Measurement methodology and test results
Arctic has long focused primarily on the production of affordable coolers. Freezer 34 should be just one such cooler. At an affordable price, it boasts of a solid TDP rating (150 W) and also promises quiet operation. I’ve had it in my wishlist for a long time, but only now have I managed to get one piece for testing. So I’m wondering if it really lives up to its reputation that precedes it.
Testing methodology
The methodology of my tests has been in place for some time and within the consistency and comparability of the results I, of course, leave it intact. Intel Core i7-5820K in the ASRock X99 Taichi motherboard serves as a heat generator. The whole rig is placed on the Streacom BC1 frame without other fans that would provide airflow. Stress tests are performed using the Aida64 Extreme application with a duration of 45–60 minutes. Coolers are tested at three speed levels (800, 1200 and maximum) at a processor clock rate of 4200 MHz with a voltage of 1.150 V, followed by another series of tests at 4500 MHz with a voltage of 1.350 V. Power draw of the processor at these clock speeds is approx. 150 W and approx. 200 W respectively. In particular, the second series of tests represents a really large load for most coolers. Therefore, it cannot be expected that all tested coolers will be able to cool the processor at all rpm levels.
Noise is measured using a calibrated Voltcraft SL-100 device in fast measurement mode (125 ms) with a sensitivity range of 30–100 dBA positioned approx. 50 cm from the cooler. Measurements take place at three fan speed levels, namely 800, 1200 and maximum. Fan speed control is secured by the Noctua NA-FC1 controller. The ambient noise level is below 33.0 dBA. At the end of the test, the highest temperature reached is always noted down. All data regarding temperatures and energy consumption of the processor are obtained from the HWiNFO64 application. The results are then corrected for ambient temperature as a final Delta T value. The test success limit is set at 80 °C. Any higher value means a processor temperature above 100 °C and a risk of thermal throttling. Therefore, if the cooler does not pass the stress test with a Delta T value below 80 °C, such a test is marked as failed.
Test results
It can be seen here that a high amount of waste heat in combination with low fan speeds means that most coolers are not able to prevent the processor from overheating and subsequent throttling. This is not unexpected, it is simply the physical limit of the given cooler and does not mean that the cooler is of poor quality.
