Picking The Right Cooler For Haswell
Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 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.
