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Thermal results without power limits
Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature (TJ Max) and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. When the CPU reaches its peak temperature, I’ve measured the CPU package power to determine the maximum wattage cooled to best compare their performance. The Combat Air CA4 is on the lower end of our test results, but one should keep in mind this is an entry level model – it isn’t intended to win overclocking competitions!
With coolers with more moderate performance levels, I’m generally more interested in their noise levels – and Levelplay’s Combat Air CA4 runs pleasingly quietly, reaching only 40.3 dBA at maximum speeds! This is a relatively low noise level that won’t bother most users and is on the quieter end of the spectrum of our test results.
Thermal results with noise normalized to 38.2 dBA
Finding the right balance between fan noise levels and cooling performance is important. While running fans at full speed can improve cooling capacity to some extent, the benefits are limited and many users prefer a quieter system. With this noise-normalized test, I’ve set noise levels to 38.2 dba. This level of noise is a low volume level, but slightly audible to most people.
With the noise of the fans limited to 38.2 dBA, the Combat Air CA4 only loses 3.3% of its maximum potential thermal dissipation. That 3.3% loss in cooling performance is even smaller in actual benchmark performance, which means that most users will never notice a difference if fans are set to run quietly.
175W Cinebench results
Most coolers on the market can keep Intel’s i7-13700K under its peak temperature if the power consumption is limited, so for this test, we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.
The result of 62 degrees C over ambient is one of our warmer results, but what’s more important for an entry-level cooler like this is noise levels. This cooler reaches only 39.6 dBA in this test, one of the quieter results I have recorded in this test.
125W Cinebench results
The lowest power limit I test with Raptor Lake CPUs is 125W. This is a high enough limit to allow the CPU to maintain its base clock speeds even in the most intensive tests, and most coolers should be capable of keeping the CPU well below TJ Max (the maximum temperature before thermal throttling) – even low-end coolers.
Really, thermals do not matter in this scenario, period. Even Intel’s stock cooler can handle a load like this with ease. Noise levels, rather than CPU temperature, are the most important factor here.
LevelPlay’s Combat CA4 runs quieter than the sound of my system fans in this test so, for all intents and purposes, it runs essentially silent in low thermal intensity scenarios.
Conclusion
Levelplay’s Combat Air CA4 provides essential cooling performance that will satisfy the needs of most users, and runs fairly quiet while doing so. Its recommended price of $29.99 USD is reasonable, although there are cheaper options from ID-Cooling and Thermalright available. Unless you’re overclocking, this cooler will perform well in most situations. with any desktop CPU.
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