The colorful Phanteks PH-TC12DX shares the same DNA as the massive dual tower PH-TC14PE, in a more modestly sized single tower body and 12cm fans.
January 27, 2013 by Lawrence Lee
| Product | Phanteks PH-TC12DX CPU Cooler |
| Manufacturer | Phanteks |
| Street Price | US$60 |
CPU coolers are now dominated by monstrous dual tower models weighing in at
well over a kilogram and sporting 14 cm fans like the Phanteks
PH-TC14PE reviewed last year. The smaller PH-TC12DX takes us back a
couple years to a time when single towers with 12cm fans were as big as they
got. While 12cm fan tower types of coolers can still be pricey, they are no
longer top performance, at least when heavy overclocking is involved. But in
many situations, a more modest sized heatsink is more suitable.
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Given Phanteks’ inclination to borrow heavily from Noctua, one might assume
offhand that this is a copy of the NH-U12P,
but that’s not the case. The TC12DX is noticeably skinnier, measuring 57 mm
wide compared to the 71 mm thick Notcua U12P tower. Its design is essentially
the same as that of the larger Phanteks TC14PE, shurnk slightly to a more modest
form factor. Like other Phanteks coolers, the TC12DX is available in several
different colors. The heatsink body and fan blades come in matching sets of
blue, red, black, and white. The shade of blue on our sample is striking and
a novel change from the usual chrome of its competitors. It helps differentiate
Phanteks in a market saturated with products that look mostly the same.
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Phanteks also copies Noctua’s packaging protocols, shipping all their larger heatsinks with a common universal installation kit with the hardware segregated into separate plastic bags. Aside from the documentation and necessary mounting gear, there are fan isolation strips, a tube of thermal compound, and a sleeved Y cable for connecting both fans to a single fan header.
| Phanteks PH-TC12DX: Specifications (from the product web page) | |
| Color | White / Black / Blue / Red |
| Material | Copper (Base and Heat-pipes), Nickel Plated Aluminum (Fins and Top Cover) Patented P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-Oxidant Thermal Shield) Patented C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating) |
| Fan Model | PH-F120HP PWM Premium Fan |
| Fan Size | 120 x 120 x 25mm |
| Fan Compatibility | 120 x 120 x 25mm (2pcs) |
| Bearing Type | UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) Bearing |
| Blade Geometry | Nine Blades with MVB(Maelström Vortex Booster) Design |
| Speed (RPM) | 600 – 1800 RPM ± 10% |
| Max Airflow | 23 – 68.5 CFM |
| Max Air Pressure | 0.39 – 2.07mm H2O |
| Acoustical Noise | 21.9 – 27.6 dB(A) |
| Input Power | 2.16W |
| Current (Ampere) | 0.18A |
| Rate Voltage | 12V |
| MTBF | >150,000 h |
| Heatsink Dimensions (LxWxH) | 126 x 57 x 157mm (without fans) 126 x 107 x 157mm (with dual fans) |
| Package Dimensions | 220x163x173 (LxWxH) |
| Scope of Delivery | 1x PH-TC12DX Heatsink 2x PH-F120HP PWM Premium Fans 8x Fan Clip Adapters 4x Rubber Bar, 4x Fan wire clips (PH-F120HP Fan’s Accessories) SoliSku Mounting Kits for Intel and AMD (Stock back-plate required) 1x Y Fan Splitter (4pin) 1x PH-NDC Thermal Compound 2x Phanteks PH-TC12DX User’s Manual |
| Warranty | 5 Years. |
PHYSICAL DETAILS
The Phanteks PH-TC12DX sports a copper base soldered to 4 x 6
mm thick “U” shaped copper heatpipes with 48 aluminum fins, all nickel-plated.
We measured it to be 158 mm tall and approximately 520 grams while the fans
add an additional 140 gram each to the total weight. By modern standards its
size is on the conservative side.
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BASE & INSTALLATION
The most critical aspect of installation is that the heatsink be securely
mounted. A firm mating results in good contact between the heatsink’s base and
the CPU heatspreader and more efficient heat conduction. Ideally it should
also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces of
hardware as possible.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
| Approximate Physical Measurements | |
| Weight | 520 g (+140 g for each stock fan) |
| Height | 158 mm |
| Fin count | 48 (not including the name plate at top) |
| Fin thickness | 0.39 mm |
| Fin spacing | 2.30 mm |
| Vertical Clearance* | 46 mm |
| * measured from motherboard PCB to bottom fin of heatsink | |
| Large Heatsink Comparison: Average Fin Thickness & Spacing | ||
| Heatsink | Fin Thickness | Fin Spacing |
| SilverStone Heligon HE02 | 0.52 mm | 3.30 mm |
| Thermalright HR-01 Plus | 0.45 mm | 3.15 mm |
| Thermalright HR-02 Macho | 0.34 mm | 3.12 mm |
| Scythe Ninja 3 | 0.39 mm | 2.64 mm |
| Noctua NH-U12P | 0.44 mm | 2.63 mm |
| Noctua NH-C12P | 0.47 mm | 2.54 mm |
| Noctua NH-D14 | 0.43 mm | 2.33 mm |
| Thermalright Archon SB-E | 0.49 mm | 2.33 mm |
| GELID Tranquillo Rev.2 | 0.40 mm | 2.30 mm |
| Phanteks PH-TC12DX | 0.39 mm | 2.30 mm |
| GELID GX-7 Rev.2 | 0.31 mm | 2.25 mm |
| Phanteks PH-TC14PE | 0.40 mm | 2.21 mm |
| be quiet! Dark Rock 2 | 0.38 mm | 2.22 mm |
| Prolimatech Armageddon | 0.51 mm | 2.08 mm |
| Prolimatech Megahalems | 0.50 mm | 2.00 mm |
| Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 0.40 mm | 2.00 mm |
| Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2 | 0.34 mm | 1.94 mm |
| NZXT Havik 140 | 0.41 mm | 1.91 mm |
| Scythe Mugen-2 | 0.31 mm | 1.89 mm |
| Swiftech Polaris 120 | 0.43 mm | 1.85 mm |
| Thermalright Venomous X | 0.53 mm | 1.84 mm |
| Noctua NH-C14 | 0.38 mm | 1.79 mm |
| Enermax ETS-T40 | 0.40 mm | 1.79 mm |
| Scythe Yasya | 0.32 mm | 1.78 mm |
| Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 0.40 mm | 1.70 mm |
| Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2 | 0.30 mm | 1.70 mm |
| Scythe Grand Kama Cross | 0.38 mm | 1.66 mm |
| Reeven Kelveros | 0.47 mm | 1.61 mm |
| Zalman CNPS9900 MAX | 0.16 mm | 1.59 mm |
| Thermalright Silver Arrow | 0.32 mm | 1.57 mm |
| Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus | 0.43 mm | 1.54 mm |
| Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C | 0.56 mm | 1.52 mm |
| Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 0.42 mm | 1.50 mm |
Testing on larger heatsinks are done on our
LGA1366 heatsink testing platform, while smaller coolers tackle our LGA1155 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system
and procedure follows.
Key Components in LGA1366 Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i7-965 Extreme
Nehalem core, LGA1366, 3.2GHz, 45nm, 130W TDP. - Asus
P6X58D Premium ATX motherboard. X58 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Intel
X25-M 80GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - 3GB QiMonda
DDR3 memory. 3 x 1GB DDR3-1066 in triple channel. - Seasonic X-650 SS-650KM
650W ATX power supply. This PSU is semi-passively cooled. At the power levels
of our test platform, its fan does not spin. - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs. - Noctua 140 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 140x25mm
fans) - Nexus 120 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 120x25mm
fans) - Nexus 92 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 92x25mm
fans)
The systems are silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
| Reference Noctua 140mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements | ||
| Voltage | SPL@1m | Speed |
| 12V | 1250 RPM | 28~29 dBA |
| 9V | 990 RPM | 21 dBA |
| 7V | 770 RPM | 15~16 dBA |
| 6V | 660 RPM | 13 dBA |
| Reference Nexus 120mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements | ||
| Voltage | SPL@1m | Speed |
| 12V | 1080 RPM | 16 dBA |
| 9V | 890 RPM | 13 dBA |
| 7V | 720 RPM | 12 dBA |
Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
power. - 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 sensors. The sensors are not calibrated,
so results are not universally applicable. The hottest core reading is used. - Prime95,
used to stress the LGA1366 CPU heavily, generating more heat than most real applications.
8 instances are used to ensure that all 4 cores (with Hyper-threading) are
stressed. - CPU-Z,used to monitor the CPU speed to determine when overheating occurs.
- Thermometers to measure the air temperature around the test platform
and near the intake of the heatsink fan.
Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC
power supply while the rest of the system was off to ensure that system noise
did not skew the measurements.
Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.
The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 21~23°C.
Stock Fan Measurements
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| Specifications: Phanteks PH-TC12DX Stock Fan | |||
| Manufacturer | Power Rating | 2.16 W | |
| Model Number | PH-F120HP | Airflow Rating | 23 ~ 68.5 CFM |
| Bearing Type | UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) | Speed Rating | 600 ~1800 RPM ± 10% |
| Corners | Open | Noise Rating | 21.9 ~27.6 dB(A) |
| Frame Size | 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Header Type | 4-pin |
| Blade Diameter | 113 mm | Starting Voltage | 4.1 V |
| Hub Size | 41 mm | Weight | 140 g |
| Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. | |||
The PH-F120HP is designed similarly to the 14 cm PH-F140 that ships with the TC14PE. The mounting holes are equipped with thin rubber washers, the struts are curved, and the blades have straight edges making them appear petal shaped. The hub is unusually large for a 12 cm model, measuring 41 mm across which is the same as the 14 cm version, creating a big dead-spot at the center.
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At lower voltages the stock fan had a pleasantly smooth overall sound, similar to that of the larger PH-F140. Starting at about 7V, its acoustics got rougher, developing a low pitched hum at about 170 Hz. This persisted at higher speeds and as the turbulence increased, so did the whininess. The faster it spun, the worse it sounded.
| Stock Fan Measurements | ||||
| Voltage | One Fan | Two Fans | ||
| SPL@1m | Avg. Speed | SPL@1m | ||
| 12V | 35~36 dBA | 1820 RPM | 40 dBA | |
| 9V | 30 dBA | 1410 RPM | 32~33 dBA | |
| 7V | 23 dBA | 1100 RPM | 25~26 dBA | |
| 6V | 18 dBA | 940 RPM | 21 dBA | |
| 5V | 14 dBA | 750 RPM | 16 dBA | |
| Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. | ||||
The measured SPL was high at full speed, 35~36 dBA@1m for just one fan. A speed
of about 1,000 RPM or lower was required to make it quiet. The noise level of
this fan was a bit higher than most running at similar speeds.
Test Results
| Test Results: Phanteks PH-TC12DX | ||||
| Fan Voltage | One Fan | Two Fans | ||
| SPL@1m | Thermal Rise | SPL@1m | ||
| Stock 120mm Fan | ||||
| 12V | 35~36 dBA | 39°C | 38°C | 40 dBA |
| 9V | 30 dBA | 40°C | 38°C | 32~33 dBA |
| 7V | 23 dBA | 42°C | 40°C | 25~26 dBA |
| 6V | 18 dBA | 44°C | 41°C | 21 dBA |
| 5V | 14 dBA | 47°C | 44°C | 16 dBA |
| Reference Nexus 120mm Fan | ||||
| 12V | 17~18 dBA | 40°C | 39°C | 22 dBA |
| 9V | 13~14 dBA | 42°C | 40°C | 16~17 dBA |
| 7V | 11~12 dBA | 45°C | 43°C | 13 dBA |
| Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. | ||||
Given its size and construction, it was no surprise that the TC12DX cooled
our test CPU with ease. However, when the fans were set to quiet levels, the
temperatures were higher than most premium heatsinks. The TC12DX performed considerably
better with out reference Nexus fan, showing 4~5°C temperature improvements
at similar noise levels.
Equipping a second fan was really only beneficial at low fan speeds. There was almost no difference at full speed using either the stock or reference fans.
Heatsink Comparison Table
| CPU Coolers (with ref. 120mm fan): °C Rise Comparison | |||
| Heatsink | Fan voltage / SPL @1m* | ||
| 12V | 9V | 7V | |
| 15~18 dBA | 12~14 dBA | 11~12 dBA | |
| Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C | 38 | 40 | 43 |
| Thermalright Venomous X | 38 | 41 | 43 |
| Prolimatech Megahalems | 38 | 41 | 44 |
| Noctua NH-U12P | 39 | 42 | 44 |
| Scythe Mugen-2 | 39 | 42 | 45 |
| Phanteks PH-TC12DX | 40 | 42 | 45 |
| Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 40 | 42 | 45 |
| Prolimatech Armageddon | 40 | 42 | 46 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 40 | 43 | 46 |
| Noctua NH-C14 | 39 | 42 | 48 |
| Scythe Yasya | 41 | 43 | 47 |
| Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme | 40 | 43 | 48 |
| Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus | 41 | 44 | 48 |
| Thermalright Archon SB-E | 42 | 43 | 49 |
| Thermalright Ultra-120 | 42 | 45 | 49 |
| Titan Fenrir | 43 | 46 | 50 |
| Scythe Ninja 3 | 44 | 47 | 49 |
| Phanteks PH-TC12DX (stock fan) | 44 | 47 | N/A |
| Enermax ETS-T40 | 44 | 46 | 50 |
| Noctua NH-C12P | 43 | 47 | 51 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 43 | 47 | 53 |
| Swiftech Polaris 120 | 46 | 49 | 54 |
| GELID GX-7 Rev.2 | 47 | 50 | 52 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Flex | 45 | 50 | 54 |
| be quiet! Dark Rock 2 | 48 | 50 | 52 |
| Cooler Master V8 | 46 | 50 | 54 |
| GELID Tranquillo Rev.2 | 48 | 50 | 53 |
| Reeven Kelveros | 47 | 51 | 55 |
| Scythe Grand Kama Cross | 45 | 52 | 57 |
| Antec Kühler H20 620 (pump at 7V, almost inaudible) | 52 | 52 | 53 |
| Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2 | 49 | 52 | 58 |
| *Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers. | |||
Paired with our reference fan, the TC12DX is one of the better 120 mm fan heatsinks,
coming within spitting distance of the Ultra-120
eXtreme and trailing the Noctua
NH-U12P and Scythe
Mugen-2 by a very thin margin. With the less effective stock fan, the
heatsink is merely average.
MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recording starts with 5~10 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.
- Phanteks PH-TC12DX with one stock fan at 1m
— 5V (14 dBA@1m)
— 6V (18 dBA@1m)
— 7V (23 dBA@1m)
— 9V (30 dBA@1m)
— 12V (35~36 dBA@1m)
- Phanteks PH-TC12DX with two stock fans at 1m
— 5V (164 dBA@1m)
— 6V (21 dBA@1m)
— 7V (25~26 dBA@1m)
— 9V (32~33 dBA@1m)
— 12V (40 dBA@1m)
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re in the market for a 120 mm fan CPU cooler, the Phanteks PH-TC12DX
is one of the better models available. Essentially a smaller, single tower version
of the TC14PE,
it performs well and has an excellent mounting system. If your chassis has a
side window, the colorful heatsink body and fan blades can make for a nice flourish
compared to the ubiquitous uniform silver heatsink. The second fan is unnecessary,
increasing the noise while generating only marginal improvements though the
extra fan can obviously be used elsewhere.
The stock fan doesn’t live up to the excellent acoustics and performance of
the 14 cm fan used in the TC14PE. Not only does it sound noticeably worse than
its big brother, its efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. While our reference
Nexus fan is well-known as an excellent performer, the average stock 12 cm fan
is usually only beaten by 2~3°C at equivalent noise levels. The PH-F120HP’s
margin of defeat was 4~5°C which is closer to the bottom end of the spectrum.
Given its US$60 price-tag, the TC12DX is positioned as a premium 12
cm fan heatsink but the poor fan performance makes it hard to justify the cost.
The Noctua
NH-U12P SE4 can be had for a similar price and its twin fans
are far superior. In addition, budget coolers like the Scythe
Mugen-2 and Cooler
Master Hyper 212 Plus also compare favorably but can be found for much
lower cost. All of these considerations make it hard to recommend.
Our thanks to Phanteks
for the PH-TC12DX CPU cooler sample.
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SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
Phanteks PH-TC90LS Mini Cooler
Zalman CNPS9900DF Dual Fan Flower Heatsink
SilverStone Heligon HE02: Monster Fanless CPU Cooler
Prolimatech Panther CPU Cooler
Phanteks PH-TC14PE Dual Fan CPU Heatsink
GELID GX-7 & Tranquillo Rev.2 CPU Coolers
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