Enermax Aquafusion ADV 240 – Pretty liquid cooler with big noise

The Aquafusion ADV 240 is the first AIO cooler from Enermax that I have the pleasure to test. The subject of today’s review is also the interesting white design variant, which in combination with the RGB backlighting of the fans and the infinity mirror effect on the cooler block looks really premium. The price of this cooler comes out to an affordable 105 EUR, which could provide a solid price-performance ratio if it performs well in tests. Read more “Enermax Aquafusion ADV 240 – Pretty liquid cooler with big noise” »

Impressive top-flow cooler Jiushark: 265W TDP, priced at 40 EUR

If there’s anything missing in the relatively oversaturated range of CPU coolers, it’s a properly powerful top-flow model. The Chinese company Jiushark now brings one such cooler. Although it is not a completely original design (there already has been a similar cooler), it currently makes a rather unique impression. You will look in vain for an alternative with comparable TDP to the JF13K-Diamond cooler in its price range. Read more “Impressive top-flow cooler Jiushark: 265W TDP, priced at 40 EUR” »

Kotetsu Mark III, Scythe modernizes its mid-range CPU coolers

Neither small nor big, just Kotetsu Mark. The latest, third version of this CPU cooler comes with support for AMD AM5 and Intel LGA 1700 platforms in particular. In terms of body design, the Kotetsu Mark III sticks to the features of its predecessor in many ways, but at least one change with the new heatsink raises questions. The answers are perhaps the features of the Kaze Flex II fan, which will eventually be used in this line (of Kotetsu coolers) as well. Read more “Kotetsu Mark III, Scythe modernizes its mid-range CPU coolers” »

Noctua NH-L9a(-AM5) cooler now also available for Ryzen 7000

Many small coolers designed for SFF systems that are compatible with the AMD AM4 platform can’t be mounted on AM5. The NH-L9a(-AM4) top-flow cooler also made the list, and Noctua had to modify its mounting system. The implementation is quite clever, the work is already done and the old-new coolers, whose design is basically unchanged, go on sale. We also have information on which processors they support and under what circumstances. Read more “Noctua NH-L9a(-AM5) cooler now also available for Ryzen 7000” »

Second, prettier generation of ARGB DeepCool LS (SE) coolers is out

The new DeepCool LS SE coolers go on sale relatively soon after the LT series models were introduced. Given the very similar parameters, this is an alternative that offers a particularly different look. Mainly in the fact that in this case, fans with ARGB LEDs are used, but the design of the water block cover is also significantly different. This also distinguishes these liquid coolers from older models without SE in the designation. Read more “Second, prettier generation of ARGB DeepCool LS (SE) coolers is out” »

Expected 140mm Noctua fans hit by production issues

Until recently, it looked like if Noctua failed to release the new generation of 140mm fans by the end of the year (2022), it would happen shortly after. But right now, even this year’s release is in jeopardy. The cause is a fault that, it seems, Noctua didn’t really expect. This delay, by the way, also significantly delays the planned sale of the successor to the NH-D15 CPU cooler. Read more “Expected 140mm Noctua fans hit by production issues” »

DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus – The golden middle way

At the end of this year I have prepared a review of the DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus cooler. This is an interesting mid-range cooler with a modern design. The Zero Dark and Plus attributes refer to the black edition of the cooler and the second fan in the package respectively. I’m also quite interested to see how the AK400 Zero Dark Plus will fare against the Fera 5 and Fortis 5 coolers from Endorfy, with which it competes both in price and advertised TDP. Read more “DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus – The golden middle way” »

SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max tests under higher load (125 W)

We’ve already tested the SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max CPU cooler, but with a fairly low-power processor. Its results thus merged with the simpler (Spartan 5) model without the “Max” in the name. On more powerful CPUs with more thermal output, however, the situation changes somewhat. How does the Spartan 5 Max compare to other coolers on a processor with 125 W, i.e. at the TDP level of Intel’s “K” models? Read more “SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max tests under higher load (125 W)” »

Thermalright revives low tower coolers with the Assassin X 90 SE

There used to be no shortage of them, but now they’re quite rare – CPU coolers with smaller, 92-millimeter fans that are also compatible with slimmer cases. One such new product has been released by Thermalright. The Assassin X 90 SE cooler will soon come in handy when selecting a suitable solution for more low-power variants of desktop processors from both Intel (Raptor Lake) and AMD (Raphael) with a TDP of 65 W and lower. Read more “Thermalright revives low tower coolers with the Assassin X 90 SE” »

BeQuiet! now has a very low-profile CPU cooler, the Pure Rock LP

A really low-profile CPU cooler. That’s the thing BeQuiet! didn’t have in its offer until now . With the 45 mm tall (or rather short) Pure Rock LP, the situation changes. Compared to many competing solutions, this cooler has the advantage of wider compatibility. Mainly, it supports the AMD AM5 platform which surprised some small top-flow coolers and took them off the compatibility list. Read more “BeQuiet! now has a very low-profile CPU cooler, the Pure Rock LP” »

Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black – The legend back in black

The Noctua NH-U12A is a cooler that has previously proven that with a little effort, it is possible to offer the performance of high-end dual-tower coolers in a more compact design. However, the last time I tested it, I was still using the older methodology, so with the release of the chromax.black version, there’s an ideal opportunity to conduct new tests. The question also remains whether the NF-U12A chromax.black can justify its high price tag. Read more “Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black – The legend back in black” »

Dark fans, showy block: the new DeepCool LT liquid coolers

DeepCool has expanded the range of its liquid coolers with two models with 120mm fans. The larger one, LT720 (with three fans) and the LT520, which has one less fan. Compared to the LS series of liquid coolers, fans without LEDs are used, but the designers implemented ARGB LEDs into the cooler block housing with a mirror effect. Not only this is supposed to be attractive in this part of the cooler, but also the pump itself. Read more “Dark fans, showy block: the new DeepCool LT liquid coolers” »

The lowered Alpine 17 (LP) CPU cooler is 43 mm tall

Arctic now has a smaller version of the Alpine 17. The model of this top-flow cooler with the LP (low profile) end tag is one fan lower. This opens doors side panels to tighter cases where taller designs won’t fit, and Intel Laminar RM1 (from Core i3/5/7 packages) or RS1 (from Celerons and Pentiums) coolers tend to be too tall as well. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Arctic Alpine 17 LP cooler is designed for very low-power processors. Read more “The lowered Alpine 17 (LP) CPU cooler is 43 mm tall” »

DeepCool AK620 – Solid dual-tower cooler for a good price

While modern processors offer high performance, this is inevitably linked to the need for highly effective cooling. So I’m always happy to welcome a cooler on the market with the promise of high effectiveness at an interesting price. One of them is the AK620, which represents the top of DeepCool’s range. It offers a modern design, an attractive price tag and the potential to cool even high-end processors. So we’ll see how well it performs in our stress tests. Read more “DeepCool AK620 – Solid dual-tower cooler for a good price” »

Plastic vs. metal backplate Alphacool (under LGA 1700)

For rather incomprehensible reasons, the cooling performance of the vast majority of AIO liquid coolers is degraded by the use of an unsuitable backplate. The backplate is usually undersized, made of plastic, and cannot exert optimal pressure on the processor. To give you an idea of how a “traditional” plastic backplate stacks up against a proper, steel one, we’ve prepared a comparison of the two. Read more “Plastic vs. metal backplate Alphacool (under LGA 1700)” »

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