SilentiumPC Fera 5 – The king is dead, long live the king!

Conclusion and summary

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Key features of the cooler

The differences between the previous and current version are obvious at first glance. The entire design of the cooler, including the fan, was reworked in cooperation with Synergy Cooling. The base of the cooler is now formed by a dense bundle of 56 aluminum fins, which have a profile resembling a saw blade along the long edges. This jagged edge improves the acoustic profile of the cooler and also allows more efficient airflow.

The whole bundle of fins is then intersected by four heatpipes, whose configuration is also changed. Now all four pipes are concentrated in the middle of the cooler base with no gaps between them. This should result in more efficient heat transfer from the processor’s heat spreader to the heatsink itself. The shape of the cooler may seem symmetrical at first glance, but the appearance is deceptive. For optimal efficiency, it is necessary to follow the orientation of the cooler according to inconspicuous marks on the sides of the top cover.

The fan, which was also developed in collaboration with Synergy Cooling, also underwent major changes. It bears the Fluctus label and promises a more pleasant acoustic profile compared to the original Sigma Pro fan. Due to the area and shape of its nine blades, it should provide a very solid static pressure, but SilentiumPC is still hiding its current value until the patent process is completed. The manufacturer places great confidence in these new fans, as the MTBF (mean time between failures) is twice as high as of the Sigma Pro fan and the warranty period is even three times as long. The cable for connecting the fan to the motherboard offers the possibility of connecting another fan in series, which saves you from worries with splitters. Fan clips have also been improved. Now they work much better, their grip is stronger and, last but not least, they look neat.

The accessories that you will find in the cooler package do not hide any surprises. However, the assembly system has been completely redesigned compared to the previous generation, and the installation of the cooler is now easier. I’m glad we finally got the spring bolts. In the package you will also find the Pactum PT-3 thermal paste, which is a slight upgrade to the previous PT-2 variant. The new version of the paste should offer low viscosity for easier application while maintaining high thermal conductivity. The included tube is enough for about three applications. Of course, the package also includes a clear user manual with installation instructions and four metal clips for mounting the fans. In addition, the Fera 5 is also available in a Dual Fan variant, but the only difference is in the presence of the second Fluctus fan in the package.

Cooler and fan specifications

The SilentiumPC Fera 5 is not very different in size from the previous version. It is a very compact cooler and there is no conflict with RAM modules. The price of the new model is the same as the original version, with the Dual Fan variant you naturally have to pay extra for the second fan in the package.

Unfortunately, SilentiumPC does not provide much information about the new Fluctus fan yet. It is a standard 120 mm with PWM speed control. Compared to the Sigma Pro fan, the Fluctus is equipped with a bearing of higher quality with double the service life and offers a wider rpm range.

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Test methodology

The Intel Core i7-5820K in the ASRock X99 Taichi motherboard serves as a heat generator. The whole rig is placed on a Streacom BC1 benchtable without fans that would provide airflow. Stress tests are performed using the Aida64 Extreme application with a duration of 45–60 minutes. The coolers are tested at three speed levels (800, 1,200 and maximum) at a processor clock speed of 4,200 MHz with a voltage of 1.150 V. This is followed by another series of tests at 4,500 MHz with a voltage of 1.350 V. The processor power draw at these clock speeds is approx. 150 W and 200 W, respectively. The second set of tests therefore represents a really high load and it cannot be expected that the tested coolers will be able to cool the processor at all speed levels.

At the end of the test, the highest temperature reached is always recorded. All data regarding temperatures and power draw of the processor are obtained from the HWiNFO64 application. The results are then corrected for ambient temperature as the final Delta T value. The test success limit is set at 80 °C. Any higher value means the 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 test is marked as failed. Noise is measured using a calibrated sound level meter Voltcraft SL-100 at a distance of 50 cm from the cooler.

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Results – maximum rpm

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Results – medium rpm

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Results – low rpm

It can already be seen here that the high amount of waste heat in combination with the low speed 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 cooler and does not mean that it is of poor quality.

Fera 3 from SilentiumPC is certainly one of the most popular coolers. Recently, however, a new version called Fera 5 was launched, which brings a number of new features. The cooler has been redesigned from the ground up, including the fan, and the assembly system has also undergone major changes. In addition, the whole thing has a 6-year warranty. Let’s see, how Fera 5 performs in the tests and whether it is a worthy successor to the previous version.

Conclusion and summary

SilentiumPC Fera 5 is simply just like hitting the bullseye. At first, I didn’t want to believe that such a small cooler could give such good results. So I rather repeated all the stress tests. And then again to be extra sure. However, all control tests performed with minimal deviation from the original test.

For a very reasonable price, you get a compact cooler that boldly competes with far larger and more expensive competitors. The Fera 5 is also a good cooler acoustics-wise. Especially at low and medium speeds it can be very quiet. By adding a second fan, the temperatures are reduced only slightly, but at the cost of an increase in noise at higher speeds. The second fan therefore has little benefit. But if you buy the Dual Fan variant, you will get another solid fan for a small surcharge, which you can use elsewhere in your setup.

Virtually all the shortcomings I complained about with the Fera 3 model have been eliminated, especially with regard to the mounting system and the clips for mounting the fan. The icing on the cake is a 6-year warranty. I’m not entirely sure SilentiumPC was able to pull such a great piece, but I’m already looking forward to the new versions of coolers Fortis and Grandis, which should also appear this year.

In conclusion, we can only state that the Fera 5 is a very well-done cooler, which excels in terms of price and performance. It fully deserves our editorial award “Smart Buy!”.

• Contents
• Key features
• Test methodology
• Results – maximum rpm
• Results – medium rpm
• Results – low rpm
• Conclusion and summary