CPU cooling is dominated by air coolers, but recently a lot more interest has been placed on overclocking. This requires better CPU cooling and generally speaking overclocking enthusiasts tend to choose watercooling over the top end air coolers. However, with ever-improving heat dissipation technologies being applied to the latest air coolers can they win back some of the overclocking enthusiast market?

About Noctua

"Designed in Austria, Noctua’s premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 1000 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua’s fans and heatsinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe."

Specifications and Features

The Intel Core i7 processor is  a very popular chip with it being so simple to overclock. However, one common problem that arises after increasing the clock speed of a processor is dealing with the extra heat produced. For many, the stock Intel cooler is incapable of dealing with the higher clocks and so aftermarket coolers are purchased in hope of restoring the low temperatures. One such aftermarket CPU Cooler which boasts to score better temperatures and silent operation is Evercool’s Transformer 4.

Features

• 4 heatpipes in 8Φ collocate with large aluminium fins to make effective cooling.
• All in one design for application to Intel LGA 1366 & LGA 775 and AMD K8 & AM2 series motherboard.
• According to the needs, users can assemble one or two 12CM fans by themselves to achieve quiet and cooling function.
• Brightly silver and solid appearance.
• Users do not need to use tools for easy installation.

Specifications

Back in July last year we reviewed one of the first budget water-cooled CPU cooler bundles, the CoolIT Domino, which proved to be a great success. Since then, other competitors have released similar products at lower prices boasting more rewarding temperatures. CoolIT have risen to this competition and fought back with their all new pre-assembled watercooling package, meet the CoolIt ECO A.L.C. …

About CoolIT

“For years, CoolIT has been working with leaders in the computer industry to research, design, and provide an affordable new cooling product that provides a comprehensive solution for end users while exceeding high OEM standards. This carefully designed and patented technology unleashes the full potential of a PC, providing superior cooling performance while reducing system level noise and improving reliability of vital components. This small, but potent, pre-assembled product can also be easily installed inside any standard chassis. The CoolIT MTEC Technology can be found in the top names in performance computing like Dell, Alienware, Velocity Micro, MAINGEAR, Hypersonic, Biohazard, Ultra, Ultraforce, Systemax, BFG, Commodore Gaming, War Machine and Shuttle.”

Features

A Revolutionary Leap in Design that Delivers Industry Leading Reliability, Performance and Value

The ECO Advanced Liquid Cooling (A.L.C.) system is an elegantly engineered ultra low profile thermal solution positioned at an economical price point.

CoolIT’s engineers have focused on offering a superior propriatary cooling technology that delivers the ultimate performance in a compact design.

The whisper quiet ECO cooler is widely compatible with the majority of PC cases featuring a 120mm fan and can be installed in 3 easy steps.

CoolIT’s selection and design of each component has been scrutinized to ensure the ECO provides industry leading performance and reliability resulting in the ultimate maintenance free cooling solution.

Specifications

• CoolIT CPU FHE (Fluid Heat Exchanger)

   

  Copper Micro-Channel

• CoolIT Proprietary Pump

  Quiet, compact, long life CFF1 pump

  Ceramic bearing

  Life Cycle: 50,000 Hours MTTF

• CoolIT Coolant

  CoolIT Systems low toxicity with anticorrosion/

  anti fungal additives

• CoolIT Radiator

  Custom engineered for low noise high heat dissipation

• CoolIT Fan

  High reliability, Quiet 12V

  Speed: 1800 RPM MAX

• CoolIT CPU Thermal Grease

  CoolIT Systems Pro A.T.C.

  (Advanced Thermal Compound)

• CoolIT 2 Year Manufacturer Warranty

What started from simply an aluminium block in the Intel Pentium I era, CPU coolers have become one of the most adapted pieces of hardware used in computers. However, the principle of such a product is much the same to how it stood back in 1993 when the original Intel Pentium microprocessor was introduced.

In the last few years, there seems to have been a definite slow-down in the modification of CPU coolers. Companies are now seeming to follow a standard: aluminium fins, copper heat-pipes and a 120mm fan. And would you blame them? Well as the saying goes ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, so probably not. Today, for review, we have a CPU cooler from a company named ‘Spire’, they’re fairly new to us, so let’s see if this TherMax Pro cooler surprises us with any new offerings to the processor cooling scene…

Compatibility

Features

• Three 8mm all copper u shaped heat-pipes
• All new Direct-Touch heat-pipe technology
• UV-reactant 90mm BlueStar fan design
• Amazingly silent at just 25.0 dBA
• PCI-Fan speed controller included
• 45 stamped Aluminium Micro-Fin’s
• Supports the latest Intel & AMD micro-processors

Specifications

Introduction

Cool Age, a company you’ve probably never heard of before, is starting to stir up some competition in the CPU Cooler market with their newly revealed X120TF heat sink. The Korean heat sink manufacturer has managed to develop a heat sink boasting 6 copper heat pipes and a unique fin design which Coolage call ‘Wind Tunnel Technology’. But is this CPU Cooler really all what it’s cracked up to be? Today we’ll find out in our review on the Coolage X120 Transform.

Product Briefing

“Wind tunnel heat sink is a new type of heat sink developed by COOLAGE, which is characterised by hexagonal, square of round shape design contributing to remarkably extending the area of radiation versus that of heat sink.

In addition, it adopts a new heat sink technology that focuses on using air flow coming through airways formed between heat sinks to rapidly discharge any heat accumulated inside heat sink.

Moreover, it is expected that the airway formed between heat sinks will reduce potential frictional explosive noise caused by friction of air with straight heat sink, and thereby will help create low noise environment as well.”

Seems like a lot of physics have been considered in the development of the Coolage 120TF…

Features

• Quiet and powerful cooling due to multiple heat pipes and large aluminium fin area.
• Proprietary WIND TUNNEL design to minimize airflow resistance.
• Support Multiplatform installation tool.
• Includes high-performance thermal compound CA-TC3.

Specifications

Introduction

Prolimatech are a company I have not previously encountered. After a brief inspection of their site it would appear that they have not been established for that long either. One of their first products to be introduced into the market is their Megahalems CPU cooler. Boasting an impressive array of heatpipes, fins and a single 120mm fan, it’s certainly heading in the right direction.

The cooler is compatible with the latest Intel i7’s processors but with a TDP of 130W to counter, many coolers have come unstuck and simply wilted in the heat. So, have the new boys bitten off more than they can chew or is this an up-and-coming triumph? Only one way to find out…

Features

• Minimal air resistance between fins allowing best balance between noise and performance in range of 800-1200RPM
• Heatpipes are lined up in a straight line to prevent air back draft allowing air to easily pass through the heatsink body
• Wide fins with mathematically calculated thickness to maximize best air-to-surface cooling rate
• Uniquely designed, easy-to-install socket 775 and 1366 retention mechanism to increase cooling ability
• Easy to apply, high grade thermal compound, a perfect sidekick to all Prolimatech heatsinks

Specifications

• Heatsink Dimension (L)130mm X (W)74mmX (H)158.7mm
• Heatsink Weight 790g
• Heatpipe Ø 6mm X 6pcs
• Suggest Fan 120mm X 120mm X25mm
• Suggest Fan Speed 800~1200rpm
• Suggest Noise Level (dBA) Below 26dBA
• Air Flow 57CFM
• Direction of heatsink Faces the rear exhaust system fan

Introduction

For true CPU cooling performance and silence, air cooling is not thought to be the solution. You need water cooling. It seems a scary concept – cooling your processor with water – which is why many enthusiasts steer clear of the idea. Moreover, it can be costly with an average kit easily topping the £100 mark.

When I got news that CoolIT had released an all-in-one water-cooling solution for processors which is selling for under £80 I was undoubtedly intrigued. Is this the start of something new? Is it time we all replaced our air coolers? Let’s unleash the CoolIT Domino A.L.C and hopefully we’ll find out…

About CoolIT

For years, CoolIT has been working with leaders in the computer industry to research, design, and provide an affordable new cooling product that provides a comprehensive solution for end users while exceeding high OEM standards. This carefully designed and patented technology unleashes the full potential of a PC, providing superior cooling performance while reducing system level noise and improving reliability of vital components. This small, but potent, pre-assembled product can be easily installed inside any standard chassis.

Features and Specifications

• User Interface
  – High contrast backlit LCD
  – Single push button control for configuring operation mode and temperature scale
  – Audible status alerts
• Operation Modes (Fan Speeds)
  - Quiet: 1100-2500 RPM
  – Performance*: 1100-2500 RPM
  – Full: 2900 RPM
  *System automatically increases cooling performance at an increased rate compared to Quiet Mode.
• Physical Specifications
  - Dimensions: 14.0 x 12.5 x 15.5 mm
  – Weight: 1.03 kg
  – Operating Voltage: 11.6-12.4V
  – Power Consumption: 8W (Max)
  – Life Cycle: 50,000 Hours (MTBF)
• Fan 
  - Long life, low noise
  – Dimension: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
  -Noise: 19.2 dBA (Min)
• Pump
  - CFF1 long life ceramic bearing
  – Noise: <21 dBA
• Radiator
  - Custom engineered for low noise heat dissipation
  – Dimension: 157 x 120 x 27 mm
• CPU FHE (Fluid Heat Exchanger)
  - Copper Micro-Channel
  – Surface Dimension: 50 x 50 mm
• Coolant
  - Proprietary with anticorrosion/antifungal additives
• CPU Thermal Grease
  - Proprietary Pro Advanced Thermal Compound
• Warranty
  - 2 Year Manufacturer

Introduction

Manufacturers of the highly popular MX-3 paste, Arctic Cooling are definitely not a manufacturer unknown to computer cooling solutions. One range of product which Arctic Cooling is significantly growing its product base in is CPU coolers. Today we’ll be reviewing the latest processor cooler to enter their product portfolio, the Arctic Cooling Freezer XTREME. Let’s see how ‘xtreme’ this cooler really is…

Main Features

• Unmatched cooling performance – 160 Watts
• Unique twin tower 102-fin heat sink design
• Effective heat dissipation via 4 double-sided heatpipes
• 1 ultra quiet 120mm PWM fan
• Patented fan holder eliminates the buzzing sounds
• Voltage regulators and north bridge cooling
• Pre-applied MX-2
• 6 Years Warranty

Specifications

Cooler Master Hyper N520

Introduction

Here at Tech-Reviews we have had more than our fair share of CPU coolers to play around with.We have had all sorts from the downright crazy Scythe Orochi to the more conservative offerings of Xigmatek. But today we have a CPU cooler from a company which we have had an array of different products: Cooler Master. The name Cooler Master is synonymous with quality and excellence so I have come to expect great things from their products lets hope this is another great product. I introduce the Hyper N520…

About Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry’s best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

Specification and Features

Universal Design

• Intel (LGA 1366/LGA775)
• AMD (AM2+/AM2/940/939/754)

Optimum Air Flow

• Distinct appearance with dual fan bracket
• Unique dual fan cooling design ensures cool air accelerates straight through the heatsink

Superior Cooling Performance

• Mirror finished copper base guarantees perfect contact between CPU and cooler
• 5 heat pipes optimize heat transfer

Introduction

It seems when CPU coolers are designed these days appearance is the main concern for the designers. The one with the most lights or copper on display steals all the attention. What happened to the old days? Competition is your answer my friend. In the computing industry nowadays, there are many companies manufacturing OEM CPU coolers. Smaller companies are then buying these OEM’s, shoving an LED fan or two on and rebranding them. And the sad thing is, is that we’re buying them! One such company who is very against this is Scythe. Scythe design all their own CPU coolers, they’re completely unique! Today we have a cooler for review from Scythe, the Mugen 2, alike many of Scythe’s products, this one too is beefy but basic in bling, let’s see how this bad boy performs…

About Scythe

“At Scythe, we believe that the best ideas for product come simply from knowing customers’ needs and their expectations.  Based on this philosophy, the PC enthusiasts working at Scythe know what to develop because that is exactly what we would like to have for ourselves too!  We offer products with 100% quality assurance and total pride, and if the product has the Scythe name on it, you can rest assure that its quality will be up to the "Zero Tolerance" standards!”

Features

• F.M.S.B. (Flip Mount Super Back-Plate)
  The newly developed F.M.S.B. (Flip Mount Super Back-Plate) both improves the compatibility and mounting of the cooler with the motherboard. With this system, a solution was developed which is not using push pins but is instead based on a Back Plate/screws mounting set. Of course, Mugen 2 is compatible with all the current sockets, including the new Intel Socket LGA1366.
• Multi Fan Mount Structure
  As with the former Mugen it is possible to mount the supplied fan in four different directions. By this, the user can arrange the air flow to the circumstances of his deployment area. Furthermore, a maximum of 4 fans be installed, the needed fan clips have to be bought separately.
• M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow Pass-Through Structure)
  The newly developed M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow pass-through structure) is a completely new fin structure, where the airflow generated by the Scythe Slip Stream 120 mm PWM fan can be used perfectly.

Specifications

• Model Name:
  Mugen 2 CPU Cooler
• Model Number.:
  SCMG-2000
• Manufacturer:
  Scythe Co., Ltd. Japan
• Compatibility:
  Intel:
  Socket 478
  Socket T / LGA775
  Socket LGA1366
  AMD:
  Socket 754
  Socket 939
  Socket AM2
  Socket AM2+
  Socket AM3
  Socket 940
• Combined Dimensions:
  130 x 100 x 158 mm / 5.12 x 3.94 x 6.22 in
• Fan Dimensions:
  120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.72 x 4.72 x 25 in
• Noise Level:
  0 – 26.50 dBA
• Air Flow:
  0 – 74.25 CFM = 0 – 126 m³/h
• Fan Speed:
  0(+200 rpm) ~ 1,300 rpm(±10%)
• Weight:
  870 g / 30.69 oz
• Material of Base Plate:
  Nickel-plated copper

More information can be found here and at QuietPC.com.