Akasa adds dual fans to its Venom Voodoo to increase air velocity and cooling capacity. The speed of both fans can be controlled from a single motherboard header thanks to the included PWM-capable splitter.
The installation kit welcomes users of earlier platforms as well, though it installs the wrong way on most AMD boards, facing either up or down rather than left/right.
How does mesh help the Venom Voodoo keep its cool? This is probably a matter of looking cool, as the aluminum sink sparkles through the yellow material shown in the image.
The magic of Akasa’s design is actually found in its simple, yet effective design. Six heat pipes with staggered spacing transfer heat quickly away from the CPU, while a direct-contact design reduces the amount of latent heat that resides in its base.
AC usually targets the value market, and narrowing support to fewer processor interfaces certainly helps keep costs down. Two sets of mounting holes on the Freezer i30’s top bracket fit LGA 2011 and LGA 1155/1156 spacing. A revised set of mounting screws allows the top bracket to connect directly to the LGA 2011 interface's integrated threads, while a separate base plate provides screw threads for LGA 1155 and 1156.
Other cost-savings measures include Arctic Cooling’s use of only four heat pipes and a single fan on oversized cooling fins. All of these budget-oriented nods target high-value pricing, which we’ll evaluate in our upcoming performance analysis.
Arctic Cooling is one of several manufacturers now stacking direct-contact heat pipes edge-to-edge across the base for increased contact area and fewer air gaps. Its extremely smooth finish appears to be milled rather than sanded.
Though the Freezer i30 makes no bold proclamations about its squished-together pipes, one of its competitors claims this as an exclusive, proprietary technology.
The next step beyond its popular Hyper 212 Plus, Cooler Master took the bold step of sending us only the updated parts. Chief among these is a foldable LGA 2011 bracket, though the fan and sink also underwent minor revisions.
Sticking with the value theme of its previous “Plus” version, the Hyper 212 Evo includes only a single fan and four heat pipes. We expect the retail pack to include a second set of fan brackets—as found in the previous version—to enable push-pull configuration upgrades.
Cooler Master claims a patent for the Hyper 212 Evo’s smashed-together direct-contact heat pipes, which it refers to as Continuous Direct Contact. Pushing the pipes together increases contact area by decreasing the number of air gaps.
The base is sanded smooth for a flat, though somewhat rough finish.
Primarily a fan brand in the U.S., Coolink has been turning its European customers into fans (pardon the pun) for a few years by providing lower-cost versions of top-brand solutions. The Corator DS cuts cost by including only LGA 2011 mounting screws in this LGA 2011-edition cooler, though the brackets have three mounting holes corresponding to the smaller processor interfaces supported by other versions of the same cooler.
A single, centrally-mounted fan on the Corator DS brings back memories of the competing Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme, though the remainder of the sink design appears unique.
Though many manufacturers promise increased cooling from their direct-contact heat pipe designs, we’ve only found these designs to lower the amount of time it takes to heat up and cool down (latent heat). We’ve even seen places where otherwise-similar coolers with solid bases have lower peak temperature under identical test conditions.
Coolink attempts to make the best of both designs by wedging concave copper inserts between semi-flattened heat pipes. Though the sanded base appears seamless (Coolink calls this Gapless Direct Touch), the intersection between heat pipe and copper inserts can be seen from the Corator DS’ side.
Famous for its LGA 2011-compatible sealed liquid coolers, Corsair didn't update its family of air coolers for the new interface. The company instead relies on a rarely-discussed feature of LGA 2011 that allows certain coolers originally intended for LGA 1366 to fit.
Two fans are factory-installed to brackets for push-pull cooling, and Corsair even adds a fan splitter to allow a single motherboard connection. Unfortunately, the fans aren't of the PWM variety often required for firmware-based speed control. Silence-seekers who lack any other options may want to try the in-line resistors that Corsair bundles.
Like the previously-discussed Akasa model, Corsair’s A70 sink is concave on one side to direct a larger volume of air down its center. A black top cover gives the A70 a subtler appears than most competing products.
Because it centers on an older design, Corsair’s A70 doesn't follow the latest trend of smashing together heat pipes. The A70 instead has aluminum separating the pipes on its direct-contact base.
The fanciest of today’s coolers came inside the simplest of boxes, along with an overwhelmingly-elaborate installation kit.
The package is somewhat of a conundrum, mixing 140 mm, four-pin header (PWM) and 120 mm, three-pin (non-PWM) fans. Deepcool includes enough clips to add a third fan in push-pass-pull configuration, if you want.
Various manufacturers use different techniques to minimize the hot spot in the center of most heat sinks, which is caused by air leaking out the sides. Deepcool’s combination of 3D air pockets on the Assassin’s outer faces and tooth-shaped diverters on its inner faces is so unusual that it could be a unique solution.
Dual-tower coolers usually feel flimsy, but we firmed this one up by applying clips to both sides of its center fan.
The Assassin incorporates eight heat pipes within a heat spreader. Deepcool polishes the mating surface to a near-mirror finish before plating the pipe and plate assembly, which is shown reflecting the Assassin’s box.
Enermax makes its ETS-T40 stand out from several value-oriented competitors by adding an aluminum band to its fan. That could give it an advantage over parts that perform similarly, especially amongst enthusiasts with windowed cases.
The installation kit covers both Intel and AMD platforms, and AMD users will even find that this unit fits in a proper cross-flow arrangement with most boards. A separate set of screws eliminates the need for LGA 2011's socket support plate.
A closer look at the ETS-T40’s heat sink reveals heat pipes arranged to force a larger portion of the fan’s air down the center. The fins are also designed to support dual-fan configurations in a push-pull arrangement, for which Enermax includes a second set of clips.
The ETS-T40's base follows the direct-contact heat pipe philosophy that’s now several years old, but improves it slightly with an ultra-smooth satin finish. Air gaps between the heat pipes and base still interrupt continuous contact, however.
The makers of the famous Tranquillo are deemphasizing previous products in order to focus on their new GX-7, which supports dual fans. Similarities to its previous products lead us to expect similar performance when the unit is only equipped with the one included fan.
Our sample arrived with optional LGA 2011 installation screws that we would hope become part of the updated packaging. Previous-generation Intel interfaces are supported in the original kit, along with AMD’s Socket’s AM2 through AM3+. You can rotate the GX-7 in 90° increments for proper orientation.
The concave face of the GX-7 directs air down the center of the heat sink’s fins, but the decorative top makes less sense to us. It appears to draw inspiration from a Daewoo automobile’s emblem and side grills.
Gelid adds LED lighting for the GX-7’s fan blades, while the fan frame is opaque.
The GX-7’s dual-fan capability required Gelid to either extend the sides or reduce the center compared to its previous flagship model. Though the compromise seen here results in less surface area, Gelid hopes to recapture some of the lost cooling capacity by adding a fifth heat pipe. The copper mating block is given a finely-machined surface to provide optimal CPU contact.
The performance leader from our previous review returns with this Special Edition LGA 2011 package, differentiated by its extremely narrowly-focused installation kit. Owners of other motherboard types should instead consider the package from our original review.
The NH-D14 uses toothed fins to channel air across the entire width of its cooling towers. Nylon noise-dampening strips on each tower fit deeply within side grooves to also act as partial fan shrouds.
While the NH-D14’s design could support three fans in push-pass-pull configuration, Noctua includes only enough vibration dampeners and clips to support a pair of fans in one orientation. Symmetrical design would allow the cooler to be reversed, but removing the installation screws to flip the entire assembly is easier.
A finely machined copper mating surface spreads heat quickly to six heat pipes.
If you found yourself wishing that some of the other dual-tower CPU coolers came with a bit more color and two big fans, the Phanteks PH-TC14PE might be for you. Intel LGA motherboards are supported, and the mounts even allow a proper cross-flow orientation for most AMD platforms.
The twin 140 mm fans are unfortunately of the three-pin (non-PWM) variety. If your motherboard doesn't facilitate fan voltage control, you'll need to either use the bundled in-line resistors or track down a capable third-party controller to adjust speed and noise. A power splitter is included, too.
Unlike most competing products, Phanteks coolers are available in several colors to match the theme of your specific build. Silver, orange, red, and blue are all options.
As with most twin-tower coolers, the PH-TC14PE could potentially support up to three fans, but only includes enough clips and dampening strips for two.
Five heat pipes connect the PH-TC14PE's cooling towers to its base, but Phanteks oversizes these parts for added capacity. The copper CPU mating surface is finely machined prior to electroplating.
Unlike most of the competitors in today’s comparison, SilenX attempts to provide builders with the quietest cooling for each dollar spent, rather than pursuing the most cooling per dollar. The company still had enough faith in its product's cooling capacity to submit this sample for our overclocked Sandy Bridge-E tests.
A traditional installation kit supports Intel’s LGA and AMD’s AM2/3 sockets, and is even designed to point the cooler in the right direction on most AMD motherboards. A second set of screws allows the top bracket’s LGA 1366 holes to mate with the integrated support plate of LGA 2011.
The EFZ-120HA5 includes enough rubber mounting studs for dual-fan push-pull configurations, but comes with only a single low-speed 120 mm blower. Three heat pipes are arranged in a V-shape to direct more of the air down the heat sink’s center, and SilenX even folds the fins to keep air from blowing out the sides.
Sporting half as many heat pipes as many of this round-up’s competitors, the EFZ-120HA5 hopes to instead win a value award. A low price will certainly help, so long as this part can keep up with our platform.
The Archon SB-E combines most Archon Rev.A components with Thermalright’s LGA 2011 retention kit. Smaller Intel processor interfaces are also supported, along with AMD Sockets 939 through AM3+. Thermalright’s installation kit even supports the proper cross-flow orientation on most AMD motherboards.
An enormous 150 mm fan with rectangular hole spacing fits only in the orientation shown in the image, and a second fan of the same design can be added to the back if you want a push-pull configuration.
The Archon’s extraordinary 6.1” width makes its normal 2.1” thickness appear dainty. A concave face guides air towards the cooler’s center, while a symmetrical design allows it to be flipped over independent of flow direction.
Thermalright has its own way of doing things, which often pays off when it comes to winning performance tests. All six oversized heat pipes are soldered to a copper base, whereas most of its competitors simply rely on a press fit for heat transfer. And while most competitors have a polished, machined, or sanded CPU interface, Thermalright’s machined finish is polished only halfway before the pipe and base assembly are electroplated.
Supporting all recent Intel and AMD processor interfaces, Xigmatek’s Venus pairs a slightly-oversized heat sink and single 120 mm fan for high-performance cooling at a mid-pack price. AMD owners will even find that the cooler fits the right way on most boards, while LGA 2011 installations ditch the included socket support plate in favor of special screws.
While Gelid only lights up the blades on its cooling fan, Xigmatek uses a translucent fan frame with LEDs on the outside to truly brighten up a case. Your tolerance for lighting may vary.
An X-shaped hole through all the fins is an interesting visual cue that case modders might want to highlight by adding their own lighting at the cooler’s base.
Xigmatek’s Venus is probably the smallest cooler we’ve seen employ six heat pipes for faster heat transfer. This combination of size and capacity could make it a good solution for mid-sized systems or those with crowded CPU areas.
The Venus base is also polished, though a reflection of the cooler’s box shows that there were a few minor flaws in the finish prior to electroplating.
While several of its competitors focus on twin-tower designs that could optionally support up to three fans, Zalman’s CNPS12X includes them. This potential performance boon comes with a customization bust, since all three softly-lit fans are wired together.
Intel’s desktop processor interfaces are all supported, along with AMD’s own sockets. LGA 2011 users ditch the included support plate in favor of Intel’s integrated support plate and custom screws bundled with this cooler. Zalman’s bracket design limits most AMD motherboards to updraft configuration, making this primarily an Intel-oriented product.
The return of Zalman’s upright orbital heat sink design is celebrated in an electroplated finish that appears to be black nickel. The finish reflects light colors with a slightly smoky tint and, blends nicely with each fan’s soft blue lighting.
The CNPS12X is offset by around 0.25" towards the video card, providing added case clearance above the motherboard. Reversing flow direction will instead give users an extra 0.25" of graphics card clearance.
Zalman is one of several manufacturers to ditch the aluminum strips previously found between heat pipes in direct-contact base designs. But fairly large air gaps remain between each individual pipe where the CPU's surface mates to the heat sink's. We will make sure each of those gaps is filled with Zalman silver thermal paste during our upcoming performance evaluation.