Caporegime
Today I have a round-up of six CPU coolers, these represent a differing range of price points from £17.99 to £59.99.
The products on test are as follows,
• Alpenföhn Sella - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-029-al&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2337
• akasa nero 3 - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-086-ak&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2336
• cooler master hyper 612s - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-036-cm&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2341
• phanteks ph-tc12dx - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-012-pt&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2348
• prolimatech blue megahalems - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-026-pl&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2349
• alpenföhn k2 mount doom - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=hs-020-al
so that is a good range of different coolers to suit different peoples pockets and requirements, so lets get started with a more detailed look at the contenders.
alpenföhn sella.
this is the cheapest of the six coolers on test and of note for this cooler is that the stock listed at ocuk only fits intel socket2011.
this cooler is designed for small system integrators.
packaging and accessories.
The Sella comes in a plain white box with the simplest of internal packaging. As it only fits socket2011 it doesn't come with much within the box, a small sachet of generic white paste is supplied.
Included fan.
Nice to see a PWM fan with a braided cable and little anti-vibration feet in each corner for such a budget cooler.
Heatsink body.
The main body is very small indeed, its has three 6mm heatpipes going through the body also notice the trapezoid shape of the cooling fins.
Direct to CPU heatpipes are a feature of this cooler.
Apart from the gap between the heatpipes the base is pretty flat.
The wire clips are easy to install and remain secure.
The cooler is very low in height at 130mm tall.
Fitments.
Like all coolers in this test that fit X79, fitting was easy with four stand-offs to screw into the board, then two mounting brackets placed across them, finally the cooler is secured to the two brackets via a cross bar.
With such a small body this heatsink has no problems clearing tall RAM.
Akasa Nero 3.
This is the second cheapest cooler here, please note that the version tested here uses push pins for LGA775, 1156/55 and 1366 fitment, there is now a newer version in stock which uses a better clamping type fitting.
Packaging and accessories.
Again not much is supplied with the cooler as the push pin mounts are already pre-fitted, generic white thermal paste is again supplied.
Included fan.
A gloss black PWM fan is supplied.
The base features four 6mm direct to CPU heatpipes.
The base again looks to be flat with just a small gap where the heatpipes join the base.
This sample comes in at 160mm tall.
Fitments.
On the X79 platform the mounting hardware is two mounting brackets screwed directly to the coolers base and then secured tightly onto the motherboard with sprung screws in each corner, but push pins for other Intel sockets.
Low profile RAM is needed to use the first RAM slot on both X79 and Z77 platforms the rubber mounts that secure the fan do protrude quite a bit but you could always cut the ends of them off.
Cooler Master Hyper 612S.
This cooler is what I would consider averagely priced and a very popular choice in its price bracket.
It does not support socket2011.
Packaging and accessories.
A lot of extras are included such as an extra fan mount to do push/pull, anti vibration rubber pads and a resister cable to reduce the main fans speed.
Heatsink body.
There are six 6mm heatpipes going to the base and overall it looks to be a very sizeable heatsink.
There is just a hint of the base being concave in the center.
At 163mm tall it may not fit every case.
Fitments.
This was possibly the worst to fit as you have to hold the heatsink in place while trying to attach the backplate and securing that with four nuts at the rear.
The fan overhangs the first two RAM slots on Z77 also you don't want to be going to tall with your RAM selection.
Phanteks PH-TC12DX.
This a relatively new product from Phanteks its also keenly priced for what is a well specified cooler with dual fans included.
It is available in a range of different colours, White/Red/Blue/Black.
Packaging and accessories.
Well written and easy to understand instructions, a generous tube of silver based thermal paste and all the extras to fit all socket types including a Y splitter cable if you board doesn't have dual CPU fan headers.
A strip of four sticky backed rubber lengths are supplied to fit to both sides of the cooler to reduce vibrations.
Included fan.
Two of these PWM fans are included and have a very nice white braided cable each.
Heatsink body.
The heatsink has a nice anodised finish to it and features four 6mm heatpipes.
I like the way the wire clips are secured to the fans before fitting to the body, it really is very easy to attach them.
Looks to me that the base is a little higher in the center compared to the edges.
It measures 160mm tall.
Fitments.
Fitting is easy for Intel sockets with the backplate being able to be fitted and remain in place while the body is secured to it, again for X79 is a case of four stand offs screwed into the motherboard and then tow mounting brackets which the heatsink screws into.
No issues with tall RAM on X79 as there is the slimmest of gaps between the RAM stick and the plastic lugs in each corner of the fan that the wires pass through.
Prolimatech Blue Megahalems.
The Megahalems seems to have been around for quite a while now and is supplied without a fan leaving that decision to you.
Packaging and accessories.
Another generous tube of silver paste thermal compound is supplied and also one of the strongest looking mounting systems in this group test.
A set of wire clips to fit a 120mm or 140mm fan is supplied, another smaller set is also included to do push/pull.
Heatsink body.
Wow, what a fantastic looking cooler with a wonderful anodized and nikel plated finish to it, even the heatpipes at the top are capped of nicely.
Six 6mm heatpipes are used to conduct the heat into the two stacks of fins that make this heatsink up.
The base is perfectly flat.
Thats 160mm to the top of the heatpipes.
As this heatsink is supplied without a fan I used a variety of different ones in my tests which included,
YOUR BASKET
1 x corsair af120 performance series low noise high airflow - single pack £13.99
1 x corsair sp120 performance series high pressure - single pack (co-9050007-ww) £13.99
1 x prolimatech blue vortex blue wings blue led 120mm fan £10.99
1 x ocuk tech labs zaward oem 120mm golf ball fan £2.28
total : £47.23 (includes shipping : £4.98).
It is possible to slide the fan up the face of the heatsink if you use these clips which are meant to be for push,pull, but you will be losing a huge amount of airflow around the outside of the main body.
Or indeed a 140mm fan will also fit.
Fitments.
This cooler is so easy to fit to Socket2011 and 1156/55.
Defiantly will be wanting low profile RAM for this cooler.
Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom.
This is the biggest, heaviest and most expensive cooler amongst this group.
Packaging and accessories.
A stingy amount of thermal paste is supplied with the accessories while a full set of wire clips to add a total of three fans is included.
A molex adapter is also included to run the fans at a constant 12V.
Included fans.
A 120mm and 140mm PWM fan are included, as the 140mm fan uses a round frame it has it's mounting lugs positioned the same spacing apart as a 120mm square frame fan.
The 120mm fan includes a piggy back spur off its braided cable to power the 140mm fan from a single fan header.
Both fans have soft rubberised edges to reduce vibrations.
Heatsink body.
Shes is a big one alight with two huge towers of fins, just like the smaller Sella heatsink, the fins have a trapezoid shape finish to them.
Eight 6mm heatsinks goe through the polished base.
Looks like the base is not perfectly flat with it dropping away ever so slightly on the right hand side.
170mm at the tallest point which is the middle 140mm fan.
Fitments.
Fitting the heatsink is easy as again the backplate for socket 1156/55 is secured in place before you fit the main body itself.
The hardest part is fitting the wire clips with it mounted in a case especially if you have big hands.
Do note that the top PCI-E 16X slot is blocked on the X79 platform due too the coolers massive size.
If you only use the middle fan it will fit X79 with tall RAM heatsinks, with Z77 you can have both fans fitted with tall RAM if you have the outside fan at the rear near the I/O ports.
Test setup.
I recorded the maximum CPU core temperatures with Coretemp after running AIDA64 stability test for 20 minutes and divided the total by the number of cores.
The latest 3dmark release was left to do a full run of all tests. Cinebench 11.5 64bit CPU bench was also used.
I have a Hilka Thermometer & Hygrometer to measure the ambient air temperature.
All the coolers speeds were left to be automatically controlled by the motherboards used which I feel is more common with people who will just "fit and forget" and not set any maximum fan speed etc.
I used the same Gelid GC Extreme thermal paste in all the tests and this does not require any curing time.
Temperature results.
It is the green bar that shows the delta temperatures.
Z77 Stock.
Z77 Overclocked.
[
X79 Stock.
X79 Overclocked.
Noise test.
Below is a video I have made showing the heatsinks+fans running at 12V, I have also got my mobile phone running a sound meter application, this has not been calibrated but I hope it gives an idea of the differences.
Conclusion.
I may have included a number of different tests but ultimately it is the overclocked X79 AIDA64 result that shows the differences between these heatsinks with the H100i leading the pack but only when it is set to its absolute maximum fan speed, the Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom on the other hand is able to compete with the H100i while remaining quiet.
The Akasa Nero 3 shows mixed results and this is due to the way my version mounts to socket 1155 using push-pins, yet for X79 it uses four spring loaded screws with importantly no safety stop to stop you from over-tightening the cooler, yet good clamping force can make a huge difference to the performance of a heatsink and it is this that I think helps it perform excellently on the X79 setup.
* Please not that the Akasa Nero 3 on sale now has done away with push-pins.
The Phanteks PH-TC12DX puts in a good showing with its push/pull fans but is louder than the rest it is also a pleasure to fit with a good mounting system and the wire clips don't fall out of the fan as you try and fit them to it's body.
Prolimatech Blue Megahalems is one of the most stunning heatsinks I have seen, it has a beautiful finish to it and if you select the right fan is cool and quiet it is also a easy heatsink to fit..
The Coolermaster 612S looks like good value for money and is a quiet heatsink even at full 12V, the only downside is it's really annoying to fit.
I never really expected the Alpenföhn Sella to cope with the X79 setup when overclocked and when running the AIDA64 CPU stability test the CPU started to throttle as the core temperatures reached the 91C TJ max. But if you want to use a X79 at stock speeds in a small sized system or just need a cheap heatsink to get you up and running until you decide on what performance heatsink to go for or want a back up of you are water cooling then its a great option.
Bottom line.
It is the Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom that is ultimately the winner here but it's huge size may be an problem for some people with smaller cases. The louder Phanteks comes in second place and having a choice of colours is nice, the Prolimatech also does well and offers buyers a choice of colours and fan options.