Arctic Alpine 17 CO: A classic that’s going to have a hard time

Alpine coolers are always cheap and are sold at prices below ten euros. Active models with fans can be seen as simple replacements for box coolers. However, while Intel has vastly improved the coolers supplied with Alder Lake CPUs between generations, the biggest change with the new Alpine 17 is the added LGA 1700 support. The difference in cooling performance over the Laminar RM1 has thus narrowed considerably.

Results: Higher performance (42+ dBA)








Why is there a missing value in the chart? The reason was that the cooler could no longer handle the load in the specified mode. However, the box coolers cannot be regulated to the lowest noise level of 31 dBA, because the whining fan motor starts to make significant noise at such low speeds.


The end, or just the beginning? 100 fans in HWCooling tests

Our database now includes one hundred fans—75 in the 120 mm format and 25 models with a physical size of 140 mm. In this article, we have compiled all data into unified charts. What was once separated for clarity is now brought together again, and the commentary will also include a… look ahead regarding fan testing. But we can already reveal that there is still a lot more to come. Read more “The end, or just the beginning? 100 fans in HWCooling tests” »

Arctic P12 Pro Reverse A-RGB: Looking good, working well!

The impeller is oriented so that, in the installed position, nothing visually obstructs the view. This refers to the stator struts, which can otherwise “spoil” the appearance. But this is not just about looks—it is about combining them with the efficient geometry of the proven five-blade design with a stabilizing ring (familiar from the P12 A-RGB). It is not exactly the same design, though, if only because what used to be behind the impeller is now in front of it. Read more “Arctic P12 Pro Reverse A-RGB: Looking good, working well!” »

Clean look prioritized: Arctic P1x Pro (A-RGB) Reverse

Arctic has been offering P12 Pro Reverse fans for some time now—models with blades shaped so that, when viewed head-on, no visually distracting elements are visible. At the same time, they are based on a proven aerodynamic design that delivers very strong airflow relative to noise levels. These fans are available in both 120 mm and 140 mm sizes, with and without lighting. Read more “Clean look prioritized: Arctic P1x Pro (A-RGB) Reverse” »

Comments (2) Add comment

  1. I am searching for a budget cooler, to replace the noisy stock Intel cooler. And after the article read I found that the Alpine 15 CO won’t make difference at noise levels difference (from what it says in the review) can you tell me a budge & simple cpu cooler with a good low noise?
    I don’t use the PC hardly, and I only play soft games. No overcloking. It 12400F.

    I APPRECIATE any tips, for low budget coolers with low noise levels. I can’t stand the stock Intel fan noise anymore, and I only have this Pc at 2weeks.

    1. Do you have any height restrictions? If not, there is the Spartan 5 (EY3A001, model with two heatpipes). It’s cheap and for Ci5-12400 has sufficient cooling performance even at very low/quiet speeds. But if you need a low-profile cooler that is more effective than the Laminar RM1, it will be more complicated. Especially if it has to be cheap at the same time.

      Have you tried to adjust the PWM control curve of the Laminar RM1 with respect to quieter operation? Maybe the control is more aggressive than it could be. According to our findings, the cooling performance of Laminar RM1 on Ci5-12400 is sufficient even at lower speeds, as long as the processor is not operated at maximum performance without power supply limits (at 95 W). With power limitation according to PL/TDP limits (to 65 W) or in gaming load (where the power draw is always to 60 W), Laminar RM1 with lower speed will be sufficient even in a case with average airflow. Unless you are working in an environment with excessive ambient air temperature. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *