Mini-ITX CPU Air Cooler Round-Up

Test Results And Conclusion

Below is the hardware for our 2015 Reference PC, minus the test cooler of course, and with a slightly different power supply to reduce excess heat and promote airflow. The whole package is tested inside of the QBX case from Cougar to help simulate a compact case with average airflow.

Test System Configuration

Test Results

For added reference, we included the test results of Noctua's well-reviewed NH-L12 MiniITX cooler so that we have something to compare today's results against. Additionally, the ambient air temperature was maintained at 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

At full fan speeds, Reeven's RC-1001b Brontes and be quiet!'s Shadow Rock LP give the NH-L12 a run for its money, either meeting or exceeding its performance. At 50 percent fan speeds, a small gap develops between the coolers, but they're still quite close to the performance of the NH-L12. More importantly, it's worth noting that despite its lower 95W TDP rating, the Brontes manages to hold strong against its larger competitors. Meanwhile, SilverStone's Argon AR06 and ID-Cooling's IS-VC45 are also locked in tight competition, albeit with much less impressive results.

It's a bit disappointing to see such mediocre performance out of the Argon AR06 and IS-VC45 coolers given that their fan speeds are so much higher than their competition. Moreover, we would have liked to have seen better results from the IS-VC45 given its 130W TDP rating. Moving on, it is a bit surprising to see that the Brontes managed to remain as quiet as it did given its 2200-RPM fan speed.

After seeing the fans speeds above, the acoustic performance of the Argon AR06 and IS-VC45 shouldn't come as much of a shock to anyone. Nor is it much of a surprise to see that the Shadow Rock LP performed well given be quiet!'s proven fan design and low operating speed.

At 50 percent fan speeds, the Brontes and Shadow Rock LP manage near identical efficiency, and we only get to see the true winner at full fan speeds. However, given the size difference between the coolers, that gap would probably shrink if the Brontes had just a bit more bulk to its heat sink.

With one of the lowest price tags of our round-up, the Brontes achieves a clear value win over the Shadow Rock LP, although only on paper. When you take into account the size differences and feature sets of the two coolers, that small difference in value doesn't add up to all that much. In any case, we still hand the overall win and our Editor's Choice Award to the Reeven RC-1001 Brontes since it better fulfills the overall role of a compact cooler due to its size and performance. be quiet!'s Shadow Rock LP receives our Editor Recommended Award and we're giving SilverStone's Argon AR06 cooler our Editor Approved Award.

Meanwhile, the lackluster performance and minimal feature set of the IS-VC45 push it to the bottom of the pack when it comes to any value consideration. Finally, almost all of these coolers look good when it comes to value, regardless of their performance, when compared to the size of the NH-L12 and its $60 price tag. 

SilverStone Argon AR06

Reeven RC-1001 Brontes

ID-Cooling IS-VC45

be quiet! Shadow Rock LP

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Chris Miconi is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware,covering Cases. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.