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”
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?”
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”
The Ninja cooler series is very unique. It has been twelve years since the introduction of the first model. Even after such a long time, the Japanese company constantly enhances its original design and increases its efficiency. After four successful generations, they are releasing the fifth Ninja. Modestly, without fanfare and any drama, the way they always do. All the more appealing surprise. Read more “The 5th generation of the legendary Ninja is here!”
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?”
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”
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”
We have finally acquired samples of the current models of Scythe processor coolers which have ambitions to be crowned in the upper middle class. They proved their dominance several times in this segment. We always pay special attention to exceptional components and we gladly do some extra tests outside our classic procedures. In this “preview”, you can let us know what exactly it should be. Read more “We have new precious guests: Fuma rev. B and Mugen 5 rev. B”
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”
Reeven seems like a smaller manufacturer, but it does not matter at all in the case of Okeanos. This cooler can definitely stand its ground. It could be used as a good example in many ways. There are some drawbacks for sure, but you get really decent cooling performance for the money. Read more “Excellent cooling performance for 70 euros? Reeven Okeanos”
Scythe coolers are one of the best in their category and, except for Ninja 3, they are holding their position firmly. It is difficult to find anything more effective than Scythe Fuma under 50 euros. And it looks like that things are about to get even more interesting. The latest model is named after the warships used in the 17th century by the Shimazu family. So, perhaps we will meet the new champion soon. Read more “Will Sengoku Bune eliminate everything in its path? We’ll see…”
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”
We extended our database of processor coolers with the notorious NH-D15. It will serve as a key reference point for every upcoming test because it represents some kind of a standard for air coolers. In this review, we analyzed the functional features of the most popular product in its category. How does Noctua do it? Read more “Noctua NH-D15: Austrian dual tower”
From the previous tests, you already know that Freezer 33 loses its breath quite quickly in tower cases. But it does not have to be always like that – the distinctive performance difference between the vertical and the horizontal position appears only with certain cooling efficiency requirements. At 90 W, the cooler performs differently than at 180 W. Interesting is also the comparison on the “big” Haswell-E and on the “small” Kaby Lake. Read more “Arctic Freezer 33 tasting different heat intensities”
Cooling the processor is one thing, but cooling its power supply circuit is another. How will the coolers handle this task? We specially focused on testing the heatsinks with Noctua reference fans. Notably, the weird Freezer had some real difficulties. We know where the problem is. We made some tests without fans too, and on this occasion we decided to include top-notch passive cooler Zalman FX70. Read more “Arctic Freezer 33 face-to-face with SilentiumPC Fera 3 v2 (bonus)”
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