Big Air: 14 LGA 2011-Compatible Coolers For Core i7-3000, Reviewed

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
[citation][nom]sharkcicle[/nom]I don't really see the usefulness of the "cooling value" statistic, which uses (relative temperature/relative price) as it's figure of merit. By that definition, a cooler with low temperature and low price would score the same as one with high temperature and high price. Obviously the former is more desirable. I think this performance would be better described by (relative temperature)*(relative price), so we can choose the cooler based on the lowest product of Degree-Dollars.[/citation]

I also think that there is something funny about the acoustic efficiency figures. For one thing if we had stuff that performed at 140% efficiency we'd have perpetual motion machines coming out the wazoo. Is there even a common value between each of the products tested to calculate this efficiency (to me it seems more like a ratio). For example measuring the dB value while each cooler holds the temperature at say 70 degrees C or vice versa, measuring the heat value while each coolers fan produces x amount of dB. I think without one common value used the acoustic efficiency chart isn't very useful.

Perhaps a line graph of various temperatures versus the measured sound at said temperatures would be more informative. Or the slope value of the line of best fit of that graph could be used to give a bar chart for each product. The closer to zero the better. Anyway I ain't no scientition and I'm sure the more mathematical among us would have some suggestions, or explain to me why this efficiency graph works as is.

Also along the lines of what marcu52 said, I have often wondered about tests performed on heat sinks. The method in various sites and magazines seems to be one install and one set of data points taken. However I have wondered if you installed a heat sink and took the various data readings then removed, cleaned the processor and heatsink followed by repeating the install and data reading process how different the results would be from the first time around. Would these differences be substantial enough to change its placement on a performance graph or would they be negligible.
 
[citation][nom]theshadow2001[/nom]I also think that there is something funny about the acoustic efficiency figures. For one thing if we had stuff that performed at 140% efficiency we'd have perpetual motion machines coming out the wazoo. Is there even a common value between each of the products tested....[/citation]Yes, well 140% IS possible when it only means 1.4 times the average of all products:

Average temperature (all coolers) divided by actual temperature. Actual noise divided by average (all coolers) noise. In this case, the common value is the average of readings for all products.

The scale probably should have been "zeroed out" by subtracting 100% from the result (40% better than average, rather than average times 140%). The scale has been zeroed out in the past, but primarily only in power consumption charts.
 
I still use an original Cooler Master Hyper 212 in my own personal rig. It is not the + or EVO versions but the original with the solid block instead of direct contact heat pipes. All I've purchased over the years are a couple of adapter brackets. It still works for me.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]If your DIMMs are taller than 1.8 inches, they certainly do not fall within the "most DIMMs" description.[/citation]
Off the top of my head, Corsair Vengeance are extremely popular RAM and they don't fit. Same goes for G.Skill Ripjaws, but I'm not 100% sure about them.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]Actually you have it backwards: 1.) The average temperature of all coolers is taken2.) Each cooler is given an INVERSE "percent score" by dividing the CLASS AVERAGE by its actual reading.3.)The average PRICE of all coolers is taken4.) Each cooler is given a DIRECT "percent score" by dividing its ACTUAL PRICE by the class average.For example the NH-D14 scored 1.19 times the average cooling performance but costs 1.31 times the average price. Divide 1.19 by 1.31 and get the value score.So, a cooler with low temperature gets a higher score because the number is inverted. A cooler with a lower price gets a higher score because its direct price percentage is the divisor. And all is well with the world.The same calculations apply to "acoustic efficiency". This is normally explained in the article but the explanation was somehow left out this time.[/citation]

Thanks for clearing this up Crashman!
 
Nice work Thomas! The majority don't have a clue as to the total amount of work a project like this entails, great call on the Noctua NH-D14 award, it's a beast of a cooler for sure and nice to know it's still holding it's ground. Ryan
 
You guys should have included the Thermalright Silver Arrow. It performs similarly to the Noctua NH-D14, often can be found cheaper online and has quieter fans. Otherwise, excellent review!!!

Noctua NH-D14 or Silver Arrow are my 2 top picks for the best high-end air cooler on the market at the moment although the upcoming Silver Arrow SB-E addition will probably dethrone both of them.

I also think CM212 + / Evo is a good choice for the best bang for the buck award. However, it also should be tested against the Thermalright True Spirit 120.

Thermalright Macho HR-02 and True Spirit 140 are also excellent coolers at $39.99 but were excluded...

Not trying to be a Thermalright fanboy, but those are some excellent coolers that weren't included.
 
Also for people concerned about fitting the popular RipJaws or Corsair Vengeance sticks, there are plenty of alternative solutions that are just as good if not better:

1) G.Skill has their Sniper and Ares lines. The sniper line is particularly excellent since you can get those kits in the 1.25V or 1.35V varieties, FAR superior to most if not all 1.5V RAM.
2) Mushkin has their Black Series and Radioactive lines.
3) Corsair has their Vengeance low profile sticks.

But if you really want to sport some killer "sleeper" RAM and have none of the issues, then Newegg sells Samsung 30nm low profile 1.35V DDR3-1600 that overclocks like a dream:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096

It does look ugly, but solves all the problems, while providing killer performance for the price.

 
I love Noctua because they have such high quality. I have their NH-U12P. When I buy things like this, I pay for it then forget about the price. I'm happy.
 
This chart is a joke... Silver arrow losing against hyper 212 evo ... haha this is a rigged bench.... there is no other site that will show this.

The Noctua beats the silver arrow and Phantek... sorry but im not buying.

This is proof that you should never look at just 1 site to base a conclusion... haha
 
[citation][nom]oblivionlord[/nom]This chart is a joke... Silver arrow losing against hyper 212 evo ... haha this is a rigged bench.... there is no other site that will show this. The Noctua beats the silver arrow and Phantek... sorry but im not buying.This is proof that you should never look at just 1 site to base a conclusion... haha[/citation]No need to go around making false accusations. I could have said lying since the Silver Arrow wasn't even in the bench, but there's a chance you're so biased you didn't even notice it wasn't in the review.
 
When Noctua announced NH-D14 I went immediately and buy it without no doubt that is the best CPU cooler ever made.

The secret that lives no room to competition is the high pressure noctuas fans are giving to the heat pipes even when they run in low speed in here you will see how the strange cuts in wings are working:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=nine_blade_design

in here:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=focused_flow_system

You will see how the focus flow is working compared to any conventional fun.

In other words Noctua is here to stay! The competition has no other way to beat them by building noisy, or huge product that in end no one likes.

NF-F12 is a PWM fan focused in pressure and you can see it in here:

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=42&lng=en

I’m pretty sure it will give you the difference you all need in your cpu coolers.

Notua there is no substitute.
 
To the editors @ TH. Next go around you guys should def give a chart of clearances for ram. Alternatively, if nothing else, a top down shot directly over the Heat Sink in question would be very useful and relatively simple to include.

My question, as i am considering this pair of products is; will the cooler master 212 evo clear the memory modules on an asus x79 pro if i go with corsair heat spreaders, or do i need low profile? or can i only run the outer dimms.
 
[citation][nom]kishow[/nom]To the editors @ TH. Next go around you guys should def give a chart of clearances for ram. Alternatively, if nothing else, a top down shot directly over the Heat Sink in question would be very useful and relatively simple to include.My question, as i am considering this pair of products is; will the cooler master 212 evo clear the memory modules on an asus x79 pro if i go with corsair heat spreaders, or do i need low profile? or can i only run the outer dimms.[/citation]It's all there on the front page. RAM clearance changes based on which processor you use, so base height is given.

An LGA 2011 package is around 0.30" tall, so add that to your base height and get RAM clearance. Again, explained on Page 1.

But some of these coolers are thin enough to fit BEHIND the memory. So, cooler thickness is also listed. Yet many coolers are off-center, so cooler offset is also listed. Take half the thickness and add or subtract the offset, to find out how far the front of the cooler is from the center of the socket. All of this, again, on page 1.

Of course you'll have to measure a few things on your own, such as the motherboard (for behind-RAM clearance) or memory (for above RAM clearance) but at least you have the data here. On page 1.

Thanks for reading Page 1 instead of looking at the table of contents and jumping to the cooler you had in mind.
 
Touché...

anyone happen to know the distance between inner most dimms on the Asus x79 series? I assume they're all the same.
 
My toshiba laptop fan quit at some point and time, about two? years ago, perhaps never worked I have two and both are undesirable (didn't buy them, they were gifts) so the laptop would overheat and I'd have to close the lid a few minutes and let it cool down. It got especially worse about a week ago, so I smacked it on the side a few times, and now the cooling fan is working and no overheating. A computer genious in the making? LOL. What I wanted to ask for future referencing, is how hard would it be to take the laptop apart and put a new cooling fan in, if need be? I hope an occasional smack will keep it in line.
 
I'm happy with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro in my wife's computer and I have a Thermaltake Frio (the plain one, not the OCK or Advanced) in mine. Both i7-950 LGA1366 and no need to upgrade anytime soon. But I'm glad to see the Hyper 212 on top of the value chart and matching the Corsair A70 for performance, because it was the next cooler I wanted to try out. I said no need to upgrade, but I want to. Seeing my poor i7-950 around 6000 passmark score saddens me, knowing I could have gone LGA1155 for about what I spent on bits to utilize the i7-950 laying around. A Xeon E3-1230 could be bought for what the 950 would fetch on eBay easily...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom