Benchmarks: Core i7-3770K at 4.4GHz
For this test, we feed 1.22V to our Core i7-3770K processor and raise clock speed to a modest 4.4GHz across all cores. This isn't an extreme overclock, but it's more than enough to crank up the heat in an Intel Ivy Bridge chip.
Straight away, there's a very good reason to swap Intel's reference cooler for a more elaborate solution; if you're overclocking, Intel's low-profile heatsink and fan will struggle. In our tests, it failed to keep the chip running below a scorching 95ºC.
It's up to the aftermarket solutions to keep temperatures in check in this scenario, and they all perform reasonably well. The stand-out solution for cooling performance is SilverStone's Heligon HE01, followed in second place by be quiet!'s Dark Rock Pro 2. The only liquid cooler in our line-up - Corsair's Hydro Series H60 - grabs third place and, considering that it's a pre-production engineering sample, Sapphire's Vapor-X does well to get into fourth.
Arctic Cooling's Freezer 13 has dropped down the pecking order - it doesn't cope quite as well with the extra heat generated in the overclock test - but Noctua's NH-U9B, one of the smallest coolers on show, performs reasonably well for a compact solution. Thermaltake's Contac 39 trails the aftermarket pack, and as suspected, the gaps between the cooler's direct-touch heatpipes don't appear to be helping.
