Test Results: Stock Cooling Fan

When it comes to personal computers, you could probably divide users into two groups for almost any topic. For this article, I will consider those two groups to include enthusiasts, and overclockers. In regards to fan noise, there are those of us who want it quiet while others will tolerate an eardrum-ringing whine. Since noise is a problem and not a solution, I believe that most enthusiasts want as much performance as they can get while sacrificing as little serenity as possible. That's what this test section is all about.

Benchmark Reviews tests our collection of CPU coolers for this Q2-2008 article using the following criteria:

1. We will test coolers using the manufacturer-included stock fan, so that cooler performance can be relevant to a consumer using a product right out of the box.
2. We will test coolers in both a horizontal and vertical position, since heat-pipes are effected by product orientation and gravity and consumers use different styles of computer cases.

Our testing begins with a horizontally positioned system, similar to a HTPC or rack mount server unit. Some may think that a difference doesn't exist between the horizontal and vertical orientations and that the cooler will perform the same no matter what, but we were a little surprised by the new benchmark results. With the supplied stock fan attached to each cooler, there were five test samples taken within our ambient temperature range. In the charts below each cooler displays a thermal difference, which is the difference between the ambient room temperature and the recorded temperature of the processor cores.

Right out of the box OCZ's Vendetta 2 (OCZVEND2) performs extremely well while operating from the horizontal position, but was trailed closely by the infamous Xigmatek HDT-S1283. Despite a silent-running medium-output NF-P12 fan the Noctua NH-U12P managed its way to the top, and although we discovered a small design flaw in the Xigmatek Achilles S1284 it also performed near the top. Now obviously these results are extremely close, which means that ultimately they will all perform roughly the same in most environments. That being said, it comes down to price, and perhaps application compatibility. The Kingwin RVT-12025 is a poor-mans HDT-S1283 since it costs as little as $19.99 compared to $36.99, and they are identical in unit construction (but Kingwin includes a lower-volume silent fan).

Sometimes a unique design will translate into good performance, and sometimes it doesn't. Thermaltakes V2 cooler earned a solid 5th place in our stock results in the horizontal (HTPC) position, while their DuOrb occupied a less-impressive 11th place position. All within a one-degree range the Kingwin RVT-12025, Noctual NH-C12P, and Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer make up the mid-level performance segment. The less spectacular performers of the group include the SilenX IXC-120HA2, GlacialTech Igloo 5750, Gigabyte G-Power 2, and Cooler Master CM Sphere. Proving that they can make good products as well as bad (or at least very poor), Xigmatek's Red Scorpion S1283 looked pretty with its colored fan blades pushing it deep into the lower-performance segment.

For almost every heatpipe cooler, having the unit positioned with the rods running horizontally proved to offer a noticeable cooling benefit, however none changed as dramatically as the Xigmatek Red Scorpion S1283 that recorded a 24.4° C thermal difference in the horizontal position and later dropped nearly 4° C in the vertical motherboard position representative of tower computer cases. The opposite was true for Noctua's NH-U12P which decreased performance by over one full degree. This goes to show you that heat-pipes are in fact prone to suffer the effects of gravity in their design. Once the vapor cools and becomes liquid, it seems to have an easier time completing the thermal circuit from side to side than it does from top to bottom. So let's see how these coolers performed with the stress of gravity removed from them:

The vertical test results are going to be the most relevant to enthusiasts and overclockers, since upright tower computer cases are almost always used to build their systems. In the second half of our stock-fan benchmark testing, the OCZ Vendetta 2 proved itself worthy of the Golden Tachometer Award it received a few months back. If you're not interested in wearing some form of hearing protection around your computer, then the OCZ Vendetta 2 is a sure winner for the sub-$50. Not far behind was the trusty Xigmatek HDT-S1283, which could also find itself a nice home for anyone tight on cash but long on overclocking ambition. In third place for our vertical test results, the Xigmatek Achilles S1284 performed better than expected despite nickel plating and an offset array of heat-pipes that didn't make full contact with the processor. Next was the Noctua NH-C12P, which performed better in the vertical position primarily because of the transverse heat-pipe orientation. The Kingwin Revolution RVT-12025 is a clone of Xigmatek's HDT-S1283 cooler, and although it comes with a slower and less-powerful stock fan you shouldn't ignore how much less it costs - NewEgg presently offers the RVT-12025 for $31.99. Also clinging to the upper-half of our performance results is the SunbeamTech Core Contact Freezer and Noctua NH-U12P.

The mid-level performance group occupies the lower half of the charts and begins with the SilenX IXC-120HA2, which for all purposes was exceptionally silent but sacrificed performance. Xigamtek's Red Scorpion crawled up from last place in our horizontal tests to the midway point in vertical testing. GlacialTech should probably consider upgrading the fans in their Igloo 5750 to offer higher output because they seemed to be moving extremely slow during our tests, resulting in lukewarm performance. The Thermaltake DuOrb and Gigabyte G-Power 2 performed among the lowest of our testing, with nearly equal distance between the best coolers and Intel's stock Core 2 Duo cooler. Finishing out as the lowest performers in our test group was the Cooler Master Sphere.

Please keep in mind that the entire basis of this article is Best Performing CPU Coolers, so while some of the coolers did not perform well in comparison to others it doesn't particularly mean that they are poor products. They're just not the best. In summary, if you're building a system that places an emphasis on low sound levels, you'll want to pick your cooler carefully. OCZ's Vendetta 2 is an excellent choice for either HTPC or tower builds, with the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 coming in right behind it. For under $50 USD, you can either keep with the stock fans and see performance results similar to ours, or you can dig a little deeper and force-feed the cool air with a nice Yate Loon fan (like we used for our next section). Because the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme and Cooler Master Hyper Z600 coolers do not come with an included cooling fan, they were not part of this test group. In our next section, every cooler that could be fitted with our high-output fan (including the aforementioned) is represented in full glory. Overclockers should be pleased by the outcome... or shocked, because I sure was.

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