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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
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ZEROtherm CORE92:
Approximate Physical Measurements
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Weight
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450 g |
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Fin thickness
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0.34 mm |
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Fin spacing
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1.54 mm |
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Vertical Clearance
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43 mm (measured from the
motherboard PCB to the heatsink's bottom fin) |
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Horizontal Overhang
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N/A (measured from the
edge of the heatsink to the top edge of our test motherboard's PCB) |
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Comparison: Approximate Fin Thickness & Spacing
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Heatsink
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Fin Thickness
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Fin Spacing
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Scythe Ninja 2
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0.39 mm
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3.68 mm
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Thermalright HR-01 Plus
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0.45 mm
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3.15 mm
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Noctua NH-U12P
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0.44 mm
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2.63 mm
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Noctua NH-C12P
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0.47 mm
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2.54 mm
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Prolimatech Megahalems
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0.50 mm
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2.00 mm
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Xigmatek HDT-S1283
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0.33 mm
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1.96 mm
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Cooler Master Hyper N520
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0.38 mm
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1.72 mm
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Xigmatek HDT-SD964
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0.33 mm
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1.72 mm
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ZEROtherm CORE92
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0.34 mm
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1.54 mm
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Thermalright Ultra-120
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0.45 mm
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1.42 mm
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Testing was done according to our
unique heatsink testing methodology, and the included fan was profiled
using our standard fan testing
methodology. A quick summary of the components, tools, and procedures
follows below.
Key Components in Heatsink Test Platform
- Intel
Pentium D 950 Presler core. TDP of 130W; under our test load, it measures
78W including efficiency losses in the VRMs.
- Asus P5Q-EM motherboard. A microATX board with integrated graphics
and short solid-state capacitors around the CPU socket, and a diminutive northbridge heatsink for maximum compatibility.
- Intel X25-M
80GB 2.5" solid-state drive.
- 1GB of Corsair XMS2 DDR2 memory. 2 x 512MB PC2-8500.
- FSP Zen 300W
fanless power supply.
- Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs.
- Nexus 92 fan (part of our standard testing methodology; used when
possible with heatsinks that fit 92x25mm fans)
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Nexus 92 fan measurements
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Voltage
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Noise
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Speed
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12V
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18 dBA@1m
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1240 RPM
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9V
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13 dBA@1m
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980 RPM
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7V
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11 dBA@1m
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770 RPM
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Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Seasonic
Power Angel for measuring AC power at the wall to ensure that the
heat output remains consistent.
- Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
the fan speed during the test.
- PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
audio interfaces.
- Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower
- Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
standard fan testing methodology.
- SpeedFan, used to monitor the on-chip thermal sensor. This sensor is not
calibrated, so results are not universally applicable.
- CPUBurn
P6, used to stress the CPU heavily, generating more heat than most
real applications. Two instances are used to ensure that both cores are stressed.
- Throttlewatch
2.01, used to monitor the throttling feature of the CPU to determine
when overheating occurs.
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 stock fan was tested at various voltages
to represent a good cross-section of its airflow and noise performance.
TEST RESULTS
Stock Fan Testing
The stock fan is constructed of rigid, translucent plastic to scatter the light
from two blue LEDs. Its blades have hooked leading edges and almost straight
trailing edges, similar to the venerable Yate Loon D12SL-12.
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Stock Fan Specifications
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| Manufacturer |
Power
Logic |
Power Rating |
2.4 W |
| Model Number |
PLA09225S12M |
Airflow Rating |
56.7 CFM |
| Bearing Type |
Sleeve |
RPM Rating |
900~2500 RPM |
| Hub Size |
1.54" |
Noise Rating |
Under 19.5 dBA |
| Frame Size |
92 x 92 x 25 mm |
Header Type |
4-pin PWM |
| Weight |
90 grams |
Starting Voltage |
4.3V |
| The data in the blue cells is provided by the manufacturer;
we measured the data cited in the green cells |
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TEST MEASUREMENTS
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Voltage
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Noise Level
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Speed
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12V
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34 dBA
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2340 RPM
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9V
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20 dBA
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1510 RPM
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7V
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16 dBA
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950 RPM
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6V
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15 dBA
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690 RPM
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5V
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11 dBA
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450 RPM
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Fan @ 12V: The fan was extremely loud, with a whiny, high-pitched drone
and a heavy amount of turbulence. Very tonal.
Fan @ 9V: The noise level dropped off significantly. The fan's pitch
lowered to a more tolerable hum. At this level the metal fan cover started to
rattle from vibration.
Fan @ 7V: The noise level reached what we would consider 'quiet' though
the hum from the fan's bearing was still noticeable. More annoying was the rattle
of the top cover — tightening the screws reduced this dramatically.
Fan @ 5V: The fan was all but inaudible at one meter's distance. Up-close,
the bearing was very clicky.
Overall the fan sounds like a typical translucent fan, harsh at high speed,
and mildly agitating at low speed.
Cooling Results
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ZEROtherm CORE92 w/ stock 92mm fan
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Fan Voltage
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SPL@1m
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Temp
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°C Rise
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°C/W
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12V
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34 dBA
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29°C
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9
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0.12
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9V
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20 dBA
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32°C
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12
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0.15
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7V
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16 dBA
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39°C
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19
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0.24
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6V
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15 dBA
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49°C
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29
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0.37
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5V
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11 dBA
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64°C
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44
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0.56
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ZEROtherm CORE92 w/ reference 92mm fan
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12V
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18 dBA
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46°C
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26
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0.33
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9V
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13 dBA
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52°C
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32
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0.41
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7V
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11 dBA
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60°C
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40
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0.51
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Load Temp: CPUBurn for ~10 mins.
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (20°C) at load.
°C/W: based on the amount of heat dissipated by the CPU (measured
78W); lower is better. |
The CORE92's overall performance was surprisingly good with high airflow. With
the fan at full speed, the CPU temperature was only 9°C above ambient, matching
the lowest result we have ever achieved. Sure, the noise level was terrible
but this is still an impressive feat for a heatsink equipped with a 92mm fan.
When the fan voltage was reduced to 9V, the noise level was cut dramatically
while performance only suffered by 3°C. Clearly the inclusion of a 2300
RPM fan was overkill.
At 7V the CORE92's fan measured 16 dBA — equivalent to our reference Nexus 120mm fan at 12V. Thermal rise at this level was 19°C, only a couple of degrees shy of the Scythe Ninja 2.
At 6V, the difference in noise was negligible, but the CPU temperature climbed
by 10°C. At this point the CORE92 started to perform more like a 92mm cooler.
At 5V, the fan reached our anechoic chamber's noise floor and performance degraded
by an additional 15°C.
Switching the fan to our reference 92mm model did not result in better temperatures,
at least not until the fan was dialed back to the point where it was completely
inaudible at one meter's distance. Despite the measured noise level, the Nexus
92mm fan sounded much better at 12V than the ZEROtherm stock fan until its speed
was lowered to about 6V, though up close the difference was still noticeable.
Unfortunately the Nexus fan simply doesn't generate the amount of pressure and
airflow the CORE92 requires to perform well.
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