Category: CPU coolers

CM Hyper 212 Evo V2 – Evolution of the legend among coolers

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

At the end of 2020, I prepared another review of a middle-class cooler for you. The Hyper 212 Evo V2 from Cooler Master is the latest model from the popular Hyper 212 series. This latest upgrade offers a simplified mounting system, 100% compatibility with RAM modules and also a quiet fan. Its construction and specifications place it in the same group as the SPC Fera 3 or Arctic Freezer 34. So I’m expecting a very tight fight. Read more “CM Hyper 212 Evo V2 – Evolution of the legend among coolers” »

SilentiumPC Fera 3 RGB – Colorful evolution of a proven classic

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

The recently tested SilentiumPC Fera 3 cooler did not do badly in our tests, but it was a bit noisy. Today we will look at a cooler from the same family, i.e. SilentiumPC Fera 3 RGB. As the name suggests, this cooler offers RGB backlighting. In addition, the entire heatsink is a few millimeters lower and a different fan is also used. I just hope that these differences will not have a negative effect under stress tests. Read more “SilentiumPC Fera 3 RGB – Colorful evolution of a proven classic” »

SilentiumPC Fera 3 – A new test of an older classics

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

The SilentiumPC Fera 3 cooler probably doesn’t need to be introduced. This popular cooler is often installed in computer builds, where favorable price-performance ratio is a big deal. It also presents direct competition for the recently tested Freezer 34 from Arctic. In addition, I plan to supplement this pair soon with a test of the recently released 212 Evo V2 cooler from Cooler Master, and I will also add Windale 4 from FSP. Read more “SilentiumPC Fera 3 – A new test of an older classics” »

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 – Quality does not have to cost a lot

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

I’ve recently tested the popular Arctic Freezer 34 air cooler, which eventually won an editorial award. Now I would like to give a liquid all-in-one cooler from the same manufacturer a hard time on a hot processor. We will see if Arctic can design an AIO cooler as well as it did with an air cooler. Liquid Freezer II 240 should offer a very interesting price to performance ratio without unnecessary decoration. Read more “Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 – Quality does not have to cost a lot” »

Arctic Freezer 34 – Effective, quiet and affordable

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

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. Read more “Arctic Freezer 34 – Effective, quiet and affordable” »

Low profile heatsink = high temp? Testing top-flow Noctua coolers

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

Current PC hardware is already very energy efficient. Each new generation usually promises higher performance, lower power draw with corresponding cooling requirements. This trend is leading to the growing popularity of compact PC builds. However, these rigs face little space for coolers. How big trade-offs need to be made with CPU cooling in these builds? Does a small cooler necessarily mean high temperatures and noise? Read more “Low profile heatsink = high temp? Testing top-flow Noctua coolers” »

BeQuiet! Shadow Rock 3 – In the name of silence

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

Shadow Rock 3 was introduced this year as the new top model among the mid-range coolers from BeQuiet!. This German manufacturer, as the name suggests, focuses on the production of components with very quiet operation. The Shadow Rock 3 cooler boasts of very quiet specifications even at a high TDP value of 190 W. However, marketing slogans will never replace real tests which is why we’re bringing you a review of this cooler today. Read more “BeQuiet! Shadow Rock 3 – In the name of silence” »

How sensitive is Ninja 5 heatsink to airflow changes?

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

The original fans are quite slow, so it was especially fascinating to watch how the heatsink behaved with settings that are not intended for it – with a proper airflow through the ribs. Not only with both fans, but also with just one. Some results really surprised us. And the temperatures in the passive mode are very interesting too, one of the reasons why Ninja coolers have such a good reputation. Read more “How sensitive is Ninja 5 heatsink to airflow changes?” »

Scythe Ninja 5: evolution of the revolutionary predecessor

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

The fourth Ninja was a pleasant surprise (mainly because of its unattractive predecessor). Scythe used improved version of the first two designs, and shortly after created popular Fuma series based on Ninja 4. Fuma rev. A was the best deal for the money, although the current second version is a bit different story. Now there’s the new Ninja 5 that looks very promising. The core remains unchanged, but the cooler is bigger and stronger than before. Read more “Scythe Ninja 5: evolution of the revolutionary predecessor” »

How can a pressure of a cooler affect its cooling performance?

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

One of the things that make testing of CPU coolers interesting is that you can never know how will a particular cooler perform. There are too many variables that affect the results. Such as the pressure on the processor, for example. We‘ve tried to find out what a weaker assembly system can cause, but also whether it pays off to cross the safe threshold. Read more “How can a pressure of a cooler affect its cooling performance?” »

Scythe Fuma rev. B: From a hurricane to the fanless mode

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

What are the best settings for Fuma? This is a question that belongs to our complementary review where we traditionally test heatsinks with reference fans. This time in two configurations, with one and with two fans. We went from really noisy settings to completely silent mode. The temperature behaviour is captured minute by minute. Let’s take a look at how this twin-tower handles passive cooling compared to top-notch coolers. Read more “Scythe Fuma rev. B: From a hurricane to the fanless mode” »

Scythe Fuma rev. B: Surprise with a big question mark

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

Improving production by making it cheaper is often done regardless of whether or not a particular product is doing well on the market. Scythe Fuma probably belongs to the “worse category“, which is also proved by its low availability. It seems that the manufacturer had to start to save up to maintain the production. It is no drama, but this tastes a bit bitter because the first version was the best product for its price. Read more “Scythe Fuma rev. B: Surprise with a big question mark” »

Reeven Okeanos: effective “slim” dual tower

CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

We already know that the biggest weakness of the cooler are fans. So, we replaced them with reference models and observed the difference. This led to a remarkable comparison of Okeanos and Noctua NH-D15 heatsinks. And there are few surprises even in modes without the same fans. Let’s take a look at how Okreanos manages to cool the area around the socket, and what it really can do in passive mode. Read more “Reeven Okeanos: effective “slim” dual tower” »

D15 is elite, but there’s a room for improvement

CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Ľubomír Samák

The ideal CPU cooler should not be bigger than a matchbox, and it should handle 500 W processor without making a sound. However, this is a sci-fi, so we will have to rely on conventional solutions. Although Noctua NH-D15 is in many ways unusual, it is remarkable to see how its original elements affect the effectiveness. Read more “D15 is elite, but there’s a room for improvement” »

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