10 Mammoth CPU Coolers: Size Does Matter

Cooling Capacity

A look at the inside of the cooler

The surface of the CPU block

The cooling capacity of the Asus cooler isn't bad: the Pentium 4 580 is kept at 66 °C. The major drawback here is the ear-splitting racket it creates. The user is treated to no less than 62.8 dB(A) of noise, a level that makes working in peace impossible. Even at lower speeds, the cooler is still a very loud 47.9 dB(A). And the measured thermal resistance of 0.39 K/W at the highest speed is no great shakes.

The price of $47 is too high for the low performance the cooler offers, especially given the difficult installation procedure.