Test Settings And Methodology
One point of testing all these coolers is to find one that really allows overclocking in tight spaces. The problem is that cramped PCs are usually warm without even beginning to overclock. Given the problems of small enclosures and the lack of custom-fit solutions (such as the one found in my boss’ Tiki), I picked the O/C settings from our ASRock M8 review.
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K (Haswell): 3.5-3.9 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, LGA 1150, Overclocked to 4 GHz at 1.05 V |
| Motherboard | Asus Z87-Pro Rev 1.02, BIOS 1007 (05/17/2013) |
| RAM | G.Skill F3-17600CL9D-8GBXLD (8 GB) at DDR3-1600 C9 Defaults |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4600 |
| Hard Drive | Samsung 840 Series MZ-7PD256, 256 GB SSD |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Corsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64 |
| Graphics | Intel 9.18.10.3071 |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.4.0.1017 |
| Benchmark Configuration | |
| Prime95 | v27.9, AVX FFT length 8K, continuous for at least 2 hours |
| RealTemp 3.70 | Maximum Temperature, All Cores Averaged |
| Galaxy CM-140 SPL Meter | Tested at 1/4 m, corrected to 1 m (-12 dB), dB(A) weighting |
Another market for compact cooling is found in home theater systems, where stock cooling solutions might be too noisy. Thus, acoustics are an important consideration in today’s analysis.
The cooling capacity versus noise debate brings up a point made by one of our readers in our recent closed-loop cooling finale. Some products achieve their best cooling-to-noise ratio at a fan speed that’s significantly below maximum. Other coolers behave as if they need more powerful fans to reach their full potential. Readers suggested that we retest everything using a common fan arrangement, but that doesn’t work in a low-profile device comparison where many of the test subjects can’t hold a common fan configuration, or would no longer fit within the low-profile theme using standardized fans.
We don’t like playing favorites, but we also don’t like punishing a company for adding the extra capacity of a 3600 RPM fan when the product operates optimally at 1800 RPM. On the other hand, it would be arbitrary to pick our own fan speed and apply it to all products regardless of design factors.
So, I’ve left it to manufacturers to decide what speed to use. If the product includes a two-speed selector, I test both speeds. If it includes a resistor wire, I’ll use it. If it’s an analog controller, I’ll test the top and bottom speed settings. At this time, I cannot find a fairer method to compare cooling to noise other than to rely on the hardware included with the cooler.
