AMD Stock Coolers Tested: Wraith Prism vs. Wraith Spire vs. Wraith Stealth

[Julio Franco]

AMD upped the game with the stock CPU coolers it bundled with Ryzen processors and they kicked it up another notch with 2nd-gen Ryzen which come with one of three Wraith models that we are comparing today: the Stealth, Spire and Prism.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/review/1635-amd-wraith-coolers-compared/

 

[Vulcanproject]

So in summary the coolers look pretty great but their actual performance is kind of meh. Especially if you can sell it for $40 and look at the alternatives. At least you have something worth a bit of money to trade up.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Its an odd article. No noise tests on a cooler review? And the only stress test is Blender and Overwatch? I mean its like you purposefully didnt put a load on the CPU! I get it you want to represent real world use but we all live in different climates anyway. Also the games most people play are actually probably more CPU intensive than Overwatch. Why not an OCCT stress test instead of blender, itl get the chips hotter than blender will. Other tech sites have reported quite bad ticking noise from the AMD wraith coolers, did you find this? And the only aftermarket cooler you compare these to is a Deepcool Gamma 200T? Why not Amazons best selling Hyper 212? Or even maybe something a bit more expensive, or worth $40 like the Be Quiet BK008? I personally would like to know how well these coolers perform compared to something I might actually buy. The only reason I would buy a Gamma 200T is if my cooler broke and I was strapped for cash and I needed something to get to the end of the month before I could buy a decent cooler.

Personally I would definitely prefer it if AMD sold the chips without the coolers and knocked a few dollars off the price. These coolers seem a bit rubbish to me, I mean, they perform worse than a $15 Gamma 200T for crying out loud!

Also you have to be quite savagely naive if you take AMDs word that these things are worth $40. If they sold for $40 literally no one would buy one.

Must say, all I have learnt from this article is that the $40 cooler performs around the same as a $15 cooler and that Techspot chose not to fully stress a CPU in the test nor tell its readers anything about how loud or not loud these things are.

 

[ViperThunder]

So the wraith prism kicks ***! I don't agree with your statement that "prolonged use beyond 70 degrees" isn't ideal. CPU can handle temp up to 95 degrees Celsius. I would say prolonged use beyond 80 degrees is something you may want to worry about. That said, I ran a core2 duo processor around 89-92 degrees for about 3 years during prolonged gaming sessions. It was still working fine when I upgraded to my next rig.

 

[Evernessince]

Its an odd article. No noise tests on a cooler review? And the only stress test is Blender and Overwatch? I mean its like you purposefully didnt put a load on the CPU! I get it you want to represent real world use but we all live in different climates anyway. Also the games most people play are actually probably more CPU intensive than Overwatch. Why not an OCCT stress test instead of blender, itl get the chips hotter than blender will. Other tech sites have reported quite bad ticking noise from the AMD wraith coolers, did you find this? And the only aftermarket cooler you compare these to is a Deepcool Gamma 200T? Why not Amazons best selling Hyper 212? Or even maybe something a bit more expensive, or worth $40 like the Be Quiet BK008? I personally would like to know how well these coolers perform compared to something I might actually buy. The only reason I would buy a Gamma 200T is if my cooler broke and I was strapped for cash and I needed something to get to the end of the month before I could buy a decent cooler.

Personally I would definitely prefer it if AMD sold the chips without the coolers and knocked a few dollars off the price. These coolers seem a bit rubbish to me, I mean, they perform worse than a $15 Gamma 200T for crying out loud!

Also you have to be quite savagely naive if you take AMDs word that these things are worth $40. If they sold for $40 literally no one would buy one.

Must say, all I have learnt from this article is that the $40 cooler performs around the same as a $15 cooler and that Techspot chose not to fully stress a CPU in the test nor tell its readers anything about how loud or not loud these things are.

You didn't read the article

"Remember the Deepcool Gammaxx 200T is a very affordable ($15) budget option and even it wasn’t much worse than the Prism under 100% load."

The Gammax 200T didn't outperform the Prism. Why is there always people jumping on the hate bandwagon before even reading the article?

 

[Evernessince]

So the wraith prism kicks ***! I don't agree with your statement that "prolonged use beyond 70 degrees" isn't ideal. CPU can handle temp up to 95 degrees Celsius. I would say prolonged use beyond 80 degrees is something you may want to worry about. That said, I ran a core2 duo processor around 89-92 degrees for about 3 years during prolonged gaming sessions. It was still working fine when I upgraded to my next rig.

I think he's speaking from a reviewer's perspective. As he tests these coolers in a controlled environment, they are essentially best case scenarios. In real life though your case and ambient temperatures can affect your results a good amount. If he had gotten 80c with any of this coolers during the comparison is could mean someone using them in a hotter climate or with a poor vented case could run into throttling.

 

[hood6558]

You have to hand it to AMD. They managed to generate a lot of buzz about a crappy stock cooler, a subject normally ignored. If people really are getting $40 for a stock cooler on ebay, that is kind of amazing. Brand loyalty gone wild.

 

[Benjiwenji]

You have to hand it to AMD. They managed to generate a lot of buzz about a crappy stock cooler, a subject normally ignored. If people really are getting $40 for a stock cooler on ebay, that is kind of amazing. Brand loyalty gone wild.

You have missed the point. People are excited because these AMD stock coolers are the best stock coolers, in both performance and looks, bundled with any CPUs. It's nearly impossible to overclock at all on any Intel stock coolers.

 

[Benjiwenji]

So AMDs stock cooler is comparable to, or better than, cheapest after market tower coolers? That's amazing!

Since the Gammax is tower cooler, it won't fit in some compact cases, mini itx specifically. You won't find cheap low profile aftermarket coolers that's better than the prism.

 

[Morphine Child]

For coolers that come with the CPU they are more than adequate.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Its an odd article. No noise tests on a cooler review? And the only stress test is Blender and Overwatch? I mean its like you purposefully didnt put a load on the CPU! I get it you want to represent real world use but we all live in different climates anyway. Also the games most people play are actually probably more CPU intensive than Overwatch. Why not an OCCT stress test instead of blender, itl get the chips hotter than blender will. Other tech sites have reported quite bad ticking noise from the AMD wraith coolers, did you find this? And the only aftermarket cooler you compare these to is a Deepcool Gamma 200T? Why not Amazons best selling Hyper 212? Or even maybe something a bit more expensive, or worth $40 like the Be Quiet BK008? I personally would like to know how well these coolers perform compared to something I might actually buy. The only reason I would buy a Gamma 200T is if my cooler broke and I was strapped for cash and I needed something to get to the end of the month before I could buy a decent cooler.

Personally I would definitely prefer it if AMD sold the chips without the coolers and knocked a few dollars off the price. These coolers seem a bit rubbish to me, I mean, they perform worse than a $15 Gamma 200T for crying out loud!

Also you have to be quite savagely naive if you take AMDs word that these things are worth $40. If they sold for $40 literally no one would buy one.

Must say, all I have learnt from this article is that the $40 cooler performs around the same as a $15 cooler and that Techspot chose not to fully stress a CPU in the test nor tell its readers anything about how loud or not loud these things are.

You didn't read the article

"Remember the Deepcool Gammaxx 200T is a very affordable ($15) budget option and even it wasn’t much worse than the Prism under 100% load."

The Gammax 200T didn't outperform the Prism. Why is there always people jumping on the hate bandwagon before even reading the article?

I definitely did read the article. The prism and the deepcool performed around the same, there was no clear winner. The $40 prism performs around the same as a $15 deepcool. So by that logic, the deepcool wins on price.

Either way both coolers are poor. Actually somewhat embarassing for AMD if they reckon the prism is worth $40.

Once again Evernessince you are proving yourself to be a die hard AMD fanboy. They even manage to have you out here defending their junk stock coolers. Bravo.

 

[hood6558]

You have to hand it to AMD. They managed to generate a lot of buzz about a crappy stock cooler, a subject normally ignored. If people really are getting $40 for a stock cooler on ebay, that is kind of amazing. Brand loyalty gone wild.

You have missed the point. People are excited because these AMD stock coolers are the best stock coolers, in both performance and looks, bundled with any CPUs. It's nearly impossible to overclock at all on any Intel stock coolers.

Oh, I get the point. AMD loyalists will point out any way AMD beats Intel, no matter how insignificant. Part of the underdog syndrome. The RGB lights are AMD's way to one-up Intel's coolers, as sad as that may be. The slightly better performance is irrelevant, since all stock coolers are inadequate for any serious enthusiast. Only a noob would try to overclock with a stock cooler, wraith or not.

 

[Julio Franco]

I definitely did read the article. The prism and the deepcool performed around the same, there was no clear winner. The $40 prism performs around the same as a $15 deepcool. So by that logic, the deepcool wins on price.

Not quite. You're missing the point. These AMD coolers don't cost $40, they come bundled with the CPUs, they just happen to be resold by some people on eBay for about $40. Evidently they are not worth buying as after-market coolers (for that we have our recommendations), but for something that you get for free as part of the CPU you're buying they're quite decent for the average user.

Historically stock coolers, like the ones you get on Intel's current CPUs, perform way worse and that's something we may look into next though it's a widely known fact.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Not quite. You're missing the point. These AMD coolers don't cost $40, they come bundled with the CPUs, they just happen to be resold by some people on eBay for about $40. Evidently they are not worth buying as after-market coolers (for that we have our recommendations), but for something that you get for free as part of the CPU you're buying they're quite decent for the average user.

Historically stock coolers, like the ones you get on Intel's current CPUs, perform way worse and that's something we may look into next though it's a widely known fact.

I think you have missed the point mate. AMD themselves claimed the coolers would have a retail value of $40 and yes that appears to be what people are selling them for. Oh and they arent just being re-sold. Retailers in the UK are stocking Wraith Max coolers for £36 brand new. At that price you would need to be quite a big AMD fan to buy one considering how badly they perform.

You made the point that these coolers are less **** than the **** that Intel ships and yes this is good. But that doesnt mean these coolers arent ****. Anyway Intel K series chips dont even come with coolers and are presumably cheaper for it, this is the best practise IMO.

https://www.alza.co.uk/amd-wraith-m...WjL_MQlUZtr6Q_yeGh7EE8-XuuIx3eTxoCHkAQAvD_BwE

 

[Benjiwenji]

Oh, I get the point. AMD loyalists will point out any way AMD beats Intel, no matter how insignificant. Part of the underdog syndrome. The RGB lights are AMD's way to one-up Intel's coolers, as sad as that may be. The slightly better performance is irrelevant, since all stock coolers are inadequate for any serious enthusiast. Only a noob would try to overclock with a stock cooler, wraith or not.

Great, you have just proven that you have neither any experience with the prism/spire nor have you read the article. You can OC Ryzen on stock prism/spire. Just not recommended for extremes.

Fact remains, AMD stock coolers are better than Intel's. There is no way around that. RGB is just a bonus.

 

[Julio Franco]

One sided arguments...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B41WS48/?tag=httpwwwtechsp-20

 

[Shadowboxer]

Great, you have just proven that you have neither any experience with the prism/spire nor have you read the article. You can OC Ryzen on stock prism/spire. Just not recommended for extremes.

Fact remains, AMD stock coolers are better than Intel's. There is no way around that.

I have plenty of experience and I definitely did read the article. At no point did I claim that they were not less **** than Intels offerings. Perhaps you should read my comments? But being better than an Intel stock cooler is nothing to cheer about.

These coolers are ****. They perform on par with something that retails for around $15. I pity you if you think that’s decent.

If AMD wanted to be more consumer friendly, they would sell their chips at a discount without the coolers.

 

[Benjiwenji]

You made the point that these coolers are less **** than the **** that Intel ships and yes this is good. But that doesnt mean these coolers arent ****. Anyway Intel K series chips dont even come with coolers and are presumably cheaper for it, this is the best practise IMO.

AMD made improvements on stock cooler. What is there to complain about? Would you rather that they make worse coolers? We ought to praise that practice since it benefits consumers.

Not coming with stock cooler is good for enthusiast grade CPU but terrible for average consumers and everyday users.

As far as the prism being expensive, that's because AMD isn't trying to compete with aftermarket partners to maintain good relationship. There is a lot to lose by offending these partners.

Lastly, 40 isn't awful if you need a decent low profile cooler due to form factor needs.

 

[cliffordcooley]

What AMD is doing is marking up the value of the cooler to make their CPU look cheaper. If AMD was to sell the CPU without a cooler, I can guarantee you the discount will not be $40. In the long run it doesn't matter what the value on these coolers are. The coolers either work for you or they don't. And if the coolers don't work for you, there are other aftermarket coolers that will. This bickering about Intel vs AMD is childish.

 

[Shadowboxer]

AMD made improvements on stock cooler. What is there to complain about? Would you rather that they make worse coolers? We ought to praise that practice since it benefits consumers.

Not coming with stock cooler is good for enthusiast grade CPU but terrible for average consumers and everyday users.

As far as the prism being expensive, that's because AMD isn't trying to compete with aftermarket partners to maintain good relationship. There is a lot to lose by offending these partners.

Lastly, 40 isn't awful if you need a decent low profile cooler due to form factor needs.

My original comment was complaining at the lack of noise testing and lack of results regarding stress tests. I didn’t complain about the cooler. Although the price of £36 is a bit of a joke and definitely worth complaining about. This is quite savagely overpriced if you ask me and these units are retailing separately where I live on the UK.

But if I was a buyer, I would complain that I can’t save a few dollars and get the chip without a cooler. This is because as you mentioned in your comment, I am an enthusiast. But being an enthusiast means that I’m unlikely to buy AMD. Typically enthusiasts are happier to pay more to have the best and we also tend to like overclocking. But that’s a discussion for another day.

It is good that AMD ship a better cooler than Intel do on their chips. Please, find it on your heart to forgive me if I still don’t think the cooler is very good when I see it performing on par with a $15 budget part.

 

[hood6558]

Great, you have just proven that you have neither any experience with the prism/spire nor have you read the article. You can OC Ryzen on stock prism/spire. Just not recommended for extremes.

Fact remains, AMD stock coolers are better than Intel's. There is no way around that. RGB is just a bonus.

You just proved my point again, harping on this lame stock cooler is something only an AMD fan would waste his breath on.

 

[Shadowboxer]

What AMD is doing is marking up the value of the cooler to make the CPU look cheaper. If AMD was to sell the CPU without a cooler, I can guarantee you the discount will not be $40. In the long run it doesn't matter what the value on these coolers are. The coolers either work for you or they don't. And if the coolers don't work for you, there are other aftermarket coolers that will. This bickering about Intel vs AMD is childish.

I agree, at no point did I drag Intel vs AMD into this. I made no mention of Intel in my original comment. I guess others just want to bash Intel. Who by the way yes, also ship **** stock coolers and yes these are worse than the AMD ones. I agree it’s a value add by the AMD. But it’s quite a claim from AMD to state the cooler is worth $40 when it clearly isn’t.

I guess it comes down to the fact that AMD are going after the budget buyers. I mean if you aren’t fussed about owning the best but want something that works, then it’s great. But us enthusiasts won’t be very impressed.

 

[gamoniac]

So AMDs stock cooler is comparable to, or better than, cheapest after market tower coolers? That's amazing!

Since the Gammax is tower cooler, it won't fit in some compact cases, mini itx specifically. You won't find cheap low profile aftermarket coolers that's better than the prism.

Good point on the low profile feature.

 

[dj2017]

Everytime I was looking at that Deepcool Gammaxx 200T, I was laughing. Wasn't expecting something with two heatpipes and just a. . . sample of aluminium to perform good enough for anything other than a 35-45W CPU. Never seen it coming....

 

[Evernessince]

Everytime I was looking at that Deepcool Gammaxx 200T, I was laughing. Wasn't expecting something with two heatpipes and just a. . . sample of aluminium to perform good enough for anything other than a 35-45W CPU. Never seen it coming....

The Deepcool Gammax series is very very good for the price. They are one example of coolers better than the price than certain ambiguous cooler master products.