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TEST RESULTS
To inaugurate our new heatsink platform and to establish a baseline of new
data, we put eight of the top coolers tested previously through the paces once
again. The eight coolers in question are, in alphabetical order, the Noctua
NH-C12P and NH-U12P,
the Prolimatech Megahalems, the Scythe
Kabuto and Mugen-2,
the Thermalright Ultra-120
and Ultra-120 eXtreme, and the Zalman
CNPS10X Extreme.
Top contenders. |
Old Results
First let's take a look at the results from our previous test platform.
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°C rise Comparison: Pentium D 950 (Asus P5Q-EM)
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Heatsink
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Nexus 120mm fan voltage / SPL @1m
|
|
12V
|
9V
|
7V
|
|
16 dBA
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13 dBA
|
12 dBA
|
|
Prolimatech Megahalems
|
10
|
14
|
17
|
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
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12
|
14
|
17
|
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Scythe Kabuto
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13
|
15
|
19
|
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Noctua NH-U12P
|
14
|
16
|
17
|
|
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
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14
|
17
|
21
|
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Scythe Mugen-2
|
15
|
17
|
19
|
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Thermalright Ultra-120
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15
|
17
|
21
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Noctua NH-C12P
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16
|
18
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21
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As you can see, the Pentium D 950 gave us a rather narrow range of performance
differences among the eight heatsinks. Many of the heatsinks on the chart are
only 1~2°C warmer or cooler than its closest rival, especially at the fan
voltages of 12V and 9V. Only 4~6°C separates the 1st and 8th place at each
fan setting. A hotter CPU would definitely help differentiate this huddled mass.
Updated Results: Stock Speed
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°C rise Comparison: i7-965 @ Stock (Asus P6T
SE)
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Heatsink
|
Nexus 120mm fan voltage /
SPL @1m
|
i7-965 Rank
|
Pentium D 950 Rank
|
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12V
|
9V
|
7V
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16 dBA
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13 dBA
|
12 dBA
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Prolimatech Megahalems
|
35
|
39
|
42
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#1
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#1
|
|
Scythe Mugen-2
|
37
|
40
|
43
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#2
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#5
|
|
Noctua NH-U12P
|
38
|
40
|
41
|
#2
|
#3
|
|
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
|
38
|
41
|
45
|
#4
|
#2
|
|
Zalman CNPS10X
Extreme
|
39
|
43
|
48
|
#5
|
#5
|
|
Thermalright Ultra-120
|
42
|
44
|
49
|
#6
|
#7
|
|
Scythe Kabuto
|
43
|
48
|
54
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#7
|
#3
|
|
Noctua NH-C12P
|
44
|
47
|
54
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#7
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#8
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On our i7-965 platform, a somewhat different picture develops, with 1st and
8th separated by 9~13°C depending on the fan speed. The Megahalems stays
on top, while the Scythe Mugen-2 and Noctua NH-U12P trail it only slightly,
locked in a virtual tie. The Noctua is particularly impressive, performing only
3°C worse with the fan at 7V compared to 12V. The Ultra-120 eXtreme comes
in 4th due to its slightly higher temperature at 7V; its tight fin spacing hurts
it here. The downblowing Kabuto and NH-C12P tie for last place, with particularly
poor performance at 7V compared to the competition.
Updated Results: Overclocked
|
°C rise Comparison: i7-965 @ 3.6GHz, 1.40V (Asus
P6T SE)
|
|
Heatsink
|
Nexus 120mm fan voltage /
SPL @1m
|
i7-965 OC Rank
|
i7-965 Stock Rank
|
|
12V
|
9V
|
7V
|
|
16 dBA
|
13 dBA
|
12 dBA
|
|
Prolimatech Megahalems
|
50
|
53
|
59
|
#1
|
#1
|
|
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
|
51
|
56
|
63
|
#2
|
#4
|
|
Noctua NH-U12P
|
53
|
56
|
60
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#2
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#2
|
|
Scythe Mugen-2
|
53
|
56
|
62
|
#4
|
#2
|
|
Thermalright Ultra-120
|
56
|
60
|
67
|
#5
|
#6
|
|
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
|
60
|
66
|
FAIL
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#6
|
#5
|
|
Scythe Kabuto
|
62
|
70
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FAIL
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#7
|
#7
|
|
Noctua NH-C12P
|
64
|
73
|
FAIL
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#8
|
#7
|
When the i7-965 is overclocked to 3.6GHz and overvolted to 1.40V, the difference
between 1st and 8th expands from 8°C to 20°C at 9V. At 7V, some of the
heatsinks aren't able to keep the processor cool enough, causing the CPU to
throttle. This happens when any of the cores reaches 95~100°C (typically
75~80°C thermal rise). The CNPS10X Extreme and the two top-down coolers,
the Kabuto and NH-C12P, couldn't handle the heat with the reference fan at 7V.
The Megahalems continues to dominate, with an even bigger lead over the #2
spot shared by the Ultra-120 extreme and NH-U12P. The Noctua gets the best of
the U120E at 7V, while the U120E takes the lead at 12V. The race is fairly tight
with the Mugen-2 just nipping at the NH-U12P's heels. The vanilla Ultra-120
is about 4°C worse on average at the #5 spot. The CNPS10X, Kabuto and NH-C12P
are all significantly poorer, running hotter by double-digits compared to the
Megahalems, and failing at the 7V level.
As an aside, it's no surprise that the strongest performers have sturdy, spring-loaded,
bolt-through mounting. The Megahalem's superior mounting system (detailed in
the original review) is certainly an important part of its excellent and consistent
performance.
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