As a follow up to the Heatsink Roundup on C2D, I've got another batch of tests using a Core2Quad Q6600 CPU, I've got twelve coolers in all being tested.
I've eliminated a couple coolers I used for the C2D roundup though as they were not adequate to cool the C2D so they would not be able to handle the C2Q, but I've added Liquid Cooling and the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme to the testing charts.
The same as before, you'll find testing involving the fans connected to the CPU header, connected to a Molex and of course coolers that are able to use no fan at all.
For testing I've got names like Thermalright, JetArt, GlacialTech, Corsair, OCZ, Scythe, Noctua, Coolink and the Intel Stock cooler.
To make all testing even I used Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal compound on all coolers.
This little roundup has been a while in the making so jump on in and see what's going on…
EDIT July 10th:
There's a total of 18 now in our testing charts for comparison from various companies including: Kingiwn, Noctua, Corsair, Coolink, Thermalright, Jetart, GlacialTech, OCZ, Scythe and of course the Intel Stock Cooler
C2Q Q6600 Heatsink Roundup -18 Tested
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: DragonSteelMods and Arctic Cooling
Test System Specs, Testing Procedures and Basic Info:
All testing was done in a controlled room temperature environment that was always at approximately 19C with a +/- .3 degree variation. All effort was taken to insure a controlled testing environment.
All testing was done using the Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal compound, after every test the CPU/Coolers were cleaned with Arctic Silver ArctiClean to insure proper testing and good thermal conductivity.
Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound
Turbo MX-2 is a high conductive and low resistance compound for components that require the best thermal dissipation. MX-2 is ideally suited for use in CPU, GPU cooling and other applications between power semiconductor components and heat sinks where high thermal conductivity is critical.
My test setup consists of:
Intel C2Q Q6600 CPU running at 2.4Ghz
(-no overclocking was done for testing)
Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R LGA775 Intel G33 Bear Lake mATX Motherboard
2gigs of OCZ SLI Ready PC2-6400 Ram
Connect3d X1800GTO Video Card
1x Hard drive
1x DVD/RW Drive
all housed inside of a Thermaltake Matrix VX PC Case with two 120mm cooling fans (1 intake/1 exhaust)
I used CoreTemp v.96 to get the temperature readings, I enabled the logging feature and averaged out the temperatures to get the results that you will see in the charts on the following pages.
To achieve load on the CPU I used Orthos Stress Prime, I basically turned it on and let it run for 3 hours at a time, this was done over several days to insure accurate results. Two instances of Orthos Stress Prime were used with Affinity set to two cores for each instance.
To get the idle temps I turned the system on and let it sit running nothing but the Windows XP processes for an hour, this was done over several days as well to insure accurate results.
{mospagebreak title=A Brief Look at the Coolers}
A Brief Look at the Coolers:
OCZ Vendetta
Using a distinctive, highly efficient heat pipe and fin design developed by Xigmatek, combined with a low-noise fan, the Vendetta is built to tackle heat-induced performance degradation and solves the cooling challenges of today’s enthusiast system builds.
Thermalright Ultima 90
Six-heatpipe design for extra fast heat transfer
Stepping fins to hold 92mm/120mm fans
Light and easy installation
High performance, low noise level at competitive price
*Please note this cooler does not come packaged with a fan, but for testing I used two Noctua fans:
NF-P12 120mm Fan (Review HERE)
NF-9-1600 92mm Fan that comes standard with the Noctua NH-U9F CPU Cooler
Scythe Ninja Copper Anniversary Model CPU Cooler
5th Anniversary Model for Scythe Brand!
All Copper Material!
Silent Fan Included!
GlacialTech Igloo 5750 Silent
IGLOO 5750 PWM CPU cooler and IGLOO 5750 Silent CPU Cooler for both Intel LGA775 Socket CPU’s and AMD 754, 939, 940, AM2 & F Socket CPU’s. The unique design for the enthusiast incorporates a specially aligned aluminum heatpipe combination of four pipes that dissipate the heat from the CPU directly into the heatsink fins. From there, the Silent version’s double fan quietly and efficiently brings the temperature down. The low decibel (19dB), high volume (30.8 CFM) fans are 92mmx92mmx25mm and run at an ultra-quiet speed of 1800 RPM. The dual fan is a unique concept that not only cools down the radiator, but the added blow down effect also cools down the heatsink directly above the CPU.
Noctua NH-U12P
The NH-U12P continues the legacy of Noctua's classic NH-U coolers, which won over 150 awards and recommendations from leading international websites and magazines. While retaining the successful design and the well-proven SecuFirm mounting system, the newest revision has been reworked for enhanced main board compatibility and now comes with Noctua's NT-H1 pro-grade thermal compound. Fitted with the new NF-P12 premium fan, the NH-U12P brings its predecessors' much-acclaimed quiet cooling performance to a whole new level!
GlacialTech IGLOO 5610 Silent
The unique design incorporates a specially aligned aluminum heatpipe combination of two pipes that dissipate the heat from the CPU directly into the heatsink fins. From there, the Silent version's fan quietly and efficiently brings the temperature down. The low decibel (19dB), high volume (30.8 CFM) fan is 80mmx80mmx25mm and runs at an ultra-quiet speed of 1800 RPM.
Coolink Silentator
The Silentator's mission is simple: to cool – and to do it silently! Employing 3 high-performance dual
heat-pipes, an optimised fin-design and a SWiF-1202 quality fan, the Silentator achieves first-class cooling performance at a minimum noise of only 14dB(A)!
Noctua NH-U9F CPU Cooler
The NH-U9F is the newest version of the NH-U9, which won over 50 awards and recommendations from leading international web sites and magazines. The NH-U9F can be rotated by 90° on all sockets, boasts full compatibility with AMD's new AM2 socket and comes equipped with a Noctua 92mm fan, which has a minimum noise rating of only 7dB(A)*. Thanks to the 4 Dual-Heat-Pipes, 37 aluminum cooling fins with a total surface area of more than 3800cm² and soldered joints for optimal heat-transfer, the Noctua NH-U9F achieves superior cooling performance at minimum noise levels
Thernalright Ultra 120 eXtreme (TRUE)
Technical Specs:
* Dimension : L63.44 x W132 x H160.5 mm (heatsink only)
* Weight :790g (Heatsink Only)
* Recommended Fan :All 120mm Fan
Jetart SL1600 Slim CPU Cooler
LGA 775 CPU Cooler (Low profile)
Cooler Dimensions 82.0 x 80.8 x 25.5 mm
Corsair Nautilus Liquid Cooling System
-Modded to use Black Ice Pro Radiator and Noctua NF-S12 120mm Fan
Modding details HERE
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Intel Stock Cooler
Manufacturer: Intel
Materials: Extruded aluminum, copper insert.
Fan Mfg: Nidec F09A-12B1S2
Fan Spec: 1500PM (est.), 12V, 0.20A
Fan Dim: 25x84x84mm
Heatsink & Fan Dim: 61x90x90mm
Weight: est. 380 grams
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Kingwin Revolution RVT-12025D CPU Cooler
Specs:
Fan speed: 800~1500 RPM
Fan size: 4.72" x 4.72 x 1" / 120 x 120 x 25 mm PWM Fan
Bearing type: Rifle bearing
Noise level: 19.6~32.4 dBA
Max air flow: 65.1~81.3 CFM
Heatsink dimension: 5.7" (L)x 5.9"(H) x5.07"(W) / 145(L) x 150(H) x 129(W) mm
Heatsink material: Aluminum w/ copper base
Weight: 1.4 Lbs / 663 g (w/fan)
Rated voltage: 12 VDC
Thermal resistance: 0.15 C/W
Life expectancy: 50,000 hrs
Connector: 4 Pin with PWM
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Kingwin Revolution RVT-12025 CPU Cooler
Specs:
Fan speed: 800~1500 RPM
Fan size: 4.73"(L) x 4.73(L) x 0.98"(W)/120(L) x 120(H) x 25(W) mm PWM Fan
Bearing type: Rifle bearing
Noise level: 20~32 dBA
Max air flow: 72.1~99.6 CFM
Heatsink dimension: 120 x 50 x 159 mm
Heatsink material: Aluminum w/ copper base
Weight: 1.32Lbs / 600 g (w/fan)
Rated voltage: 12 VDC
Thermal resistance: 0.16 C/W
Life expectancy: 50,000 hrs
Connector: 4 Pin with PWM
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Kingwin Revolution RVT-9225 CPU Cooler
Specs:
Fan speed: 1200~2800 RPM
Fan size: 3.63" x 3.63" x 0.98 / 92 x 92 x 25 mm PWM Fan
Bearing type: Rifle bearing
Noise level: 23~35 dBA
Max air flow: 39~54.6 CFM
Heatsink dimension: 3.63" x 5.27 x 1.97" /92(L) x 134(H) x 50(W) mm
Heatsink material: Aluminum w/ copper base
Weight: 0.91Lbs / 410 g (w/fan)
Rated voltage: 12 VDC
Thermal resistance: 0.18 C/W
Life expectancy: 50,000 hrs
Connector: 4 Pin with PWM
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Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 LP
Specs:
Dimension: 109 L x 108 W x 42 H (to air intake level) / 53 H (with fan holder) mm
Weight : 263 g
Fan: 80 mm x 1
Fan Speed: 600 ?V 2000 RPM (controlled by PWM)
Air Flow: 28 CFM / 47.6 m3/h
Maximum Cooling Capacity: 90 Watt
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Noctua NH-C12P CPU Cooler
Specifications:
Socket compatibility Intel Socket LGA 775, AMD AM2 & AM2+, Intel Xeon on re-
quest, AMD K8 (754, 939, 940) & Socket F on request
Height: (without fan) 91mm
Width: (without fan) 126mm
Depth: (without fan) 152mm
Height: (with fan) 114mm
Width: (with fan) 126mm
Depth: (with fan) 152mm
Weight: (without fan) 550g
Weight: (with fan) 730g
Material: Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints, nickel plated
Application: Intel: all frequencies, AMD: all frequencies
Fan compatibility: 120 x 120 x 25 mm / 120 x 120 x 38 mm
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Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler
Specs:
Socket compatibility:
Intel Socket LGA 775, AMD AM2 & AM2+, Intel Xenon on request, AMD K8 (754, 939, 940) & Socket F on request
Height (without fan): 125 mm
Width (without fan): 95 mm
Depth (without fan): 70 mm
Height (with fan): 125 mm
Width (with fan): 95 mm
Depth (with fan): 95 mm
Weight (without fan): 460 g
Weight (with fan): 550 g
Material: Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Application: Intel all frequencies, AMD all frequencies
Fan compatibility: 92x92x25 (2 fans can be installed)
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{mospagebreak title=Testing and Comparison -Fan Connected to CPU Header}
Testing and Comparison -Fan Connected to CPU Header:
Before we get into testing here's some assorted pictures of some of the coolers installed:
Testing here is with the fans on the coolers attached to the CPU header of the motherboard, this of course means that they run at slower speeds and speeds are dependent on the fans themselves and PWM controls if applicable
For the both Thermalright coolers I used the new versions of the Noctua Fans for testing:
Thermalright, Coolink, Noctua and Scythe are obviously the best performers of the bunch offering a nice balance of performance and low noise. The OCZ Vendetta is not a bad choice either, with the GlacialTech 5750 coming in close.
EDIT July 10th:
The same results as beffore with Scythe, Noctua and Thermalright leading the pack for best performance, no surprises here at all…
{mospagebreak title=Testing and Comparison -Fan Connected to Molex}
Testing and Comparison -Fan Connected to Molex:
Connected to Molex means the fans are all running at their full rated speeds.
For the Thermalright Ultima 90 and the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme, since they did not come with fans I used the Scythe Slipstream.
Scythe Kaze Jyuni 'Slip Stream' 120mm Fan
SY1225SL12M (1,200 rpm version)
You can click graph to view at 1280×1024 resolution:
Here we see lots of information with very similar results with a couple exceptions of course.
Obviously the Corsair Nautilus is an older product and not specifically meant for Quad-Core CPUs but I felt with my modifications it could handle it, but as we see there are better Air Cooling choices.
We also see the OCZ Vendetta with a nice low temperature for my Q6600, this is of course because of the very high RPM and very loud fan that is attached to it, personally I would not want to use this cooler at the maximum fan speed as it is just overly loud.
An out of the box choice to cool the Q6600 would have to be the Noctua NHU-12P, offering good performance and very low noise. (It's currently in use now cooling my Q6600.)
Obviously there are many exceptions to these temperatures, many people have experienced significant temperature reductions when the base of the Thermalright 120 Ultra eXterme is lapped smooth and flat.
…and of course fan choices as well will come into play regarding the performance of the coolers that do not include fans, or swapping fans or using two fans on certain coolers.
I've tried to provide an expectation of what these coolers can do out of the box with no modifications etc so you can draw your own conclusions.
Edit July 10th:
Here you can see a surprise performer or two of them, both of the Kingwin coolers do very well when their fans are running at full speed, with the new Noctua NH-C12P coming in at #1 with the best performance.
{mospagebreak title=Testing and Comparison -No Fan -Passive}
Testing and Comparison -No Fan -Passive:
No fan means no fan, or passive cooling. Of course there were two case fans moving air around the case, 1x 120mm Intake and 1x 120mm Exhaust.
-Only coolers that I felt could passively cool the Q6600 safely were used for testing.
Same as my testing on C2D, the Scythe Ninja is your best bet for passive cooling, but it's large, with Noctua and Coolink being a good second choice especially when size is an issue.
Edit July 10th:
As you can see the Noctua NH-C12P knocks the Scythe Ninja Cooper from it's first palce position as the top performer for fanless cooling, obviously Scythe nad Noctua are the best choices for fanless cooling.
Summary:
Lately I've noticed a lot of use of the abbreviation YMMV or Your Mileage May Vary, and this applies to all of these coolers as well. It all depends on your system, your case setup, your room, and even the types of fans you use in your case or on the coolers themselves.
Of course you could go to extremes and lap the coolers, but this roundup was to provide an out-of-the-box comparison only, or what one would expect in performance from a CPU cooler without any modifications or enhancements.
In all of my testing I tried to insure that it was done in a controlled environment, I even used two thermometers in the room to measure the ambient room temperature to make sure it was the same at all times.
As with my C2D heastsink roundup, I found that the Noctua NH-U12P offers the best choice overall for cooling performance and low noise. I personally have the NH-U12P on my C2Q at this moment as I type this.
There are several other choices as well that will cool the C2Q, it all depends on what you want in a cooler, silence, size, looks or even brand name, most of the coolers in my testing performed very well cooling the C2Q under load so it's more of a matter of personal preference when choosing one over the other.
Of course if you are looking for a truly passive CPU cooling solution then you'd go with the Scythe Ninja Copper, but if size is an issue it's nice to know that the Noctua NH-U12P or Coolink Silentator can be used to achieve decent temps as well.
Edit July 10th:
There's some differences now that I've added more coolers to the comparison charts, but still we have Scythe and Noctua coming out on top for most all testing with Thermalright close behind.
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