Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q1 2008

[Das Capitolin]

Hopefully this will be helpful: Benchmark Reviews published an article called Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q1 2008 (benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=1) that offered a comparison of the top coolers in their stock form (not lapped or modified). The same fan was used on all of the coolers to isolate performance, so your own results may be different. From the article, it appears that the Heat-pipe Direct Touch coolers are all at the top of the list, with some of the others keeping very close in performance.

 

[drjulian]

Thanks for site. I understand reason for same fan,but would have liked SYSTEM nos. too. You might want to look at Anandtech.com for system tests with NOISE evaluations. It's why I bought Arctic Freezer 7 Pro. No huge overclocks,but much better than stock. Don

 

[Das Capitolin]

Thanks for site. I understand reason for same fan,but would have liked SYSTEM nos. too. You might want to look at Anandtech.com for system tests with NOISE evaluations. It's why I bought Arctic Freezer 7 Pro. No huge overclocks,but much better than stock. Don

What are "SYSTEM nos"? If you are refering to system specifications, they are clearly listed on the Testing Methodology page. Actually, everything is listed on that page; including fan voltages, etc. Perhaps you should read the article again.

 

[drjulian]

System nos.means you test what you bought. Fans included with coolers may be better,worse, than the fan used. It should be easy to mount cooler stock,test,change fan,test. Specs are useful,but lots of variables can change them. I read very well,thank you. Don

 

[Das Capitolin]

Don: if you test with the fans included, then you're not isolating CPU cooler performance. Additionally, the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme does not come with any cooling fan.

By using the same cooling fan, you can compare all of the coolers equally. The point of this article was to compare only the cooler performance.

 

[SNGX1275]

By disregarding the fan they came with, you eliminate 'real world' performance. Very few people are going to switch the fans on them. I'm not even sure how you'd change the fan on my Zalman.

So while I agree using the same fan directly tests cooling performance of the actual heatsink, its really a fairly worthless test for a majority of the people. Fans do have different qualities too, so its possible to have a higher CFM fan at a lower noise level than one with a lower CFM.

I realize that not all heatsinks come with fans, so it does make using the same fan on every heatsink easier to test. But I think the test would have been better done with stock fans, and then 1-3 fans on the ones that didn't come with a fan. Or at the very least a short fan comparison for which one to choose if you buy a HS without a fan.

 

[drjulian]

Thanks SNGX1275,you said all that needs to be said. I'm a nube, but I estimate it would take about 1 minute to switch fans on an ArcticFreezer once the case was open. ...Don

 

[CMH]

I think the review failed to mention that some of these coolers work better with lower CFM fans, and others with higher CMF fans.

Coolers designed for lower cfm fans would perform badly compared to coolers designed for higher cfm fans when a high cfm fan is used, and vice versa.

Not to mention that you cannot predict if your cooler will come as flat as the ones in the review, or that the coolers in the review are flat. (talking about the mating surface). Fair enough that they mentioned its not lapped, but bear in mind when deciding between 2C difference in performance, as this difference may be moot with the above considered.