review series towards them. We encourage hardware enthusiasts to utilize the equipment available to them, and select the cooling fan that best suits their needs. Just keep in mind that exceptional cooling performance must begin with the CPU cooler, and end with the cooling fan. It's the foundation of the unit that makes a difference, which is exactly what we're after in this article.

Conductive Elements

Manufacturers have made a small fortune off of confusion tactics and misinformation. Marketing departments often times neglect to refer back to solid science when making their bold claims, which is why we have assembled a complete list of thermally conductive elements in the reference chart below.

It's very well known that Silver, Copper, Gold, and Aluminum together comprise top four most thermally conductive elements. However, without knowing the thermal conductance of these elements you might think the performance was close. As it turns out, Silver and Copper both offer nearly twice the performance of Aluminum when transferring thermal energy such as heat. Aluminum is the least expensive top-tier metal, which explains the popularity. Most Thermal Interface Material and CPU coolers use several different elemental ingredients to work together, but after a careful inspection of the performance levels it comes as a surprise to me that some of the most popular products make use of such poor conductors.

Recipes usually call for only the finest ingredients, and the very same principle is true for overclocker and hardware enthusiast products. Thermal pastes are often times mixed from at least a dozen different components, while heatsink coolers may use only one or two different metals. Armed with the knowledge above, you might expect any silver-based product to be a clear-cut winner... but building a superior product by design is different than what you receive in execution.

Keep these materials in mind as we take a look at the new products Benchmark Reviews has collected for this round-up article, beginning with our first contender...

Cooler Master Geminii S

Cooler Master has been a longtime supporter of fashionable cooling. While I must admit that they do a pretty good job of capturing my attention with looks, but there have been times that I question the engineering. The Cooler Master Geminii S cooler is built to cool mildly overclocked systems with the least of fan noise.

Cooler Master has adopted a proprietary mounting system for their after-market cooling solutions, and the Geminii S (RR-CCH-PBJ1-GP) follows suit. This mounting system requires motherboard removal, but the upside is that Intel's standard clip system is replaced with a screw and nut bolt-down kit.

A copper base enables a smooth transfer of heat energy to five copper heat-pipes which span across a 120mm aluminum-fin cooling surface. Cooler Master has not yet adopted the Heat-pipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology, and has relied heavily on a well-polished contact surface soldiered to many heat-pipes. The highly polished copper surface requires barely a smear of thermal interface material to mate the two contact surfaces, which does very well with lapped and polished processors.

Once installed the Geminii S can operate with either the included 120mm cooling fan, or the four corner screws can be removed to replace the stock fan with an after-market option. For this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Cooler Master Geminii S cooler with both the included 120mm fan and a high-output Yate Loon D12SH-12 cooling fan.

As of October 2008 the Cooler Master GeminII S CPU Cooler is listed at NewEgg for $35.99, however several other retailers are also available for price comparison.

RR-CCH-PBJ1-GP Specifications

• Dimensions: 124 x 120.8 x 75 mm
• Weight: 560 g
• Heat Sink Dimensions: 124 x 118.4 x 62 mm
• Heat Sink Material: Copper base/ 5 heatpipes/Aluminum fin
• Heat Pipes Dimensions: Φ6 mm
• Fan Dimension (W / H / D): 120 x 120 x 25 mm
• Fan Speed: 1000~2000 R.P.M.
• Fan Airflow: 69.69CFM
• Fan Air Pressure: 2.94 mmH2O
• Bearing Type: Long life sleeve
• Fan Life Expectancy: 40,000 hours
• Fan Noise Level (dB-A): 17~21 dBA
• Connector: 4-pin (PWM Mode)
• Fan Speed Adjustment: PWM
• Rated Voltage: 12 V
• Start Voltage: 7 V
• Operating Voltage: 10.8~13.2 V
• Rated Current: 0.35 A
• Input Power: 4.2 W

About the company: Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry's best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. It aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

Cooler Master's current business encompasses a comprehensive lineup of thermal solutions for a full range of applications. Its products range from heat sinks and fans to component housing, chassis, and ducting for computers, industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment, and many other devices.

Cooler Master V8

Challenging a new generations of PC mod-ding, the Cooler Master V8 revs up ahead with its tough guard cooling engine. Superior in its design, this wicked-fun V8 monster has enough horsepower to out-perform its duties with any high-performance CPU while under the most critical heat conditions. On top of its stylish finish, the V8 Cooler has quite some rich features. For heat dissipation it is supported with it's smart 180W cooling solution. Modularized by 4 separate set of aluminium fins and linked by 8 diagonal up-rise heat pipes, the V8 structural design allows speedy heat transfer to a large heat dissipation surface. Another excellent key feature of the V8, is its precision fan control. The V8 is compatible with all current CPU sockets, and provides unsurpassed cooling performance.

Cooler Master covers all the bases with their products, and in regards to CPU coolers they offer everything from stock direct-replacement coolers to full-size kits. The Cooler Master V8 is a perfect example of the extreme end of system cooling, and offers six nickel-plated heat-pipes spanned out from each side of the polished mounting base. Because of the large size and heavy component weight, Cooler Master uses aluminum fins paired with a single sandwiched 120mm fan to deliver high-performance cooling.

Backplates are included for all modern CPU sockets, including the upcoming Intel Core i7 socket LGA1366. The bolt-through kit ensures that the V8 receives optimal contact pressure with the CPU, and delivers the best performance as a result.

Looking at the underside of the V8 cooler, there are two heat-pipes connected to three different fin-sink panels on each side of the cooling fan. The RR-UV8-XBU1-GP kit comes with a decent stock cooling fan with red LEDs imbedded, but once you remove the four allen-head screws from the retaining cap the fan options open up.

Cooler Master includes a fan speed-controller with the RR-UV8-XBU1-GP kit, however Benchmark Reviews tests the V8 cooler with a direct and unrestricted power connection. Once we substituted the stock fan with a Yate Loon D12SH-12 unit, the performance was quite impressive.

RR-UV8-XBU1-GP Specifications

• Overall Dimensions: 120 x 128 x 161.1mm
• Weight: 865g
• Heat Sink Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 158mm
• Heat Sink Material: Copper Base / Aluminum Fins / 8 Heat Pipes
• Heat Pipes Dimensions: Φ6 mm
• Fan Dimension (W / H / D): 120 x 120 x 25mm
• Fan Speed: 800 - 1800RPM
• Fan Airflow: 69.69CFM
• Air pressure (mmH2O): 2.94mm H2O
• Bearing Type: Rifle Bearing
• Fan Life Expectancy: 40,000 hrs
• Fan Noise Level (dB-A): 17 - 21dBA
• Connector: 4-pin
• Fan Control: PWM + VR Controller
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Start Voltage: 7V
• Operating Voltage: 10.38V - 13.2V
• Rated Current: 0.12A
• Input Power: 1.44W

Coolink Silentator

The Silentator's mission is simple: to cool... and to do it silently! Employing 3 high-performance dual heat-pipes, an optimised fin-design and a SWiF-1202 quality fan, the Silentator achieves first-class cooling performance at a minimum noise of only 14dB(A). For the Silentator, Coolink could build on the basis of Noctua's much acclaimed Ultra-Low-Noise coolers, which are manufactured in Coolink's factories and earned more than 100 recommendations and awards from international websites and magazines. The Silentator also employs their professional SecuFirm^TMmounting system. Thanks to the use of 3 high-performance Dual-Heatpipes, the performance-optimized design of the cooling fins and a SWiF-1202 quality fan, the Silentator achieves outstanding cooling performance. At the same time, the noise emission of the SWiF-1202 can be reduced to a mere 14dB(A) using the supplied PCI-bracket fan controller. As a result, the Silentator is suited not only for harsh overclocking, but also for real Silent-PCs!

Many enthusiasts are familiar with Noctua, however not so many people have heard of their offshoot company Coolink. The construction appears extremely familiar to the Noctua NH-U12P design, with exception being the higher-output cooling fan. A copper base is attached to three full-length copper heat-pipes that are arranged into the popular "U" design. A tall stack of 37 aluminum fins attach themselves to the symmetric array of six heat-pipe ends.

The Coolink mounting system is identical to Noctua's, and replaces the Intel clip system with a high-pressure spring-loaded bolt-through kit.

SILENTATOR-AM2 Specifications

• 3 high-performance Dual-Heat-Pipes
• 37 Aluminium-Fins with a surface area of more than 3500cm²
• Soldered joints for optimal heat-transfer
• Original SWiF-1202 quality fan with high precision double ball bearing
• Adjustable between 14 and 24dB(A)
• Tool-free fan-mount including anti-vibration strips
• Original SecuFirm mounting system*
• Can be turned by 90° for optimal positioning and compatibility
• 36 months warranty

About the company: Coolink / Kolink International

Coolink is a brand of the Kolink International Corporation and stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing. Coolink - the direct link to affordable high-end cooling! Kolink International Corporation is a cooling specialist established in 1996 and well known among industry insiders. Throughout the years, Kolink designed and manufactured many top-performing heat-sinks under various brand names that succeeded in international markets. An experienced R&D team and ultra-modern production plants in Taiwan ensure continuous progress, efficient manufacturing conditions and strict quality standards.

Kolink's retail brand Coolink stands for an effective conjunction of no-frills performance, excellent quality and attractive pricing. While Coolink held a strong presence in the Asian market ever since the late 90ies, it was not until 2005 that the brand was introduced to the European market on a large scale. After the launch of Coolink-Europe.com in late 2005, Coolink quickly became a well recognized brand for high-quality cooling components in Europe too.

Evercool Transformer 6

If someone asked me to name the companies that offer the best CPU coolers, chances would be very good that Evercool would not be at the top of my list. It's not that Evercool doesn't make a good product, but the company has had little success earning a strong name for themselves in North America because they are sold under the Cables Unlimited brand. I believe the Transformer 6 might possibly change this position, because one look at the images below will reveal that this is not another CPU cooler clone.

From the chrome-plated 120mm fan to the very unique finsink design, Evercool's Transformer 6 is truly the most fascinating cooler I have seen all year long. Of course, Evercool products must do a lot more then just sit and look pretty to make an positive impact at Benchmark Reviews. However, there are still the customary prerequisites: six heat-pipes, copper base, 120mm fan, and plenty of heatsink fins.

Evercool has integrated three separate finsink groups into the Transformer 6, and two nickel-plated heat-pipes feed into each section from the solid copper base. Evercool doesn't build a premium cooler and forget to include a high-performance mounting system like we see with several other kits. Instead, the basic Intel pressure-clip system is replaced with a bolt-through mounting kit.

Taking a good look at the side view, you'll notice that the Transformer 6 cooler is not an asymmetrical product. The unit leans towards one corner, primarily to make room for the Northbridge chipset and system memory. Coincidentally, it looks vaguely similar to the ASUS Triton 85 CPU cooler, only with more cooling fins available to the Transformer 6.

The copper base is polished to a mirror finish, and teamed with a good bolt-through mounting system heat is transferred efficiently. The 120mm cooler is not easily replaced without giving each corner a very strong pull away from the rubber vibration-isolating mounting plugs. Benchmark Reviews did not test the Evercool HPI-12025 kit with our high-output Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan, and instead conducted tests with the included 120mm stock fan.

HPI-12025 Specifications

• Overall Dimension : 155 x 120 x 140 mm
• DC Fan Size : 120 x 120 x 25 mm
• Heat Sink Material : Copper base+Aluminum Fan+Heat Pipe
• Bearing Type : Ever Lubricate Bearing (Long Life bearing)
• Rated Speed : Low:1200 ±10% RPM
• High :1800 ±10% RPM
• Noise Level : L<23 dBA / H <30 dBA
• Rated Voltage : 12 V
• Weight : 873 g

About the company: EVERCOOL Thermal Co., Ltd

EVERCOOL is the top 5 cooling fan manufacturer in Taiwan, we specialized in PC Thermal Solutions, especially in CPU cooling field. EVERCOOL is headquartered in Taiwan and has its own factory located in Guang Dong China. This means that you can count on availability, as EVERCOOL warehouse is full of components and ready to ship goods, at all times. We would like to emphasize that we put our entire strengths on the research and improvement of our innovative "PC Thermal Solutions" and ensure you that we do our best to meet the needs of our customers.

OCZ Gladiator Max OCZTGLADM

Combining a distinctive stacked fin array, heat-pipe direct touch (HDT) design, and a large low-noise fan, the Gladiator series is built to take on the cooling challenges of today's most powerful processors and ensure your system functions at its peak. Utilizing the proven performance of the latest HDT design, the Gladiator series has direct contact with the processor using four copper heat pipes to ensure the most rapid heat transfer. The unique "folded" fin configuration also helps maximize surface area while maintaining a compact form factor.

Engineered to aggressively dissipate heat produced by high-speed CPUs, the Gladiator series can tackle any challenge in the overclocking arena. These coolers run quiet courtesy of a large fan mounted with anti-vibration rubber connectors to reduce excess noise, perfect for a media center or office desktop where silence is a top priority. The versatile and user-friendly Gladiator series is compatible with AMD AM2/939/754/755 and Intel 775 sockets and can be installed quickly and easily by end-users at all skill levels.

Almost everyone involved in the overclocking community is acutely aware of OCZ's Vendetta 2 OCZTVEND2 CPU cooler. OCZ Has once again done phenomenal job of taking Heat-pipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology and building it into their own design. Dubbed the "Gladiator Max" OCZTGLADM, OCZ introduces two new sizes (120mm for Gladiator Max, 92mm for Gladiator) for enthusiasts on a budget.

The OCZTGLADM model comes with a low-noise 120mm cooling fan attached to a large "M" shaped finsink array. Four 8mm copper heat-pipe rods assembled in a staggered pattern travel to the top of the Gladiator Max using a conventional "U" design. Benchmark Reviews first observed this design in the Xigmatek Achilles S1284, and OCZ offers a slightly-tweaked version in this new cooler.

To the dismay of many hard-core overclockers, OCZ has decided to once again utilize the standard Intel compression clips to secure the Gladiator Max. The mounting pressure is certainly adequate, but more pressure means better performance. Benchmark Reviews utilized the Xigmatek Crossbow ACK-L7753 kit for our tests of the OCZ Gladiator Max cooler, and alternated between the stock cooling unit and the high-output Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan.

At the time of initial product launch, the OCZ Gladiator Max OCZTGLADM is freshly listed at NewEgg for $52.99. Using the Benchmark Reviews price comparison tool, we located other retailers selling the Gladiator Max for less.

OCZTGLADM Specifications

• 4 Pure Copper heat pipes for superior heat dissipation
• Pure Aluminum alloy fins for ultimate durability
• Fan Specs:
  • Size: 120mm x 120mm x 25mm
  • Weight: 780g (with fan)
  • Rated Voltage: 12V DC
  • Fan Speed: 800-1500RPM
  • Noise Level: 19.6-26.4 dBA
  • Bearing type: rifle
  • Life Expectancy: 40,000 hours
  • Connector: 4 pin with PWM
• Heatsink Dimensions: (L) 63 x (W) 120 x (H) 165mm
• Includes 120mm Fan with rubber connectors, Mounting Hardware, and Generic Thermal Compound

About the company: OCZ Technology

Entering the memory market in August 2000, OCZ Technology was built around the determination to manufacture the best high speed DDR and RDRAM. OCZ was founded by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, and their commitment to the end-user has not digressed. OCZ Technology has been an innovator in many areas.

We were the first manufacturer to make Dual Channel optimized memory available to the public, which originally took advantage of nVidia's Twinbank or Dual DDR architecture, found in their nForce chipset. We have now taken that technology and tailored it for the Canterwood, and Granite Bay chipset's. OCZ developed and was the first to implement ULN technology, which has been a critical element in the manufacturing process for some time.

We at OCZ diligently work to improve communication with CPU and motherboard chipset manufacturers prior to the release of their products. Only in this manner can we fine-tune the memory's SPD settings, ensuring a synergistic relationship between the memory module, memory controller, and microprocessor. In today's rapidly evolving semiconductor industry, such communication is not simply research, but a necessary component of the manufacturing process.

Thermaltake V14 Pro (CL-P0471)

In the article Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q2 2008 published three months ago, we tested the Thermaltake V1 CL-0401 CPU cooler. While the V1 did well enough, it was far from matching the price:performance ratio that many other products have attained. Because of this, the V1 didn't fare well in our review. And so here we are at Q3 2008, and Thermaltake has refuted our claim that they make fashionable coolers with function as an after-though with their latest creation: the Thermaltake V14 Pro CL-P0471 cooler. Without any argument from us, the V14 Pro certainly appears to be twice the cooler the V1 was, but it's looks that got Tt is trouble in the first place and this series is all about performance.

The V14 Pro is easily described as a V-shaped copper heatsink with cooling fan sandwiched between two finsink sections. Thermaltake would describe the V14 Pro as a Dual-V Series (Dual-V is actually a Tt trademark) cooler with six Dual-V heat-pipes running through 98 large copper fins and meeting with a solid copper base. The 140mm VR fan operates at a near-silent 16 dBA noise level. Thermaltake uses a proprietary clip mounting system that features the standard Intel push-pin retaining system.

The fan looks like it would draw air opposite the direction it faces, however it draws from right to left in the image below. The six different heat-pipe rods actually span three per side, and appear to cross into the finsink at different distances from the base. A metal mounting base backplate compresses the six copper rods into a polished copper contact surface, so very little Thermal Interface Material is necessary with the V14 Pro even though Tt includes a small syringe. Copper is practically a precious metal these days, so expect to pay handsomely for the CL-P0471.

CL-P0471 Specifications

• Dimensions: 171mm (L) x 100 (W) x 161 (H)
• Heatsink Material: Copper Fins and Copper Base
• Heat-pipe: Copper Tube 6mm x six pieces
• Fan Dimensions: 140mm x 30mm
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Started Voltage: 7V
• Fan Speed: 1000~1600 RPM
• Fan Noise: 16-24 dBA
• Fan Connection: Three-pin Molex
• Weight: 840g

About the company: Thermaltake

Founded in 1999, Thermaltake Technology is the world leader in the supply of thermal management cooling solutions, high-end power supply and chassis for desktop PC and industrial application systems. Building on the strength of its people, products and extensive expertise in Thermal Management, Thermaltake raised the level of excellence on its Award Winning Purepower branded power supply as well as Xaser line of chassis. While mission-critical applications for Enterprises and ultimate video gaming experiences available for gaming enthusiasts all rely on today's cutting-edge PCs to deliver, high-end PC makers relies on Thermaltake to provide the most reliable power supply, the most thermally efficient chassis and cooling solutions.

Thermaltake Technology Co., Ltd. started its core business based on our extensive knowledge of PC thermal management during the era where the area of performance CPU cooling was only exclusive for "overclockers" or PC enthusiasts. With the company's initial launch of Orb coolers, it created waves of shocks and appraisals throughout the gaming and overclocking communities. Thermaltake quickly became the name gamers turn to when they need high-end and reliable thermal solutions.

With company's core business of CPU cooling still growing at a vast rate, Thermaltake made another grand entry to the PC chassis industry. To date, Thermaltake has always been considered as the pioneering company that revolutionized the PC chassis industry with Xaser series enclosures. The typical and traditional beige and plastic front panel design was outdone by Xaser series chassis's atypical gaming red and aluminum front panel. It was also the first enclosure available to public with Hardcano unit which provided users full control over computer's thermal management system.

As a leader in Thermal Management, Thermaltake is the trusted supplier to many computer manufacturers providing Intel Validated and AMD Approved CPU coolers for today's high frequency and mainstream CPUs. At the pace of current technological advancement in multimedia application and multi-core processor, Thermal Management will become an evermore challenging task requiring innovative product design and reliable manufacturing process; a task that has made what Thermaltake is now and future.

In the year 2002, Thermaltake announced Purepower line of power supply unit for the ever-growing power-hungry PCs. Purepower series PSU quickly gained recognition with its extensive warranty and high-reliability guaranty. Today, Thermaltake has grown into a world-class company with state-of-the-art testing and R&D facility based in Taiwan along with 60+ engineers and ID team covering each application segment such as Liquid Cooling, Air Cooling, PC Enclosure and Power Supply for main-stream users, high-end solutions, system integrators and industrial applications; thus achieve Thermaltake 's company motto, " COOLall YOUR LIFE "!

Vantec AeroFlow FX 120

The Vantec AeroFlow FX 120 is a high performance CPU cooler. It incorporates a specialized 8mm diameter copper heat-pipe for optimum heat transfer. With its unique Heat-Pipe Direct Touch Technology (HDT), the heat-pipe is in direct contact with the processor and minimizes thermal resistance. Combine with a powerful 120mm PWM fan and fan vibration dampener, the thin & lightweight heat sink design allows the fan to easily dissipate the heat accumulated and minimizes noise. Excellent compatibility with its 3-in-1 mounting bracket, the Vantec AeroFlow FX 120 is a perfect choice for keeping your processor cool.

Vantec caught sight of a good thing, and set out to improve upon it with the the AeroFlow FX 120. Inspired by the Xigmatek HDT-S1284, the Vantec VAF-1225 polished the rough edges and delivers the same high-performance HDT technology design paired to good looks. A clean white fan replaces the dark black one, and chromed heat-pipe tips replace exposed copper crimps. I have to admit though, I've seen this design before elsewhere.

There aren't too many differences between the HDT-S1283 and Vantec's AeroFlow FX 120, but they do exist. The AeroFlowFX is very much alike to other HDT coolers that use the classic "U" shaped heat-pipe design, however Vantec cleans up the edges with nice chrome heat-pipe tips and a polished fin retaining plate. Additionally, the VAF-1225 mounting base is a nicer aluminum alloy component similar to the new four-pipe HDT-S1285.

The stock Intel push-pin mounting system is utilized on the AeroFlow FX, which is a disappointment for this improved version of Xigmateks original product. For our tests however, the stock retaining clips were replaced with the Crossbow kit for the best possible contact pressure.

As of October 2008, the Vantec VAF-1225 is currently listed at NewEgg for $39.99. With a bit more searching, we've discovered the AeroFlowFX sold at other retailers for a little less. It seems that CPU cooler prices are all on the rise, and this pricing fits the average price for HDT coolers.

VAF-1225 Specifications

• Model: VAF-1225
• Heat Sink Material: Aluminum
• Dimension: 84x120x159mm
• Weight: 680 g
• Heat Pipe Size: 8mm in Diameter
• Number of Heat Pipe: 3
• Fan Dimension: 120x120x25mm PWM
• Bearing Type: Fluid Magnetic Bearing
• Fan Speed: 1000 ~ 2200 RPM
• Airflow: 72.1 ~ 99.6 CFM
• Noise Level: 20 ~ 32 dBA

About the company: Vantec Thermal Technologies

Founded in 1994, and located in Fremont, CA, Vantec is a leading brand of computer accessories that provides a complete line of Storage, Thermal, and Mobile solutions. We are devoted to every computer user from mainstream to enthusiast. Our goal is to provide a complete and affordable way for all your computing needs.

At Vantec, we strive to be innovative, and with our popular NexStar External Hard Drive Enclosure Series, Vantec is leading the scene of the Built-Your-Own-Drive. The bold colors and mirror finish on the NexStar^TM3, changed industry outlook and put back the WOW factor. Vantec set a new standard and personalized it. No longer does an external enclosure have to look boring. Passing the 1 million units milestone in 2007, Vantec continue to expand its successful NexStar^TMseries along with the EZ-Swap, LapCool, Stealth, AeroFlow, Tornado and Iceberq lines.

We understand that technology is changing faster than ever, and in 2003, we established a R&D and Sales office in Taiwan. Through this expansion, we are constantly integrating innovative technology to our products. Now with a world wide distribution network, Vantec products can be seen across the globe.

Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901

Apache CD901, mighty and powerful CPU cooler, not only can it meet your basic requirement, but even beyond what you can imagine of "Entry level". Apache is with large dissipating area and powerful 90mm PWM fan to provide outstanding and efficient performance. The transparent colorific fan is used to make Apache CD901 more value added.

I can probably guess what you're thinking: what is an entry level cooler doing in the "Best CPU Cooler Performance" series? I'm wondering the same thing. You see, my contact at Xigmatek claimed that the Apache has been reported to perform very well in overclocked systems, and so far there's never been a reason to doubt him. This could be the first...

The EP-CD901 features a very similar design to the basic Intel thermal cooling unit that comes with their retail processors. The mounting system is better, because Xigmatek uses a clamp system to improve the contact pressure. The fan is bigger and looks nicer (orange is a favorite), but overall the Apache still remains very much like the cooler it's meant to replace as an upgrade.

Looks can also be deceiving. The contact base of the Apache is very different from most coolers we've seen and tested. On the Xigmatek Apache, each and every piece of aluminum that makes up the heatsink fins comes together in the center to form a compressed contact surface. I realize that the image below isn't highest quality, but what you're seeing is close to sixty thin aluminum fins pressed together and bolted tight to form the coolers contact surface. While the concept is interesting enough, we'll soon see if this in ingenious or just simply Xigmatek cutting corners on cost. At the time of this writing, the Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 was found at NewEgg for $16.99.

EP-CD901 Specifications

• Product Name: Apache EP-CD901
• Product Number: CAC-D9IA0-U01
• Cover Material: Aluminum
  • Fan
    • Dimension 92 (L) x 92 (W) x 25 (H) mm
    • Voltage Rating 12V
    • Input Current 0.18A (Max)
    • Speed 1200~2500±10% R.P.M.
    • Air Flow 61.25 CFM
    • Bearing Type Sleeve Bearing
    • Life Expectancy 30000 hrs
• Weight: 285g
• Dimension: 112 (L) x 110 (W) x 57 (H) mm
• Noise Level: 28 dBA
• Thermal Resistance: 0.23° /W

About the company: Xigmatek Co., Ltd.

Purpose and targets of becoming one of the worlds leaders in thermal PC Industry were set for Xigmatek Co. Ltd in 2005, the founding year! To ensure reaching this project aims, Xigmateks management followed up with hard work, experiences and customer friendly business style.

Honing one of the world's most efficient manufacturing operations, Integration Presence in major economic regions, being tied up with most important strategic alliances between suppliers and academia and further majority investments in R&D are some of Xigmateks aggressive incensement strategies.

Combining the cream of product designers, R&D engineers and technical people (main team in Germany) Xigmatek is proud and full of confidence to offer excellent quality products and service to cover the customers requirements and demands.

Within the standard channels as the consumer market and the distributing electrical appliances, Xigmatek will keep on focusing on development and set up even new sales channels to comply ever-changing demands and requirements.

Several years of experiences company background in Thermal IT industry provides our customer the best, reliable, environmental and performing Thermal/Cooling Systems including excellent Service to fulfill global users and customers demands.

Xigmatek HDT-S1284

Xigmatek has been quick to release several new products lately, all of which are a twist of their popular HDT-S1283 design. Not more than six months ago we tested the Xigmatek Achilles S1284, which was a semi-successful product with four large 8mm copper heat-pipes. Many overclocking enthusiasts were expecting this product to exceed the performance of the original HDT-S1283, however the "Achilles" was not without its flaws - which (ironically) were literally in the heel of the cooler. Xigmatek took notes from Benchmark Reviews and other sources, and has re-released the design under the abbreviated name HDT-S1284 thus dropping the Achilles name. For the sake of clarity, this product has a UPC code of 883371000448. The specifications on the back of the newly-adopted green packaging state that the product name is HDT-S1284 and the product number is CAC-SXHH4-U01.

There are several new standout features that first caught my eye, the first of which is the bare copper heat-pipes which have escaped heat-trapping nickel plating. This is certainly a step in the right direction, at least so far as cooling performance is concerned. Of course, copper is technically porous, and after about ten years or so the highly-evaporative liquid inside will have escaped enough to show signs of degraded cooling performance. For the record, I have been operating a computer company for almost ten years now, and I haven't had a single overclocked system remain in service that long. The other evident change is that Xigmatek has reduced the heat-pipe stagger, so now all four pipes make complete contact with the CPU surface.

Even though Xigmatek offers their CrossBow bolt-through mounting kits (ACK-L7751 fits three-pipe systems, and ACK-L7753 fits four-pipe coolers), they have decided to cut costs and relagate the enthusiast overclockers likely to purchase this product with the stock Intel push-pin retaining system. In our testing however, the Crossbow ACK-L7753 kit was utilized for mounting the HDT-S1284.

Additionally, the HDT-S1284 reverts back to the early HDT-S1283 roots and uses the same black high-output PWM (pulse-width modulation) fan. In many ways, the HDT-S1284 has ditched the Achilles glamour, and stuck to the tried and true basics that made the HDT-S1283 so popular. For this article, the stock fan was tested along side the high-output Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan.

HDT-S1284 Features

• H.D.T. (Heat-pipe Direct Touch) technology
• Anti-vibration rubber design
• High-volutme cooling fan
• 4pcs Φ8mm high performance U type heat-pipes
• High performance & easy installation
• 120mm highly efficient PWM fan
• 3 in 1 application: LGA775 push-pin/K8 & AM2 tool-less clip.

CAC-SXHH4-U01 Specifications

• Product Name: HDT-S1284
• Product Number: CAC-SXHH4-U01
• Outside Dimension (W) x (H) x (D) mm 120 x 60 x 159
• Heat Sink Material: Aluminum Alloy
• Fan Dimension (W) x (H) x (D) mm 120 x 120 x 25
• Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Fan
  • Voltage Rating (V) 12V
  • Speed (R.P.M.) 800~1500 R.P.M.
  • Bearing Type: Long Life Bearing
  • Air Flow (CFM) 56.3 CFM
  • Air Pressure (mm H2O) 1.57 mm H2O
  • Life Expectancy (hrs) 40,000 hrs
  • Noise Level (dB) 27.2 dBA
  • Connector 4 Pin with PWM
  • Weight (g) 660g (w/fan)

About the company: Xigmatek Co., Ltd.

XIGMATEK, a European company, was established in 2005 with the aim of becoming one of the world leaders in the Thermal field. In XIGMATEK, the major members of management have many years experience in Thermal industry, PC, manufacturing and other applications. With our fruitful experience, we have full confidence that we can provide not only the best, reliable, environmental and performing Thermal/Cooling systems but excellent service also to fulfill global user demand.

Purpose and targets of becoming one of the worlds leaders in thermal PC Industry were set for Xigmatek Co. Ltd in 2005, the founding year! To ensure reaching this project aim, Xigmatek's management followed up with hard work, experience and customer friendly business style.

Honing one of the world's most efficient manufacturing operations, Integration Presence in major economic regions, being tied up with most important strategic alliances between suppliers and academia and further majority investments in R&D are some of Xigmatek's aggressive enhancement strategies.

Combining the cream of product designers, R&D engineers and technical people (main team in Germany) Xigmatek is proud and full of confidence to offer excellent quality products and service to cover the customers requirements and demands.

Within the standard channels as the consumer market and the distributing electrical appliances, Xigmatek will keep on focusing on development and set up even new sales channels to comply with ever-changing demands and requirements.

Several years of experiences company background in Thermal IT industry provides our customer the best, reliable, environmental and performing Thermal/Cooling Systems including excellent Service to fulfill global users and customers demands.

Zalman CNPS9300 AT

When Benchmark Reviews corresponds with manufacturers to request product test samples, we ask them for the very best CPU cooler they make. So when Zalman accepted our request, they sent the Zalman CNPS9300 AT to represent their interests. At first, I must admit there was a little aprehension. First I had to get over the fact that the Zalman CNPS9300 AT was such a small cooler. But here at Benchmark Reviews, we like to leave no stone unturned.

A proprietary mounting system utilizes a bolt-through kit with a brace-arm clamping the CNPS9300 down with ample force. Designed for Intel 775 and AMD AM2+/AM2/754/939/940 socket mounting, the Zalman CNPS9300 AT is ready to cool practically every CPU made in the past four years.

There are two copper heat-pipe rods spanning from the copper-inset mounting base. The four heat-pipe ends curl around the round-shaped copper fin-sink array, and are cooled by Zalman's proprietary SuperFlo-bearing 92mm fan.

A mirror-polished copper contact surface mates to a metal upper-base segment, with heat-pipes pressed between the two parts. Because of the very smooth contact surface, only an extremely small amount of thermal paste is needed for best heat transfer.

CNPS9300 AT Specifications

• Dimensions 61.35(L) x 108(W) x 132.5(H) mm
• Weight 407g
• Base Material Pure Copper & Pure Aluminum
• Dissipation Area 2,583§²
• Bearing Type Superflo
• Speed 1,500rpm ¡¾ 15 % ~ 2,400rpm ¡¾ 10 %
• Noise Level(1) 20.0dBA ~ 30.0dBA ¡¾ 10%
• Control Method PWM Control, Auto Restart
• Life Expectancy 50,000 hours

About the company: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.

Zalman Tech was founded in 1999 and focused their early efforts on "silent" cooling solutions; their moto was "Noiselss Computing". They grew rapidly and their cooling product line has expanded to match the thermal challenges posed by the rapidly increasing heat load inside high performance PCs. They have also diversified with new products like 2D/3D convertible LCD Monitors, Heatpipe Cooled Power Supplies, Notebook coolers, Surround Sound Headphones, and their newest product, a FPS gaming interface.

They are headquartered in Seoul, Korea and have a staff of ~169. The company went public in 2007 and is listed on the KOSDAQ stock exchange in Korea. The CEO, Young-Pil Lee, in his greetings on the corporate website, captures the essence of their success: "Zalman will not content itself with present results and will continue its innovation driven efforts to guarantee client satisfaction."

Zaward Gyre ZCJ010

I almost feel sorry for Zaward, a Taiwan-based cooling products manufacturer. You see, Zaward was the first company to market and produce a product using the Heat-Pipe Direct Touch technology (HDT). Nevertheless, being the first doesn't always mean success is guaranteed; just ask Xigmatek, who followed the lackluster Zaward launch with their now legendary HDT-S1283. Benchmark Reviews has satisfied with the surprisingly good performance of the Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 CPU Cooler, but when they released the VIVO PCJ004 our optimism waned. We will soon know if Zaward has rectified it's product performance with their latest edition: the Gyre ZCJ010.

The Gyre CPU cooler uses the familiar three- 8mm copper 'U'-shaped heat-pipe design seen in many other products, such as the OCZ Vendetta 2 OCZTVEND2. However, it's everything above the heatsink base that changes. To begin with, the Gyre expands the finsink real-estate to 120mm x 120mm, and twists them a half-turn into a screw shape. A plastic shroud encloses the Gyre, ensuring that air is forced directly down to the base of the unit.

The 120mm cooling fan is one of Zawards specialty "Golf" fan styles, and moves plenty of air without the noise associated with most higher-volume units. For our tests we utilized the stock Golf fan, and later replaced it with our Yate Loon D12SH-12 high-output fan.

One nice feature to note is that the Zaward Gyre comes standard with a bolt-through kit identical to the Xigmatek Crossbow mounting system. Using a long Philips-head screwdriver, the Gyre is mounted by turning the bolts through holes in the heatsink fins.

Gyre Features

• Heat transfer accelerated by exposed and flattened heatpipes in direct touch with CPU surface.
• Triple Ø8mm Copper heatpipes rapidly absorb heat from CPU to fins.
• Mega aluminum heatsink provides large surface for heat dissipation and light weighted
• Diverting blades, build flowing circle throughout fins and ferry the heat away.
• Large heatsink Cover, enforce airflow blow through whole heatsink.
• Sophisticated flowing design, maximize airflow and efficiently take away heat.
• Down-blow turbo-airflow, cool components surrounded CPU as well.
• PWM FAN maximize cooling performance and minimize noise.
• Chic transparent black cover and fan design with blue LED differs from others.

ZCJ010 Specifications

• Product Dimensions: (LxWxH) 124x124x137± 1mm
• Material: Copper heatpipe / Aluminum Base / Aluminum fins
• Heatpipe: Copper Φ8mm x 3pcs
• Weight (Net): 640 ± 20g
• Fan
  • Fan Dimensions: 120x120x25mm
  • Bearing type: Sleeve Bearing
  • Fan Speed: 1000 ±300rpm ~ 2000 ±300rpm PWM
  • Max. Air Flow: 76.3 CFM
  • Noise Level: 19~32 dBA
  • Rated Voltage 12V DC
  • Life expectancy 26,000 Hours

About the company: ZAWARD

Zaward Corporation was founded in 1996 as the sole worldwide agent of Globefan Technology Co., Ltd., one of the leading manufacturers of DC fans that has been established since 1986 in Taiwan to provide major personal computer power supply companies with the best quality products.

For their efforts over the decade, the company has built their reliable reputation and gained clients' trust on her high standard of engineering and well-developed quality control system. As the company grew, it put together a thermal solutions R&D team and started work on big OEM projects primarily for German and Japanese electrical companies. With full support from Globefan, the company has consistently met the strict demands of its customers.

While technology is progressing rapidly, reduction in costs are always called for. Due to market changes, the company has decided to promote their own products. In 2005, Zaward & Globefan setup the new R&D center and thermal solutions lab in Taipei, Taiwan for OEM customized projects as well as for its own product development. At the same time, the new noise lab and wind tunnel have been installed in the China factory to fulfill our research and development for high technology, and more advanced products. Meanwhile, to have the complete test equipment for more strict quality control and application purpose.

Thermal Interface Material Application

Over the past several months, I have read an unreasonable number of discussion forum posts which offer inaccurate and often times incorrect information. It's not really all that surprising to read poorly conceived information on the Internet, which seems to be a anonymous means of passing off opinion for fact. As a general rule we don't let too many things go untested, and the advice of wanna-be experts is not doing the hardware enthusiast and overclocker community any good. In this article, Benchmark Reviews dispels myth and establishes fact on the topic of proper application in our Best Thermal Paste Application Methods article.

After we wrote our 33-Way Thermal Interface Material Comparison article, many enthusiasts argued that by spreading out the TIM with a latex glove (or finger cover) was not the best way to distribute the interface material. Most answers from both the professional reviewer industry as well as enthusiast community claim that you should use a single drop "about the size of a pea". Well, we tried that advice, and it turns out that maybe the community isn't as keen as they thought. The example image below is of a few frozen peas beside a small BB size drop of OCZ Freeze TIM. The image beside it is of the same cooler two hours later after we completed testing. If there was ever any real advice that applies to every situation, it would be that thermal paste isn't meant to separate the two surfaces but rather fill the microscopic pits where metal to metal contact isn't possible.

After discussing this topic with real industry experts who are much more informed of the process, they offered some specific advice that didn't appear to be a "one size fits all" answer:

1. CPU Cooling products which operate below the ambient room temperature (some Peltier and Thermo-electric coolers for example) should not use silicon-based materials because condensation may occur and accelerate compound separation.
2. All "white" style TIM's exhibit compound breakdown over time due to their thin viscosity and ceramic base (usually beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride and oxide, zinc oxide, and silicon dioxide). These interface materials should not be used from older "stale" stock without first mixing the material very well.
3. Thicker carbon and metal-based (usually aluminum-oxide) TIM's may benefit from several thermal cycles to establish a "cure" period which allows expanding and contracting surfaces to smooth out any inconsistencies and further level the material.

The more we researched this subject, the more we discovered that because there are so many different cooling solutions on the market it becomes impossible to give generalized advice to specific situations. Despite this, there is one single principle that holds true in every condition: Under perfect conditions the contact surfaces between the processor and cooler would be perfectly flat and not contain any microscopic pits, which would allow direct contact of metal on metal without any need for Thermal Interface Material. But since we don't have perfectly flat surfaces, Thermal Material must fill the tiny imperfections. Still, there's one rule to recognize: less is more.

Surface Finish Impact

Here's the part I've been waiting to reveal... the importance of surface finish in relation to the impact on thermal conductivity. CPU coolers primarily depend on two heat transfer methods: conduction and radiation (heat-pipes also add convection). This being the case, let's start with conduction as it related to the mating surface between a heat source and a cooler.

Because of their density, metals are the best conductors of thermal energy. As density decreases so does conduction (of heat), which relegates fluids to be naturally less conductive, and gases as virtually non-conductive. So ideally the less fluid between metals, the better heat will transfer between them. Ultimately though, this means that the perfectly flat and well-polished surface (Noctua NH-U12P) is going to be preferred over the rougher and less even surface which required more TIM to fill the gaps (Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme).

Heat radiation is different however, and requires exactly the opposite. Because gases (air) are naturally poor heat conductors, surface area of the heatsink is key to the cooling performance through convection. This type of cooling is what you commonly see in automobile radiators, which utilize large arrays of metal fins to radiate heat to be drawn away by a fan. The same is true for the CPU cooler, which needs as much surface area as possible to optimize it's radiative effects. OCZ and others have recognized that the surface of a heatsink does not have to be the sum of its overall size. By adding dimples and bends, the surface area is increased without growing the overall dimensions.

To sum it all up, science teaches us that a smooth flat mating surface is ideal for CPU coolers so that less Thermal Interface Material is used. Because these coolers are using fans to force air over the heatsinks fins, the overall surface area of those fins should be as large and uneven as possible. In the next section we'll find out just how well all of these principles worked for our collection of test products.

Testing Methodology

Manufacturers are not expected to enjoy this sort of comparison, since we level the playing field by replacing their included fan (whenever applicable) with a common unit which we then use for every CPU cooler we test. Manufacturers regularly include fans with their CPU cooler products, and more often than not these fans are very high RPM units which offer great airflow at the expense of an obnoxiously loud noise level. By using the same model of cooling fan throughout our testing, we can assure our results are comparable across the board. This is one of the more significant changes we have made to our test methodology, since many of the benchmark tests we have conducted in the past have compared the total package. Ultimately we're more interested in the discovering the best CPU cooler performance and we believe that you'll feel the same way.

Testing was conducted in a loosely scientific manner. Ambient room temperatures levels were held to within one degree of fluctuation measured at static point beside the test equipment with a calibrated digital thermometer. All coolers had their original manufacturer-supplied fan removed and replaced with our common test fan listed in the support equipment section below. Each product then received the same amount of Thermal Interface Material (specified below), which amounted to roughly a BB-sized drop placed onto the center of the CPU. The CPU cooler product being tested was then laid down flat onto the CPU, and compressed to the motherboard using the supplied retaining mechanism. If the mounting mechanism used only two point of force, they were tightened in alternation; standard clip-style mounting with four securing points were compressed using the cross-over method. Once installed, the system was tested for a baseline reading prior to testing.

At the start of each test, the ambient room temperature was measured to track any fluctuation throughout the testing period. EVEREST Ultimate Engineer Version 4.60 was then utilized to create core loads and measure each individual CPU core temperature. It's important to note that software-based temperature readings reflect the thermistor output as recorded by the BIOS. For this reason, it is critically important to use the exact same software and BIOS versions throughout the entire test cycle, or the results will be incomparable. All of the units compared in our results were tested on the same motherboard using the same BIOS and software, with only the product itself changing in each test. These readings are neither absolute nor calibrated, since every BIOS is programmed differently. Nevertheless, all results are still comparable and relative to each products in our test bed.

One unfortunate problem is that CPU's report temperatures as a whole number and not in fractions. This in turn causes the motherboard BIOS and subsequent software applications such as EVEREST to also report to the nearest whole number. To compensate for this, our tests were conducted several times after complete power down thermal cycles. Conversely, the ambient room temperature levels were all recorded and accurate to one-tenth of a degree Celsius.

When I tested each cooler, I made certain to keep the hardware settings identical across the test platform. This would enable me to clearly compare the performance of each product under identical conditions. While the ambient room temperature did fluctuate between 20~22°C, this would not be enough to cause a noticeable impact on our test results since only the thermal difference is reflected in the charts. For the purpose of this article, thermal difference (not the same as thermal delta) is calculated by subtracting the ambient room temperature from the recorded CPU temperature.

Test System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45T-EXTREME (Intel P45 Chipset) with version F4 BIOS
• Processor: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz overclocked to 3.6 GHz
• System Memory: Super Talent PC3-14400 DDR3 1800MHz W1800UX2GP
• Disk Drive 1: OCZ SATA-II 32GB 2.5-Inch SSD OCZSSD2-1S32G
• Optical Drive: ASUS BC-1205PT SATA Blu-ray Disc Optical Drive
• Enclosure: Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 Mid-Tower ATX Case
• PSU: ePower Technology EP-1200P10 xScale 1200W PSU
• Grpahics: ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ Zone Edition (liquid cooling tied to P45 Northbridge)
• Monitor: Honeywell 22-Inch LCD Monitor MT-SY-HWLM2216
• Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-3 (optimized to 16 processes at idle)

Support Equipment

• OCZ Freeze Thermal Interface Material (No curing time necessary or given)
• Yate Loon 120mm cooling fan, model D12SH-12 (88 CFM @ 40 dbA)

All of our tests are now conducted using only the vertical motherboard orientations traditional to tower computer systems. At the start of our test period, the test system is powered on and EVEREST system stability tests are started with Stress CPU and Stress FPU options selected. Then for a minimum of thirty minutes EVEREST loads each CPU core to 100% usage, which drives the temperature to its highest point. Finally, once temperatures have sustained a plateau, the ending ambient room temperature and CPU core levels are recorded and the first benchmark segment is complete.

The second test segment involves removing the stock cooling fan and replacing it with a high-output 120 mm Yate Loon D12SH-12 cooling fan. The system is given thirty additional minutes with EVEREST loading the CPU cores before final temperature readings are taken and recorded.

Test Results: Stock Cooling Fan

When it comes to personal computers, you could probably divide users into two separate groups for almost any one topic. This article is no different, and those two groups include both enthusiasts and overclockers. In regards to fan noise, there are those of us who want it quiet while other will tolerate an eardrum-ringing whine. Since noise is a problem and not a solution, I believe that most enthusiasts want as much performance as they can get without additional tweaking and time-intensive modifications. That's what this test section is all about: how the cooler performs out of the box. For the "Stock Cooling Fan" results, Benchmark Reviews tests our Q3-2008 collection of CPU coolers for this article using the following criteria: Each cooler is tested with the manufacturer-included fan, so that performance will be relevant to consumers using the product in stock form.

While you can easily look for yourself and see the results illustrated in the chart below, there's a certain amount of explaination necessary to fully understand how they were achieved. For example our best "stock" performer for Q3-2008 was the Thermaltake V14 Pro (CL-P0471) at 25.0°C, but it helps to know that this cooler has an integrated high-output 140mm x 30mm fan that cannot be replaced. All on its own the V14 Pro stands out as an over-achiever, and in some respects it truly is. While the retaining system may use the standard Intel push-pin clips, the contact surface is a perfectly flat and very-well polished copper block. You must also keep in mind that the CL-P0471 measures 171mm (6.73 in) tall by 161mm (6.34 in) wide, placing it among the very largest coolers we've seen (such as the Scythe Mugen Infinity SCINF-1000).

Many of the more familiar products kept their positions at the top, with the OCZ Vendetta 2 (OCZVEND2) performing extremely well at 27.0°C while operating with a medium-noise/medium-volume fan, trailed closely by the infamous Xigmatek HDT-S1283 with similar PWM fan at 27.5°C. Xigmatek's new HDT-S1284 performed nearly as well with a stock temperature of 27.5°C over ambient, matched by the Vantec AeroFlow FX (VAF-1225) and Kingwin RVT-12025. Now obviously these results are extremely close, which means that ultimately they will all perform roughly the same in most environments. That being said, it comes down to price, and perhaps application compatibility. The Kingwin RVT-12025 is a poor-mans HDT-S1283 since it costs as little as $19.99 compared to $36.99, and they are identical in construction (but Kingwin includes a lower-volume silent fan).

Sometimes a unique design will translate into good performance, and sometimes it doesn't. Evercool should be proud of their Transformer 6 design, although I think a cooler this large should have done better than 28.3°C. Cooler Master's new V8 (RR-UV8-XBU1-GP) performed at 28.5°C using the stock fan, which was trailed by the Coolink Silentator. The OCZ Gladiator Max (OCZTGLADM) did well enough, and considering it's so similar to the Xigmatek HDT-S1284 the 28.7°C performance proves how close they are in design. In tenth place was the Zalman CNPS9300 AT cooler, which performed well at 28.9°C considering its diminutive size and integrated 92mm fan. Of course, the downside to integrated fans is that they cannot perform better than they come out of the box, which is why the Thermaltake V14 Pro and Zalman CNPS9300 end their appearance here.

Our former top-performer (with high-performance fan) does fair enough at 30.2°C despite a silent-running medium-output NF-P12 fan attached to the Noctua NH-U12P. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the products featured here are the best available at the time of publication, so coming if it's on the upward portion of this chart than the product is certainly a top-contender.

My opinion wanes for other products though, and the Cooler Master Geminii S (31.6°C) and Zaward Gyre (32.4°C) leave me with mixed feelings since they are large coolers with lower performance. Of course, Xigmatek earned the place of shame with their Apache EP-CD901 cooler that I was told "performed extremely well". Performing two degrees better than the stock Intel cooler that comes free with the Core 2 Duo processor is far from well, and 41.2°C is an abismal excuse for $20 worth of cooling performance when the free alternative performs at 43.5°C.

Please keep in mind that the entire basis of this article revolves around the title: Best Performing CPU Coolers. So while some of the coolers did not perform well in comparison to others it doesn't particularly mean that they are poor products. They're just not the best. In summary, if you're building a system that places an emphasis on low sound levels and affordable cost, you'll want to pick your cooler carefully. The OCZVEND2 and HDT-S1283 are both excellent choices for either HTPC or tower builds, but if you're able to fit the part it appears Thermaltake offers tremendous performance from their V14 Pro.

For under $50 USD, you can either keep with the stock fans and see performance results similar to ours, or you can dig a little deeper and force-feed the cool air with a nice Yate Loon fan (like we used for our next section). Because the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme and Cooler Master Hyper Z600 coolers do not come with an included cooling fan, they were not part of this test group. In our next section, every cooler that could be fitted with our high-output fan (including the aforementioned) is represented in full glory. Overclockers should be pleased by the outcome...

Test Results: High-Output Fan

This section uses the high-output Yate Loon D12SH-12 cooling fan on each product we test, so while this section is labeled high-output it shouldn't be mistaken for highest-output. I am aware that there are much more impressive fans available, such as the 120 CFM screamers that require a bolt-on kit to retain them. But in my experience, the Yate Loon D12SH-12 is one of the best 120mm cooling fans available in regards to the noise to performance ratio. The D12SH-12 cooling fan forces an impressive 88 CFM of air at a moderately noisy 40 dbA. Personally, I can't suffer anything that produces higher sound levels than this, since gaming would then require headphones and casual computing is almost impossible. Overclockers are already willing to take their hardware to the breaking point, so it stands to reason that reduced fan noise is not a top priority. Not very long ago Benchmark Reviews compared the top-performing coolers in our Vendetta 2 vs TRUE vs HDT-S1283 article. In that article, we tested with the high-output D12SH-12 fan and liked the results so much that each cooler tested here has received the same treatment.

In our stock results section, the Thermaltake V14 Pro really had run of the field with it's integrated 140mm x 30mm fan. However impressive the performance was in the stock results, the truth is that 25.0°C places it in tenth place compared to our high-output results. In the big picture a stock unit placing in the top ten overall is very good, but either way I have a gut feeling that overclockers might reject it for lack of tweakability. Conversely, the Noctua NH-U12P that scored tenth in our stock results now performed at the very top of our high-output results with 23.4°C. That's a strange coincidence, and it prompted retesting just to be sure.

In a very tight second place finish, the OCZ Vendetta 2 proved itself worthy of high-temperature overclocked systems recording a performance of 23.6°C over ambient room temperatures. Almost identical in cooling performance but much higher in cost is the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme, which when paired to the Yate Loon D12SH-12 (Thermalright doesn't include a fan) the TRUE performed at an impressive 23.6°C. Not far behind was the Cooler Master Hyper Z600 which reported 24.3°C, which could be improved with up to three additional fans. Next was the new Xigmatek HDT-S1284 that posted 24.4°C, a subtle improvement over the Xigmatek Achilles S1284 it replaces. Tied for fifth place with the HDT-S1284 was Cooler Master's new V8, which is as big as the Hyper Z600 but accomodates only one fan, and Vantec's AeroFlow FX 120 which is a shiny version of the HDT-S1283 which placed sixth with the cloned Kingwin RVT-12025. The Thermaltake V14 Pro would have finished out this group with 25.0°C.

All of the top performing CPU coolers have a few things in common: Noctua's NH-U12P uses a bolt-through system for mounting the cooler, similar to the Xigmatek Crossbow kit we use for other coolers. The Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme also uses a bolt-through kit, as does the Cooler Master Hyper Z600 and V8... so contact pressure is extremely high for all of them. The NH-U12P, Hyper Z600, and V8 all have very flat mirror finishes for the contact surface, whereas the OCZTVEND2, HDT-S1284, VAF-1225, RVT-12025, and TRUE have a textured and equally imperfect surfaces (although the TRUE features a convex surface). All of the top coolers have either large-gauge heat-pipes, or several pairs of heat-pipe rods integrated into the base.

Considering that the bulk of our top coolers collected for high-output testing performed in a range between 23.4°-26.1°C, it's a fair bet that these three small degrees of separation are an indication of how well-designed products have become. Much like the Thermal Interface Material testing we have done for our upcoming follow-up article, high-performance products are all beginning to perform at nearly the same levels. Eventually, I forsee this to be very much like NASCAR: everyone will have the same technology and the difference will remain in the application. This is where experience comes in handy, and we've shared some of this with you in our Best Thermal Paste Application Methods article. Remember, less is more when it comes to thermal paste, and soon CPU coolers may offer the same pardigm.

Unlike it's Noctua cousin, the Coolink Silentator did't top our best-of list. Placing seventh isn't bad at all however, and the 25.5°C performance falls dead-center of our best coolers. Similarly, OCZ's new Gladiator Max performed well with 25.6°C over ambient, but is still two degree Celsius over the Vendetta 2 even with a high-flow Yate Loon fan attached. The SilenX IXC-120HA2 is a HDT cooler with three exposed heat-pipes, and performed directly behind the Gladiator Max with a 25.7°C recorded difference. Evercool has high hopes for their Transformer 6 CPU cooler, and while 25.8°C doesn't keep it in the top ten, being the 13th best cooler we've tested with a high-volume fan isn't bad at all. The Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer CR-CCTF also performed well-enough to land in our best-of list, but 25.8°C is at the edge of our high-end readings.

The final two coolers are pure disappointments. Cooler Master's Geminii S and Zaward's Gyre are both past the over-30°C mark, and should not be considered viable cooling solutions for the serious overclocker. At 30.2°C over ambient, the Geminii S actually performed better than I had expected despite a statistically poor performance. Likewise, Zaward has to re-think their design as the Gyre produced a tepid 30.3°C over ambient. I suspect that the obstruction caused by wing-shaped finsinks was the primary culprit.

Please continue on to the final thoughts and conclusion section to read my remarks on the test outcome.

CPU Cooler Final Thoughts

These could be the last and final days for Intel's "socket T" CPU interface. The popular LGA775 CPU interface has served well since June of 2004 and will likely survive until at least 2010, but will be replaced shortly after this article is published. Intel plans to launch the "socket 1366" Core i7 sometime in Q4 2008, which will mark the beginning of the end for the existing line of Core 2 Duo/Quad/Extreme 65/45nm processors. Core i7 will soon be all the rage for enthusiasts and overclockers, primarily since this processor cannot function on 2P motherboards found in many servers. Overclocking will rely less on the Front Side Bus, and more on the processor itself, since the new Nehalem architecture places the memory controller onto the CPU. For this reason alone, I fear that overclocking may not be possible to the extremes we've enjoyed over the past decade. Benchmark Reviews will soon know the answer to this lingering question, as we'll soon offer a full perspective with our Intel socket 1366 Core i7 launch.

On the other hand, there's always AMD processors to keep the house warm through the cold winter months. Benchmark Reviews hasn't adopted a popular Phenom test platform, primarily because so many overclockers and enthusiasts are enjoying their Core 2 performance. However, with a recession is full swing (just I have predicted for months now) and an economic climate in critical condition, we might soon see the inexpensive AMD platform be popular once again. Until then, there's only one purpose for the entire Benchmark Reviews CPU cooler series: discover the very best product for each time period.

There are a lot of different products out there, and believe it or not we exclude a few from each article because they don't stack up well at all. So this is why you may not see some of the coolers other sites have tested in our results. Because of space and time limitations it's just simply not feasible to review them all, but it's certainly worth mentioning which products should be avoided. So I began to carefully think about it and nearly constructed a real-time chart which places products into different levels of performance. That's when I realized that performance is relative, too, and what performs well today might be considered low-end only a year from now. As it turns out, the best way I can think of is already being done by our affiliate FrostyTech: use a synthetic system to generate the same exact load for each and every test conducted. This would stand the test of time much better than any computer system or processor platform would, because temperature is a static measurement. Unfortunately, the sythetic test system was quoted to me for $35,000 by the manufacturer, and times are way too tight for that kind of expense.

No doubt there will be a few readers who will scoff at my results (because I read their pity parlay after each time my affiliates publish their own cooler reviews), so I'm certain the fanboys will claim that anyone with ten minutes of experience should "lap" the processor's integrated heat spreader smooth as well as polish the CPU coolers mating surface. Sure, I concede, you're correct. Any bonafide overclocker with more time on his/her hands than the average hardware enthusiast will spend a few hours wet-sanding their equipment so that they can get an extra degree of cooling performance. But for the other 99% of the consumer population, this is what you can expect from these products if you want the CPU cooler to perform right out of the box or with a simple add-on fan upgrade.

I can't please everyone, and my biggest critics have taught me that there's a small portion of enthusiasts that would happily spend ten days turning a decent cooler (the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme is usually the subject of said improvements) into an excellent cooler. But I'm not that guy. I'll spend ten minutes removing the old stock fan and replace it with something of higher output along with a very thin application of thermal paste and call it done. So to you hardcore overclockers, feel free to see my results as flawed, because nobody I personally know is willing to spend that much time on a large collection of review samples. I had to draw the line somewhere, and this is it.

There are numerous ways to improve upon the performance that any one of these products has offered. Take for example the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme: most enthusiast like to modify this product by lapping the surface and adding additional mounting pressure by using a washer. I for one believe this to be more of a necessity than anything else, since Thermalright designed the surface with an intentionally uneven convex finish. To a lesser extent, you could also wet sand and polish the mating surface of any Heat-pipe Direct Touch cooler and then use a bolt-through backplate mounting kit (such as the Xigmatek Crossbow system). Nevertheless, most of this point was made in our Vendetta 2 vs TRUE vs HDT-S1283 article which compared the top three coolers to-date.

Best of Q3 2008 Conclusion

As much as I enjoy discovering the performance potential for coolers, I absolutely hate the testing. I wouldn't punish my worst enemy with this kind or misery, because for nearly one full month I would wake up very early in the morning and begin testing as soon as the ambient room temperature was within range. The entire process is not at all enjoyable, since I had to maintain a strict regimen of re-installing the cooler before each test with a new application of thermal paste and make sure each test was uniform to the last. Making matters worse, the motherboard in our test system began to exhibit failure halfway through our benchmarks. Starting over with a new motherboard caused many weeks of delay, which is why this article wasn't published on time.

So while testing CPU coolers is a very long and stressful job; once the data has been transferred and results calculated it makes it all worth it. Three degrees of separation is not very much at all for nearly fifteen different coolers, however. This concerns me, primarily because the closer these products perform in testing the more difficult they are to rank. Consider that a disclaimer, because with a 1°C margin of error the top pick could be one in a dozen. Despite the challenges, I plan to refine the testing process and continue tuning the proceedure for each Best CPU Cooler article.

There were several surprises in this article, but not everyones story had a happy ending. Thermaltake should be absolutely proud of their V14 Pro (CL-P0471), which performed well beyond any other stock cooler and settled in at the middle of our high-volume coolers without a Yate Loon D12SH-12 attached. This cooler hasn't made it to retailers yet, but I expect the copper mostrocity will fetch a pretty penny. Xigmatek has a potential sucessor on its hands with the HDT-S1284, but only time will tell of the Intel Core i7 will need something this heavy-weight for cooling. My sources tell me that high-temperature processors are going to be put to extinction before long, and overclocking the CPU will become more challenging.

But for those enthusiasts clinging to their LGA775 setup and overclocking their Core 2 processors, adding a high-volume fan (and Crossbow bolt-through kit) can get you to the next level. Add the 88 CFM Yate Loon to a Noctua NH-U12P and you've got yourself a phenomenal cooler, but a little pricy. For the money, OCZ's Vendetta 2 is still my top choice when given a powerful fan. The Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is still right behind it, in both performance and price. Since the NH-U12P is almost impossible to locate and is only at select few online retailers for $64.99, the OCZTVEND2 sold at NewEgg for $49.99 (with additional $10 rebate) comes across as the better deal. Noctua does include its own backbrace bolt-through system, but the nearly-identical Xigmatek CrossBow kit ACK-I7751 we used to replace the LGA775 push-pin clip retaining system on the Vendetta 2 and HDT-S1283 will only cost an extra $6.99 plus shipping.

If you're not opposed to spending (a lot) more money, and you have a considerable amount of spare time on your hands, there are two other suggestions I make. The Cooler Master Hyper Z600 offered top-five level performance when we added one Yate Loon D12SH-12 high-volume fan, but the Z600 can fit four of these on it's large frame. CM includes a bolt-through kit with the RR-600-NNU1-GP package so the weight is not so much an issue, and the contact surface is polished to a mirror finish so no additional effort is necessary. The Hyper Z600 has been spotted online for as low as $48.83, but that price climbs when you add three additional fans. My other suggestion is the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme, and although the "TRUE" has been on the market for almost two years prices are still hovering around $60. Please keep in mind that the TRUE does not include a fan, and one (or two, if desired) must be purchased separately. It is also advisable to lap and polish the rough convex mounting surface, which is really the biggest flaw of this cooler.

This concludes the Q3 2008 review of the Best Performing CPU Coolers. Overall, I believe Benchmark Reviews has done a very good job of searching out the best of the best, and proving what works on a real-world system. There's a concern growing about the future of overclocking as the Intel Core i7 launch draws near, but Benchmark Reviews will have a nice article ready for launch day to help answer the questions for you. It's anyones guess what kind of coolers we'll find for our Q4 2008 article due to be published in three more months; it might be Zalman's CNPS9900, the Arctic Cooling Freezer XTREME, or Xigmatek's upcoming Dark Knight S1283. Only one thing is for certain: the best very best CPU cooler for 2008 will be exposed. Please make your suggestions, or leave comments and questions in our Discussion Forum.

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