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TESTING
The Verticool II is does not provide hardware for Socket 478, so the same test
bench that was used to test the Socket 775-only Freezer 7 Pro was brought into
service, using the parts outlined below. Aside from the Freezer 7 Pro, data
from past reviews is not directly comparable with the results of this review.
The Pentium 520 used in this test is cooler than most of Intel's desktop processors
on the market today, but it is still 15-20W hotter than the P4-2.8 Northwood
used in our socket 478 HS testing platform. On the other hand, it is also hotter
than almost about every AMD processor on the market. This situation will change
in the near future when Intel releases its Core 2 Duo chips for desktop use,
but for now the Intel 520 processor represents a good median heat source.
On the test bench...
Test Platform
Measurement & Analysis Tools
Noise measurements were made with the fan powered from the lab DC power supply
with everything else turned off to ensure minimal ambient noise. Airflow
measurements for this heatsink were not made due to the difficulty of measuring
the stock fan accurately.
Load testing was accomplished using CPUBurn to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to make sure that the load temperature was
stable for at least ten minutes.
The ambient conditions during testing were 19 dBA and 21°C.
TEST RESULTS
| Spire Verticool II SP601B3
with Stock fan |
|
Fan Voltage
|
Temp
|
°C Rise
|
°C/W MP
|
°C/W TDP
|
Noise
(dBA@1m)
|
|
12V
|
42°C
|
21
|
0.21
|
0.25
|
27
|
|
9V
|
45°C
|
24
|
0.24
|
0.29
|
24
|
|
7V
|
56°C
|
35
|
0.35
|
0.42
|
21
|
|
5V
|
69°C
|
48
|
0.48
|
0.57
|
~20
|
|
Load Temp: CPUBurn for ~20 mins.
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient at load.
°C/W MP / TDP: Temperature rise over ambient per Watt of CPU heat,
based on CPU's Maximum Power (100W) or Thermal Design Power (84W) rating
(lower is better)
Noise: SPL measured in dBA/1m distance with high accuracy B &
K SLM
|
Fan @ 12V: The stock fan was surprisingly quiet at full speed, measuring
just 27 dBA@1m. Most of the noise was in the form of a prominent whine. Even
so, it was still better than much of its competition; it is not uncommon for
heatsinks to be much, much louder at full speed. Nearly all fans require undervolting
before we consider the noise level acceptable.
Cooling performance was solid but unspectacular. The 21°C rise from ambient
should be good enough for most processors, even in a real system where the
ambient temperature might be 10~15°C higher.
Fan @ 9V: Cooling performance changed only slightly at 9V, worsening
by an acceptable 3°C.
The drop in noise was also quite small, although it was more significant
than the measured 3 dBA@1m would suggest. Although the noise character changed
only slightly, the volume of the noise was now low enough that it faded into
the background when it wasn't specifically listened for.
Fan @ 7V: At this level, the Verticool II should be quiet enough for
most users. Only a trace of the original whine remained, and it sounded more
like a growl than a whine. Inside a case, it might well be inaudible, especially
in a room with a high ambient noise level.
However, performance dropped off quite substantially; the 35°C rise from
ambient provided marginal cooling for our processor. Cooling a warmer Intel
processor is out of the question at this level, although a mid-range AMD chips
is still a possibility.
Fan @ 5V: Only a trace of noise remained, and it was a strain to hear
it. The whine/growl had disappeared completely, leaving only a thin papery
hiss behind. It hardly mattered, however, as performance was completely unacceptable.
Although the processor did not throttle, it did reach almost 70°C and
would not have been adequately cooled in a real system.
| Spire Verticool II SP601B3
with Reference Fan (80mm Nexus) |
|
Fan Voltage
|
Temp
|
°C Rise
|
°C/W MP
|
°C/W TDP
|
Noise
(dBA@1m)
|
|
12V
|
49°C
|
28
|
0.28
|
0.33
|
23
|
|
9V
|
59°C
|
38
|
0.38
|
0.45
|
~20
|
|
7V
|
69°C
|
48
|
0.48
|
0.57
|
<17
|
|
Load Temp: CPUBurn for ~20 mins.
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient at load.
°C/W MP / TDP: Temperature rise over ambient per Watt of CPU
heat, based on CPU's Maximum Power (100W) or Thermal Design Power (84W)
rating (lower is better)
Noise: SPL measured in dBA/1m distance with high accuracy B &
K SLM
|
Nexus @ 12V: Cooling performance with our reference low noise, low
airflow Nexus fan was generally pretty poor. Performance was only really adequate
when the fan was running at close to full speed.
The Nexus was about as good as the stock fan was at ~8V, and the noise level
was about the same. The Nexus did have an advantage in terms of subjective
quality, but the difference was not earth-shattering. For most users, the
stock fan should be good enough if undervolted.
Nexus @ 9V & 7V: Below 12V, the performance dropped off too quickly
to recommend using a fan with so little airflow. Silent it may have been,
but the performance trade-off to make it silent was too great to be acceptable.
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