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Review: Arctic Freezer i32

by Parm Mann on 5 November 2015, 16:15

Tags: Arctic

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qacvxj

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Specification and Test Methodology

To put CPU cooler performance into perspective we're benchmarking using a high-end Intel Haswell test platform. A detailed description of the CPU cooler being reviewed, our test platform and all comparison coolers can be found in the tables below.

Arctic Freezer i32 Specification

Intel Socket Compatibility 2011(-3), 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156
Max. Cooling Capacity 320 Watts
Recommended TDP up to 150 Watts
Fan Diameter 120mm
Fan Speed 0 - 1,350 RPM (PWM controlled)
Fan Noise Level 0.3 Sone
Fan Current / Voltage 0.20 A / +12V DC
Cooler Dimensions (with fan) 150mm (H) x 123mm (W) x 95mm (D)
Warranty 6 years

HEXUS CPU Cooler Test Bench

Hardware Components HEXUS Review Product Page
Processor Intel Core i7-4770K (quad-core, overclocked up to 4.40GHz) June 2013 Intel.com
Motherboard Asus Z97-A May 2014 Asus.com
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro (2x8GB) DDR3 @ 1,866MHz - Corsair.com
Graphics Card Palit GeForce GTX 980 Super JetStream (6GB) November 2014 Palit.biz
Power Supply Corsair AX760i - Corsair.com
Storage Device Crucial M500 240GB SSD July 2013 Crucial.com
Chassis Corsair Graphite Series 600T October 2010 Corsair.com
Monitor Philips Brilliance 4K Ultra HD LED (288P6LJEB/00) - Philips.co.uk
Operating system Windows 10 (64-bit) - Microsoft.com

Comparison Coolers

  Fan(s) Fan speed Radiator dimensions Heatsink dimensions (inc. fans) Warranty
Arctic Freezer i32 1x Arctic PWM 120mm 0 RPM - 1,350 RPM - Height: 150mm
Width: 123mm
Depth: 95mm
6 Years
Corsair Hydro Series H100i GTX 2x Corsair SP120L 2,435 RPM +/- 10% Width: 154mm
Height: 123mm
Depth: 49mm
- 5 Years
Zalman LQ315 1x Zalman ZP1225ALM 120mm 900 RPM - 2,000 RPM Width: 120mm
Height: 153mm
Depth: 38mm
- 2 Years
Fractal Design Kelvin S24 2x Fractal Design Silent Series HP 120mm 800 RPM - 1,700 RPM Width: 275mm
Height: 124mm
Depth: 33mm
- 2 Years
Intel Reference E97378-001 1x Intel PWM 92mm 1,200 RPM - 2,800 RPM - Height: 50mm
Width: 92mm
Depth: 92mm
1 Year
Noctua NH-D15 2x Noctua NF/-A15 140mm 300 RPM - 1,500 RPM - Height: 165mm
Width: 150mm
Depth: 161mm
6 Years

Benchmark Process

To get a feel for how the above coolers compare, we run our Core i7-4770K processor overclocked to 4.4GHz. In order to push the coolers, voltage is upped to an above-average 1.2V and memory operates at 1,866MHz using the built-in XMP profile.

Temperature is logged while a large 4K video clip is encoded in multiple passes using the freeware HandBrake utility. The workload tasks all four cores/eight threads for a prolonged period, and in order to provide a stabilised reading, we then calculate the average temperature across all four cores from the last few minutes of encoding.

Actual CPU temperature is recorded, but to take into account any 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

Our Corsair Graphite Series 600T chassis is set to run with three installed fans; a 200mm Corsair front intake; a 200mm Corsair top exhaust; and a 140mm Noctua NH-A15 rear exhaust. The front and top fans are configured to run quietly using a custom DC profile from within the Asus BIOS, while the rear exhaust and CPU cooler are set to the 'standard' PWM profile. If a pump is installed, Asus Qfan control is disabled to ensure constant running at full speed.

Where necessary, any of the three aforementioned chassis fans are removed to make way for radiator installations. Any fans connected to a radiator are configured as per the manufacturer's recommendations. If none are made, fans are set to draw air in from outside the chassis (hereby ensuring that the delta between the air temperature and the temperature of the radiator is maximised).