Endorfy Fera 5 Black – Bestseller on the way to darkness

Pavel Sekerka

3 weeks ago

Key features

Today marks the launch of a new version of the popular Endorfy Fera 5 cooler, with the Black attribute. The name suggests that this cooler has a matte black finish, which will be appreciated especially by fans of minimalist PC builds. Of course, it will have to be tested whether this finish has a negative effect on cooling efficiency or whether there is any deterioration in acoustics. So let’s venture into the dark future of Endorfy coolers together.

Key features of the cooler

If you read my original review of the Endorfy Fera 5 cooler, which came out about three years ago, you can skip to the results and final evaluation almost immediately. The Endorfy Fera 5 Black is really only different from the original version in terms of colour, with all parts of the cooler now sporting a matte black finish except for the heatpipe contact area. All physical parameters and the fan used, however, remain the same as in the original version.

The heatsink of the Fera 5 Black is a dense bundle of aluminum fins, which have a saw blade-like serrated edge along their long edges. This fin profile aims to optimize the acoustic performance of the cooler and also to allow more efficient airflow through the cooler’s heatsink. The aluminum fins are intersected by a quartet of copper heatpipes, which also form the main contact surface of the cooler base. There are no gaps between these heatpipes in the base, maximising the contact between the cooler and the centre of the processor’s heat spreader where the heat concentration is highest. The overall shape of the cooler may appear symmetrical at first glance, but there are slight differences between the front and rear surfaces of the heatsink. For optimum efficiency, it is therefore important to follow the orientation of the cooler according to the subtle arrows on the sides of the top cover.

The top surface of the cooler does not deviate from the minimalist design and consists of a matte black aluminum cover for the heatpipe tips with the Endorfy logo embossed on it. The Fera 5 Black thus fits perfectly not only into “blackout” builds without RGB backlighting, but is suitable for anyone who wants an inconspicuous cooler in their computer.

The accessories of the cooler are identical to the other variants of the Fera 5 series. Only the universal mounting system for both Intel and AMD sockets has undergone a cosmetic change, which is now also in black. In addition to the mounting system, you will find two pairs of black metal clips for 120mm fans, a small tube with Pactum PT-3 thermal paste and a well-organized manual.

The installation system of the cooler is still as simple as in previous versions. On the other hand, I also see this as a missed opportunity for improvement and I would have liked to see a more robust metal backplate for Intel processors instead of the supplied plastic one, which I find perhaps a bit too pliable. I guess this is just an exaggerated concern on my part, because the Fera 5 Black is not a heavy cooler and does not put excessive demands on the surroundings of the processor socket.

Cooler and fan parameters

For comparison, I have included direct competitors in price and appearance of the Fera 5 Black. Parametrically, it is a relatively compact cooler, which fits into the vast majority of common cases and, due to the maximum height of 155 mm, probably also into some SFF builds that use the classic layout of components, but it will not be suitable for sandwich cases. The only thing that makes this cooler a bit of a pain is its relatively higher price, which puts it up against coolers with two fans. So let’s hope that the real price on the market will be lower, ideally just slightly above the base version. The six-year warranty is then the icing on the cake of the overall offer.


Cooler	Endorfy Fera 5 Black	Endorfy Fera 5 Dual Fan	Arctic Freezer 36 Black
			DeepCool AK400 ZDP
Supported sockets	Intel LGA 115x, 1200, 1700; AMD AM4/AM5		Intel LGA 1700; AMD AM4/AM5
Height	155 mm	155 mm	159 mm
Width	127 mm	127 mm	126 mm
Depth with fan	77 mm	102 mm	104 mm
Weight	562 g	665 g	890 g
Maximum RAM height	no restrictions	no restrictions	no restrictions
MSRP	€ 35	€ 33	€ 38

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The Endorfy Fluctus 120 PWM fan certainly does not need to be introduced in detail here. It is a very high quality 120mm mid-range fan that offers solid performance with very decent acoustics. An extremely detailed review of these fans can be found on our website here.


Fan	Endorfy Fluctus 120 PWM	Endorfy Fluctus 120 PWM	Arctic P12 PWM PST
	Fluctus 140 OS PWM		Fluctus 140 ARGB PWM
Bearings	FDB
Max. speed	300–1800 rpm	300–1800 rpm	200–1800 rpm
Max static pressure	N/A	N/A	95.7 m³/hod
Max. airflow	N/A	N/A	2.20 mm H₂O

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Testing methodology

As a test processor and heat generator I use the Intel Core i7-11700K on the Asus TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI motherboard. I always use the thermal paste that comes in the package because it is also part of the equation for the efficiency of the cooler. So each cooler is tested as supplied by the manufacturer. The entire build is mounted on a Streacom BC1 frame with no fans to provide airflow. Acoustic shielding (acoustic foam on OSB boards) is installed around the test rig to eliminate ambient noise. The Voltcraft SL-100 calibrated noise meter is placed perpendicular to the cooler in a fixed position relative to the motherboard at a distance of approximately 35 cm from the processor socket.

Stress tests are performed using Prime95 with a duration of 30–35 minutes. Coolers are tested at four standardized noise levels (39, 42, 45 and 48 dBA) and at maximum speed. I did not measure the data for the 45 and 48 dBA noise levels initially, they were only incorporated into the methodology later. Because of this, results for these noise levels are only available for some (usually newer) coolers. The tests are run in two sets corresponding to the thermal output of the processor

The first set of tests is at 125 W, the forced PL1 limit of the processor. The second set is then at a power draw of about 210 W (4500 MHz at 1.285 V). However, this level represents a very high heat concentration given the overall small die area. Thus, not all coolers can be expected to pass this set of tests at all noise levels.

The highest temperature reached is always recorded after the test. All data regarding temperatures and thermal output of the processor are obtained from HWiNFO64. The measured values are then adjusted against the temperature in the room as the resulting Delta T. The test success limit is set to 75 °C. Any higher value means a risk of processor temperature above 95–100 °C and a risk of thermal throttling. Therefore, if the cooler does not pass the load with a Delta T value below 75 °C, such a test is marked as a failure.

Results – 39 dBA

Why is there a missing value in the cooler chart? Either because the cooler could no longer handle the load in the specified mode, or because the fan could not be slowed down to the required level, typically the mode with the lowest noise level.

Results – 42 dBA

Results – 45 dBA

Results – 48 dBA

Results – maximum speed

Spectral analysis of noise

A spectral analysis of the noise cannot be missing either. This is a simple analysis at noise levels of 39 dBA, 45 dBA and at maximum speed of the cooler. For the analysis I use the UMIK-1 microphone from miniDPS in conjunction with True Audio’s TrueRTA application. The resolution of the analysis is 1/24 of an octave and the shape of the spectrogram is an average of 100 samples acquired over 20–30 seconds.

Conclusion and evaluation

The Endorfy Fera 5 Black remains the same high quality cooler as its predecessor, offering good efficiency at an attractive price.

The price/performance ratio is slightly worse than in the basic version, but still remains very interesting. I’m glad that the black finish of the cooler has not compromised its efficiency or its acoustic performance, which is still very well optimized. Your hearing organs will thus not suffer from excessive noise during operation of this cooler. And the six-year warranty also remains as a sign of the manufacturer’s confidence in its own product.

I have only slight qualms about the relatively thin and flexible backplate for Intel sockets, but given the overall weight, these are probably just odd concerns about sufficient sturdiness.

Due to the higher price, I unfortunately can no longer give the Endorfy Fera 5 Black the Smart Buy! award that its predecessor received, but it is still a very good product, so it deservedly earns the Approved editorial award.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš


Endorfy Fera 5 Black
+ Solid cooling efficiency
+ Low fan noise level
+ Interesting price/performance ratio
+ Attractive appearance
+ Six-year warranty
- Mounting system could use some improvement
Approximate retail price: 35 EUR

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