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Can't Touch This! A Comparison of 46 CPU Coolers
Table of contents
- 1 – Cooler Trends - Complex Design & Precious Materials
- 2 – Cooler Trends - Complex Design & Precious Materials, Continued
- 3 – Theory: Ideal Cooling
- 4 – Cooler Master EP5-6151: Plain Jane Cooler For Undemanding Tastes
- 5 – Cooler Master DP5-6H51: Small Heat Sink - Large Fan
- 6 – Cooler Master DP5-6G11: Flatliner
- 7 – Blizzard Thunderbird: Shooting Star
- 8 – TRIG T40-6EA: Powerful Fence-Straddler
- 9 – TRIG T40-6EAC: XXL And Case Fan
- 10 – Global Win WBK 38: Behind Bars
- 11 – Global Win WBK 68: Wacky Little Brother
- 12 – Global Win CAK 38: Top Model With High Cooling Performance
- 13 – Elan Vital FSCUG9C: Ribbed Structure Made Of Sheet Steel
- 14 – Elan Vital FSCUG9C-6FC: Unsuccessful Thermal Trigger
- 15 – SPRING SPCT381 BAF-1B: Black And Quiet
- 16 – SPRING SPCT801 AAF-1B: Son Of Flatliner
- 17 – SPACEWALKER: A Nobody In The Crowd
- 18 – AVC Mega-Cool: Compact And Powerful
- 19 – Taisol CGK 744092: Unergonomic
- 20 – Smart Cooler FSM 1168T: Buyer Beware!
- 21 – Molex 371650008: Avant-garde Design
- 22 – Molex 371660002 U. 371610002: Little Brother
- 23 – Zalman CCC Project: Much Ado About Nothing
- 24 – Zalman CNPS2005 (Aluminum): Below Expectations
- 25 – Zalman CNPS3000 (Copper): Better Than Aluminum
- 26 – Zalman CNPS3100G (Gold): The Crowning Glory In Gold
- 27 – Zalman CNPS3100 (Cu-Au Alloy): Visual Blarney
- 28 – Zalman Coolers: Poor Manufacturing Quality
- 29 – Laboratory Tests Up Close & Personal - CPUs Maxed At 100%
- 30 – Cooling Temperature: Range From 30°C To 56°C
- 31 – Noise Level - Is That A Construction Site Or An Office?
- 32 – A Real Heavyweight - Swiftech's 789 Grams!
- 33 – Specific Cooling Performance - Swiftech Duo Still In The Lead
- 34 – Fan Speed - 2850 RPM To 6700 RPM
- 35 – Summary - A Comparison Of All 46 Coolers
- 36 – Conclusion - Just Say "No" To Cheap Generics
- 37 – More on this topic
There's been a lot of water under the bridge since our last CPU cooler test. In this comparison, we've rounded up no fewer than 46 coolers (of which 23 are brand-new models), which all strive for an optimum in cooling performance and noise level.
There are basically two ways to maximize a cooler's performance - you can increase its dimensions, with the "more is more" approach; or you can turn to an entirely new design. The first method is comparable to increasing a car's performance by increasing its cubic capacity. The second method, on the other hand, requires using technical tricks to achieve better cooling results. We have numerous test candidates that have followed this path, offering some tasty construction and design tidbits. The material used in the heat sink is crucial, since an ideal material drastically improves cooling performance by offering the best thermal conductivity. Silver, copper and gold offer ideal properties, providing very high thermal conductivity. With aluminum, a compromise can be reached - it is very inexpensive to produce, but doesn't offer ideal thermal conductivity.
