| Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q2 2008 |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cooling | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Monday, 14 July 2008 | |
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Page 8 of 18
SilenX IXC-120HA2There are only a few names in the computer hardware industry that are unfamiliar to me, and SilenX is one of them. Strikingly similar to the Core Contact Freezer (but unclear as to which product arrived first), the IXC-120HA2 offers the best of both worlds: HDT (Heat-pipe Direct Touch) technology matched with a heatsink capable of fitting a pair of 120mm cooling fans. Since the SilenX retail kit contains only one fan with the IXC-120HA2, we keep uniformity and test with only one fan for our benchmark results. Looking up close at the IXC-120HA2, there's a lot to take notice of. First, there are no exposed heat-pipe ends at the top of the heatsink. This allows the IXC-120HA2 to fit inside some of the more slim mid-tower cases without rubbing the edges and possibly allowing the gas/liquid to escape from an opened rod. The next notable difference is the use of four separate 8-gauge copper heat-pipe rods in a "U" configuration, exposed at the base for HDT contact. Finally, the SilenX IXC-120HA2 cooler uses a high-pressure clip mounting system to secure the cooler onto the CPU without removing the motherboard.
Our customers asked us to make the highest performance heatsink possible. We not only did that, but we managed to do it at the lowest noise levels as well! Introducing the IXC-120HA2, which, as one reviewer puts it, "the best cooler in the world". With a thermal resistance of 0.09°C/W, we're talking 500 watts of heat dissipation at room temperature! The heatpipes are enormous 8mm ones that have twice the heat capacity of the smaller 6mm units on our competitors. We won't kid around by multiplying the number of heatpipes by two as our competitors seem to do, no need to do that when we embarrass their products on the benchmarks! And to achieve that with lower mass, you won't need to fiddle around with the mess of exotic watercooling. Installation couldn't be simpler, no need to remove the motherboard, just snap in and latch the levers, someone with no computer background can mount it in a minute or two tops. Includes a fan controller for precise manual control over the fan noise. I assure you that if the SilenX IXC-120HA2 proves itself to be "the best cooler in the world" as they boast, you'll never hear the end of it from me. However, experience has taught me that in this industry the best products only remain at that status until the competition suceeds them a short while later. So if the IXC-120HA2 doesn't perform as well as SilenX claims, Benchmark Reviews is going to make sure the world knows about it.
IXC-120HA2 Specifications
As of July 2008, NewEgg lists the SilenX IXC-120HA2 for $49.99.
About the company: SilenX
SilenX has been a privately-owned and operated company based in southern California since 1995. There are several research and design facilities in addition to our primary warehouse facility and our renowned technical support and customer service center. Originally a high-end systems integrator for silent computers, SilenX shifted its focus to manufacturing silent PC components in 2002 and established factories in the United States, China, and Taiwan. Our retail products are distributed in numerous countries around the world. We also have an OEM division that manufactures fans, thermal heatsink solutions and power supplies for various applications in computing, consumer electronics and other industrial uses. Our specialty is in low noise components as we have among the lowest noise cooling equipment in the industry. Numerous awards have been won by our products in the consumer computing world for delivering a combination of the lowest noise levels without sacrificing high performance. Reviewers from around the world have praised our products for being on the forefront of the silent PC industry. Our commitment to the finest quality makes SilenX products both reliable and competitive.
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