Summary: You're Well-served With The Boxed Cooler
The test demonstrated what can be guessed at first glance: the performance of the coolers differs only in minor details. Since all the coolers are based on the same structural shape, they are very close in terms of cooling power. The only exception is the Titan cooler, which is very quiet as a result of its low fan speed. The boxed cooler from Intel achieves the best score when the heat-conducting paste supplied with the cooler is used. With conventional heat-conducting paste, Intel's cooler slips into the middle of the pack.
The coolers line up pretty evenly in the noise generation aspect of our stress test. The regulated cooler from Coolermaster is the only one that is significantly worse than average, and EKL's cooler is also a little louder.
The Radial P4 S775 is a real deal, selling for $20 (20 €). For another $5 the customer gets the unregulated Coolermaster cooler, while the others will set you back around $30 (30 €).
Anyone who uses the Intel cooler in a socket 775 system should stick to it. There is no really persuasive argument for buying a different cooler, apart from looks. And even in that respect there are few differences between the coolers.
Someone who does not yet have a cooler and is looking for a cost-effective one should pick up the EKL model or the small one from Coolermaster. Anyone who wants to spend a little more money has the choice of the remaining 3 coolers, which cost the same and offer similar performance.
