Test Methodology
To put the performance of all these coolers into perspective we're testing the units in a high-end Intel Ivy Bridge system. A detailed description of our test bench and all nine comparison coolers can be found in the tables below.
Test Bench |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-3770K (3.5GHz, 8MB cache, quad-core) | |||||
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H | |||||
| Memory | G.Skill TridentX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 @ 2,400MHz | |||||
| Graphics | Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 OC 2GB | |||||
| Disk drive | Samsung SSD | |||||
| Optical drive | Generic 24x DVD-RW | |||||
| Chassis | Corsair Graphite Series 600T | |||||
| Power supply | Corsair AX750 | |||||
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit) | |||||
Comparison Coolers |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fan(s) | Fan speed | Radiator dimensions | Pump / Heatsink dimensions (inc. fans) | Warranty | Approx. price (inc. fan(s)) | |
| Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 | Arctic Cooling PWM 92mm | 600 RPM - 2,000 RPM | - | Height: 130mm Width: 96mm Depth: 123mm |
6 Years | £20 |
| be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 | 1 x SilentWings PWM 120mm 1 x SilentWings PWM 135mm |
1,500 RPM |
- | Height: 166mm Width: 138mm Depth: 147mm |
3 Years | £60 |
| Corsair Hydro Series H60 | Corsair 120mm | 1,700 RPM | Width: 120mm Height: 152mm Depth: 27mm |
Height: 30mm Width: 66mm Depth: 66mm |
5 Years | £50 |
| Intel Reference E97378-001 | Intel PWM 92mm | 1,200 RPM - 2,800 RPM | - | Height: 50mm Width: 92mm Depth: 92mm |
1 Year | £5 |
| Noctua NH-U9B SE2 | 2 x Noctua NF-B9 92mm | Standard: 1,600 RPM Low Noise Adapter: 1,300 RPM Ultra Low Noise Adapter: 1,000 RPM |
- | Height: 125mm Width: 95mm Depth: 120mm |
6 Years | £38 |
| NZXT Havik 120 | 2 x NZXT FZ 120mm | Standard: 1,500 RPM Low Noise Adapter: 1,200 RPM |
- | Height: 160mm Width: 125mm Depth: 112mm |
2 Years | £41 |
| Sapphire Vapor-X | 2 x Sapphire Dual-X 120mm | 550 RPM - 1,850 RPM | - | Height: 164mm Width: 135mm Depth: 111mm |
TBC | £60 |
| SilverStone Heligon HE01 | SilverStone 140mm | Low Setting: 500 RPM - 1,200 RPM High Setting: 500 RPM - 2,000 RPM |
- | Height: 165mm Width: 150mm Depth: 119mm |
2 Years | £65 |
| Thermaltake Contac 39 | 2 x Thermaltake 120mm | 800 RPM - 2,000 RPM | - | Height: 160mm Width: 104mm Depth: 120mm |
2 Years | £32 |
Benchmark Process
To get a feel for how well all of the above coolers compare, we start by running our Core i7-3770K at its default frequency and run Prime95's small FFT test to apply maximum load to all four cores/eight threads. This test is run for 15 minutes while temperature is logged, and in order to provide a stabilised reading, we then calculate an average temperature across all cores from the last five minutes of testing.
We then repeat the same test, only this time with the Core i7-3770K processor overclocked to a modest 4.4GHz, and with voltage increased from 1.17V to 1.22V.
Actual CPU temperature is recorded, but to take into account any temperature fluctuations in our lab, we also graph the delta temperature - that's CPU temperature minus ambient temperature. And, last but not least, to give you an idea of cooler acoustics, we use a PCE-318 noise meter to measure overall system noise in both idle and load states.
Notes
To put the onus on the CPU coolers, our Corsair Graphite Series 600T chassis is set to run with two fans; a 200mm front intake and a 120mm rear exhaust. The top 200mm exhaust is disabled. Both chassis fans are set to run as 'silent' from within the Gigabyte BIOS, while each CPU cooler is set to a 'normal' profile.
For the purpose of this round-up, we've also tested Intel's reference Core i7-3770K cooler and Corsair's competitively-priced liquid cooler, the Hydro Series H60.
Each cooler is configured for maximum performance as per the manufacturer's recommendations, and Corsair's Hydro H60 radiator fan is configured to draw air in from outside the chassis (thereby ensuring that the delta between the air temperature and the temperature of the radiator is maximised).
