Picking The Right Cooler For Haswell
After hearing about 5 GHz overclocks from pre-production fourth-generation Core processors (that's Haswell, for fans of code names), enthusiasts were despondent to hear that retail parts would be far less friendly. Angelini even went so far as to poll folks with hundreds of retail processors for his launch coverage in The Core i7-4770K Review: Haswell Is Faster; Desktop Enthusiasts Yawn. The consensus was that stability at 4.5 and 4.6 GHz on air was extremely rare, that most enthusiasts should expect to top out at 4.3 GHz or less using 1.2 V, and that heat is the most likely culprit.
Before we get into the details, let's have a quick look at the nine air coolers we'll be testing in today's round-up.
| LGA 115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamer Storm Assassin | Noctua NH-U14S | Phanteks PH-TC14PE | |
| Height | 6.4" | 6.6" | 6.5" |
| Width | 5.8" | 5.9" | 5.8" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2x 2.0" | 2.1" | 2x 2.1" |
| Total Thickness | 6.0" | 3.1" | 6.3" |
| Base Height | 1.7" | 1.8" | 1.6" |
| Assy. Offset | 1.0" Forward | 1.0" Forward | 1.0" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | 1 x 140 x 25 mm 1 x 120 x 25 mm | 1 x 140 x 25 mm | 2 x 140 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | 1 x PWM 1 x Three-Pin | PWM | 2 x Three-Pin |
| Weight | 37 Ounces | 36 Ounces | 47 Ounces |
| Intel LGAs | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical |
| Web Price | $80 | $75 | $85 |
DeepCool’s Assassin and Phantek’s TC14PE return from our LGA 2011 round-up, ready to prove themselves against the more thermally-constrained Haswell package. The Assassin carries the Gamer Storm logo.
| LGA-115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolimatech PRO-GNSS-BK | Scythe Ashura SCASR-1000 | SilverStone Argon AR01 | |
| Height | 6.5" | 6.4" | 6.3" |
| Width | 8.5" | 5.7" | 4.8" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2 x 1.3" | 2.6" | 2.0" |
| Total Thickness | 8.5" | 3.5" | 3.0" |
| Base Height | 1.9" | 1.6" | 1.5" |
| Assy. Offset | 1.6" Forward | None | 1.0" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | Not Included (2 x 140/120 mm) | 1 x 140 x 25 mm | 1 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | Fan-Dependent | PWM | PWM |
| Weight | 32 Ounces | 37 Ounces | 26 Ounces |
| Intel Sockets | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Both | Both | Vertical |
| Web Price | $80 | $50 | $35 |
Prolimatech sent a pair of fans and alternative clips with its $80 PRO-GNSS-BK, pushing the as-tested configuration to $125.
| LGA-115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermalright Archon SB-E X2 | Xigmatek Night Hawk Frostbourne | Zalman CNPS10X Optima | |
| Height | 6.8" | 6.3" | 6.1" |
| Width | 6.1" | 4.8" | 5.1" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2.1" | 2.0" | 2.5" |
| Total Thickness | 4.1" | 3.0" | 3.4" |
| Base Height | 1.6" | 1.4" | 1.4" |
| Assy. Offset | None | 1.0" Forward | 0.9" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | 2 x 140 x 26 mm | 1 x 120 x25 mm | 1 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | 2 x PWM | PWM | PWM |
| Weight | 47 Ounces | 22 Ounces | 24 Ounces |
| Intel Sockets | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical |
| Web Price | $80 | $50 | $30 |
Thermalright adds a second fan to its Archon SB-E, which now supports smaller LGA and even AMD’s sockets. Zalman updates its previously-reviewed CNPS10X in this Optima-version.
Haswell= 10% more power for 10% more energy and 10% less headroom. Oh and it costs more...
Man I hope AMD can whip them back into shape with Steam Roller...
Since Noctua chose not to feature the NH-D14 this time, you might want to look at its closest competitor. The article links a comparison of Phanteks TCP14E and NH-D14. Since Phanteks chose to keep its big cooler in the running but Noctua chose otherwise, this was the closest "frame of reference" available.
I can't even fathom why you would repeat the first post without regard to any response. And speaking of a response, please read above.
To say compare it's performance with the Plantek's performance is lame. Use some common sense when you do these reviews.