Iceberg Thermal IceFLOE T65 and T95 Review: Small System Cooling

A pair of compact coolers give system builders OEM alternatives.

Reviews
By Garrett Carver
published
IceFloe T95 and T65
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Specifications for IceFLOE T65

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Height1.50" / 38.1mm
Width4.0" / 101.6mm
Depth3.50" / 88.9mm
Memory ClearanceNo Limit
Assy. Offset0.00 (centered)
Cooling Fans(1x) 80mm
Connectors(1x) 4-pin PWM
Weight11.1 oz / 316g
Intel Sockets115x, 1366, 1200, 775
AMD SocketsAM2(+), AM3(+), AM4,
 FM1, FM2(+)
Warranty6-years
Web Price$32

IceFLOE T65 Features

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The IceFLOE T65 is an ultra-compact cooler featuring a backplate and four tension screws. Various mounting studs provide support for multiple Intel and AMD sockets, old and new. But like the T95, it avoids the high-end desktop (HEDT) market for both chipmakers. Also like its sibling, the T65 focuses on compact PC builds, and aimed at low-power designs.

Iceberg Thermal also covers the IceFLOE T65 with a 6-year warranty.

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IceFloe T65
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The T65 features an aluminum heatsink with an embedded 80mm, hydraulic bearing fan rated up to a blistering 3000 RPM.  The cooling fan is 4-pin PWM-managed and sits entrenched within a centered cutout of the heatsink’s fins.  The cooler overall has a quality build about it and seems heavy for its size, lending it a dense feel.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The base of the T65 features a nickel-plated copper base, resting atop three heatpipes, milled into grooves of the aluminum heatsink. A patch of pre-applied thermal compound expedites the installation process. We can also see the various tension screw mount holes milled for different sockets.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Not surprisingly, we found that the base of the IceFLOE T65 is milled to a flat profile, much like the IceFLOE T95.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Making use of four spring-tensioned screws rather than two, the IceFLOE T65 provides a bit better spread of thermal compound during installation and testing. This allows for securing the cooler using even tension in an X-pattern until all were thoroughly snug.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

If the T95 makes for a compact build, then the T65 goes two steps further due to its incredibly low profile and small footprint, providing even the most microscopic mITX builds more working room.  Again, there’s no concern for tall memory DIMMs as the T65 doesn’t even extend beyond the dimensions of the cooler socket motherboard mounts on any corner.

Garrett Carver
Garrett Carver
CPU Cooling Reviewer

Garrett Carver is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering thermal compound comparisons and CPU cooling reviews; both air and liquid, including multiple variations of each.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • closs.sebastien
    it could be tested and compared with intel stock cooler for i5. This comparison would have been nice and useful.
    Reply
  • damric
    You should have included some stock coolers in comparison. Also no AVX? That's weak. Leave the CPUs at stock, sure, but let them stretch their legs to the fullest to see if this actually an adequate cooling solution. Adequate = no thermal clock throttling or shutdown. This review tells me no useful information at all.

    As for the product, looking at the poor quality extruded aluminum, I doubt it performs better than the freebie low TDP stock coolers from Intel or AMD. If it does, then I doubt it costs less than what you can get the higher TDP stock coolers from Ebay, like the Intel ones with the copper core and Wraith Spire/Prism. A lot of people give those away on the forums for free +shipping.
    Reply
  • CompuTronix
    damric said:
    Also no AVX? That's weak. Leave the CPUs at stock, sure, but let them stretch their legs to the fullest to see if this actually an adequate cooling solution.
    The Author's test methodology is correct.

    Prime95 Small FFTs (all AVX test selections disabled) is ideally suited for testing thermal performance, because it conforms to Intel's Datasheets (see page 90, section 5.1.1, 1st paragraph, 2nd sentence)as a steady-state 100% TDP workload with steady Core temperatures. No other non-proprietary utility can so closely replicate Intel's thermal test workload, however, OCCT Small Data Set (Steady Load), SSE Instruction Set is very nearly identical.

    When heavy "real-world" AVX workloads are at "peak" load, such as video transcoding apps (which are fluctuating workloads), the workload will typically approach, but not exceed P95 Small FFTs without AVX. The CineBench R23 CPU Render Test shown below is a good example of a utility which replicates real-world AVX transcoding workloads. Prime95 Small FFTs (all AVX test selections enabled) is nearly a 130% workload, which is unrealistically higher than real-world AVX workloads.

    Utilities that don't overload or underload your processor will give you a valid thermal baseline. Here’s a comparison of utilities grouped as thermal and stability tests according to % of TDP, averaged across six processor Generations at stock settings rounded to the nearest 5%:


    CT :sol:
    Reply
  • Flayed
    One thing I don't get with the temperature chart is it looks like the ambient temperature is 37 degrees?
    Reply
  • damric
    CompuTronix said:
    The Author's test methodology is correct.

    Prime95 Small FFTs (all AVX test selections disabled) is ideally suited for testing thermal performance, because it conforms to Intel's Datasheets (see page 90, section 5.1.1, 1st paragraph, 2nd sentence)as a steady-state 100% TDP workload with steady Core temperatures. No other non-proprietary utility can so closely replicate Intel's thermal test workload, however, OCCT Small Data (Steady Load), SSE Instruction Set is very nearly identical.

    When heavy "real-world" AVX workloads are at "peak" load, such as video transcoding apps (which are fluctuating workloads), the workload will typically approach, but not exceed P95 Small FFTs without AVX. The CineBench R23 CPU Render Test shown below is a good example of a utility which replicates real-world AVX transcoding workloads. Prime95 Small FFTs (all AVX test selections enabled) is nearly a 130% workload, which is unrealistically higher than real-world AVX workloads.


    CT :sol:

    Be a man or be in the band.
    Reply
  • Co BIY
    R&D challenge: Find a more off-putting color than Noctua for our cooling solution.

    Mission accomplished.

    Maybe they got a deal on bulk plastic originally made for the Lego "Friends" sets.


    I would like to see a full-on review of this newer intel OEM cooler.

    https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Heatsink-Assembly-Cooling-BXTS15A/dp/B013U542QE/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=intel+cooler+oem&qid=1613840100&sr=8-8
    Reply