# Air cooling rankings right now



## DF is BUSY (Nov 20, 2013)

what is the top 5 kings of air cooling as of right now?
i been googling and searching around and always see such mixed results or results from a year or two ago.

i know the silver arrow sb-e extreme with the orange and red fans is #1
but is there a consensus on #2, #3, #4, and #5?


I wanna get the phanteks tc14 but a review (guru3d) had the noctua dh14 beating out everybody (even a corsair h100i) by over 3-4c yet another review had the dh14 well below the phanteks. then i also read about some dh14 successor coming out soon 

all this has got me .




more specifically, i guess for the same price and with a budget of 80USD max,; phanteks or noctua?


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## sneekypeet (Nov 20, 2013)

my advice is to find a reviewer you trust is testing things on equal grounds and start there. Then cross check against other charts. I'm sure at some point like 4 or 5 various sites charts later, there will be 5 that stand out across the board.


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## entropy13 (Nov 21, 2013)

Cross-check from these reviews:
TPU
Hardware Secrets
Frostytech 
Hardocp


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## Norton (Nov 21, 2013)

*Tweaktown* too! 

http://www.tweaktown.com/cat/cases_cooling_and_power_supplies/index.html


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## Bugler (Nov 23, 2013)

Pretty much everyone recommended me a Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus for my i5-3570. Seems to be very popular CPU cooler.


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## Ed_1 (Nov 23, 2013)

Bugler said:


> Pretty much everyone recommended me a Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus for my i5-3570. Seems to be very popular CPU cooler.


for best bang for buck you can not go wrong with 212 line , they are great for stock clocked 3xxx/4xxx and fine to with mild OC, just don't expect good temps if you try like 4.5+ ghz out of it .


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## Bugler (Nov 23, 2013)

No, I'm not OCing but I have it locked in turbo mode (3.8 Ghz) so I think I'm gonna get it.


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## Delta6326 (Nov 23, 2013)

I have the Phanteks tc-14 great cooler keep my Q6600 at 52 or less when gaming.

This after gaming(granted it was just Torchlight2)






Ok here is a better example, cpu ran intel burn test, gpu did Furmark, Case fans set at 50%.
Room is 19c


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## Kursah (Nov 23, 2013)

I love my Noctua U14S.... amazing cooler. Only running single fan, but I have a Corsair SP120 for the rear exhaust...a very effective combo. Keeps my OC'd 4770k in check. But for a stock CPU running Turbo clocks all the time, a CM 212+ Evo would be more than enough imho. In all honesty the stock cooler would be sufficient too...but I'd still run at least a 212+ Evo. Just personal preference, then if you decide to push up to or past 4.0 you have some decent cooling capabilities already implemented.


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## Bugler (Nov 23, 2013)

Yes the stock cooler's doing fine. The hottest just over 50C average 42C but one core is always at least 7C hotter than the rest which stayed in the high 30s. Also my CPU is not a K and the mobo B75 so no OCing options.


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## Kursah (Nov 23, 2013)

Honestly even with those in mind I see no real reason for you to spend any extra money on cooling. You have no real use for it. One core will always be hotter...I've had some chips where one core was almost 10C hotter but always have one that's around the 3-5C hotter than the rest...even with my $80 cooler. Really just over 50c is barely anything to that CPU. If you were closer to the 80C+ mark I'd be more apt to recommend cooling...honestly don't waste your time or money here. If you had a K chip and planned to OC that'd be a different story. But you don't, and aren't so...really in your situation, if that's where you're loading with turbo activated on all cores....you're well within any kind of thermal specification, well within the green "safe" zone and buying a better cooler will just waste your money imho.


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## Bugler (Nov 23, 2013)

You mean I can't buy it for kicks? 

Might come in handy later.


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## Kursah (Nov 23, 2013)

Well sure you can. But remember if sockets change and they drop support for previous mounting methods then you have a paperweight or gotta buy used/old technology. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing when last tech's top end is still competitive to current tech. If you got money burning a hole in your wallet, then by all means go for it. You'd need to change your CPU and board at to even have a chance to utilize that kind of CPU cooler...cool temps are one thing...when you're already running pretty cool at stock and are going to be unable to push any further....it honestly seems pointless. It's your choice and your wallet ultimately...none of us here can control your choices all we can do is offer up our opinions based on experience and knowledge. What you do from there is on you.


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## Bugler (Nov 24, 2013)

Lol, I understand that. 

I figured I'm keeping my system for quite a while. I have no need for the state of the art, never did. I find them cheaper buying last year technology so to speak. By the way I measured the temps at idle so I have no idea what it maxed out at but in the BIOS the alarm is set at 60C. So far so good.


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## crazyeyesreaper (Nov 24, 2013)

Best performaning AIR cooler is a bit subjective.

Some coolers performance great on AMD but seem to falter on certain Intel setups. A cooler that keeps Sandy-Bridge E or Ivy Bridge -E in check (socket LGA2011) Might fail when faced with Haswell or Ivy Bridge.

What I can say is that

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2
Phanteks PH-TC14PE
Noctua NH-D14

are exceptional coolers however the be quiet! is better out of box. While the Phanteks can take a third fan for maximum cooling performance.

The Noctua NH-D14 which while old is still an exceptional cooler as well I have not been able to test one however its a stalwart go to high end cooler for damn good reasons. Quality / Warranty / Support / Performance/ Noise 

Again best cooler is subjective.   Right now for the price when it comes to air coolers the Deepcool Gamer Storm Assassin if available at the MSRP of $69.99 one of the most cost effective high end coolers available,


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## micropage7 (Nov 24, 2013)

phanteks tc14 and Noctua NH-D14 is good
i use deepcool assasin

many aspect that could affect cooling performance, from thermal paste, airflow, contact area, ambient temp
but for me if the difference about 2-3 degrees i think its "x factor" not from the cooler itself


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## BUCK NASTY (Nov 24, 2013)

The Hyper 212's are such a great "bang for the buck", that we adapt them to other sockets as well(G34). Keeps my overclocked Opty's nice and cool. The fans only last a couple of years before the sleeve bearings go out, but still a phenomenal deal.


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## Digital1 (Nov 30, 2013)

I've ordered the Thermaltake NIC C5. When it arrives and I install it I'll be sure to revisit this post and give my verdict on it.


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## micropage7 (Nov 30, 2013)

BUCK NASTY said:


> The Hyper 212's are such a great "bang for the buck", that we adapt them to other sockets as well(G34). Keeps my overclocked Opty's nice and cool. The fans only last a couple of years before the sleeve bearings go out, but still a phenomenal deal.


I guess fan is not a big problem since we can replace it easily, except they use different type of fan.


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## de.das.dude (Nov 30, 2013)

the hyper 212 will always be the king.


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## Mr.Scott (Dec 1, 2013)

Digital1 said:


> I've ordered the Thermaltake NIC C5. When it arrives and I install it I'll be sure to revisit this post and give my verdict on it.


As a TT reviewer, I think you'll find the NiC a very nice cooler for the money. FWIW, the NiC F3 performs exactly the same as CM's 212+ at the same price point, and doesn't block any ram slots like the 212 does. Food for thought. 



BUCK NASTY said:


> The Hyper 212's are such a great "bang for the buck", that we adapt them to other sockets as well(G34). Keeps my overclocked Opty's nice and cool. The fans only last a couple of years before the sleeve bearings go out, but still a phenomenal deal.




I've modded 212's for Slot A / Slot 1, PIII, Socket A, P4, 939, etc.
Highly adaptable and effective cooler.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 1, 2013)

i am using a hyper 212 evo with push pull and its blocking none of my slots.
i suppose you have used a badly designed motherboard for reviewing -.-


Mr.Scott said:


> As a TT reviewer, I think you'll find the NiC a very nice cooler for the money. FWIW, the NiC F3 performs exactly the same as CM's 212+ at the same price point, and doesn't block any ram slots like the 212 does. Food for thought.


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## Vario (Dec 1, 2013)

I like the Phanteks PHTC12DX.  If the two PWM fans aren't enough, throw two deltas on it.  I hate CM212's mounting system and the stupid wiggle it does when it never tightens down all the way.  The Phanteks is better in every way to the CM212 when you consider you get two high end fans and a tube of Noctua paste with the Phanteks, while with the 212 you get one junk fan and a mounting system that wiggles.

FYI: Phanteks and Noctua products are made by the same OEMs.


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## DF is BUSY (Dec 1, 2013)

Vario said:


> I like the Phanteks PHTC12DX.  If the two PWM fans aren't enough, throw two deltas on it.  I hate CM212's mounting system and the stupid wiggle it does when it never tightens down all the way.  The Phanteks is better in every way to the CM212 when you consider you get two high end fans and a tube of Noctua paste with the Phanteks, while with the 212 you get one junk fan and a mounting system that wiggles.
> 
> FYI: Phanteks and Noctua products are made by the same OEMs.



hey Vario, you mentioned that cougars will die mounted horizontally, however they have FDB bearings, so is this true for ALL FDB bearing fans? or its just something specific to cougars.


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## McSteel (Dec 1, 2013)

What, no love for Raijintek? They offer fantastic price/performance ratio.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 1, 2013)

Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev. A good price/perf ratio too, it compete in the 75€ segment with a price of ~45€ but the size of it can be a hinder, Raijintek Ereboss is good too but just a copycat of the macho less excentered with a slim 140 to compensate, higher RPM than the Macho to beat it with 1° difference (1600RPM Ereboss vs 1300RPM Macho), Raijintek Aidos : Cooler Master Hyper TX3 (a bit better tho unless TX3 in push pull setup) Raijintek Themis : Cooler master Hyper 212S (again a bit better unless push pull 212S)

Alpenfön Brocken 2 also a good one with the Scythe Ashura

Macho min/max regular gaming with a 3.5-3.9ghz Xeon E3-1275v2


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## mastrdrver (Dec 1, 2013)

I still like my Noctua NH-D14. When I still had my i7 920, I could put ~1.20v (with HT) through it and load up LinX. Stress it all day. With a passive NH-D14, the core temp would never go over 80C. I did this in my 932 HAF with all the factory case fans running their 12v speeds. Used to play games all day with it like that and never once had a CPU temperature problem.

I've never had the 212, but the old OCZ Vendetta 2 and Xigmatek S1283 direct touch coolers did very well for how cheap they were. The 4 pipe Xigmatek did just a little better too (S1284F).


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## Mr.Scott (Dec 1, 2013)

de.das.dude said:


> i am using a hyper 212 evo with push pull and its blocking none of my slots.
> i suppose you have used a badly designed motherboard for reviewing -.-


If you think a 790X-UD4P, a 890FXA-UD5, and a Sabertooth 990 FX are badly designed, then yes.



Vario said:


> I like the Phanteks PHTC12DX.  If the two PWM fans aren't enough, throw two deltas on it.  I hate CM212's mounting system and the stupid wiggle it does when it never tightens down all the way.  The Phanteks is better in every way to the CM212 when you consider you get two high end fans and a tube of Noctua paste with the Phanteks, while with the 212 you get one junk fan and a mounting system that wiggles.
> 
> FYI: Phanteks and Noctua products are made by the same OEMs.


For twice the price, it better be.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 1, 2013)

Mr.Scott said:


> If you think a 790X-UD4P, a 890FXA-UD5, and a Sabertooth 990 FX are badly designed, then yes.


those are indeed.
i dont expect the 790 to be desinged that good. but considering the current size of sinks and how the sabertooth adn the other one is are actually flagship products, you should expect more right?
this is one of the many reasons i veered off from asus and onto asrock. i have a 990fx extreme 4, with vrm fan cooling, push pull on a hyper 212 evo, and even have the rams in first and 3rd slots, all fitting snugly. this isnt good design, but this is PROPER design.


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## Kursah (Dec 1, 2013)

I gotta agree, that in more builds I do, when it comes to cooling many folks often don't think of putting a good solution in their budget and then want to overclock. It's not easy to convince someone to pay $70 for a good air cooling solution or even AIO (though I prefer air). That's where the ACF7 and CM212+ Evo come in handy. Generally the CM is on sale more and is also a good bit more effective than the ACF7P part but both work well...and when it comes down to mild OC's both are quite capable at keeping temps within the safe boundries...especially when a case that has at least somewhat decent airflow is involved. Most builds I generally utilize cheaper rosewill cases that thankfully have decent airflow...I try to push for the designs that have the rear and top exhausts even if the top has no fans just for the sake of heat rising and having somewhere to go. 

I will say I push more for the 212+ even if it's more expensive than the AC part...but neither compares to my much more expensive Noctua U14S which I am very happy with...even with just the single 150mm fan. It's been great, especially when I swapped out my rear 120mm exhaust with a Corsiar SP120. Very effective combo on my Haswell build.

Even other Haswell OC builds I have done have worked out quite well on both the ACF7P and CM212+ Evo...honestly both are great coolers and I'm surprised the AC part is still around after having used one as my first heatpipe tower cooling solution to cool my e6300 conroe OC build many years ago. If you need a nice and little and effective cooling solution, it's a great choice imho. The 92mm fan can get a little noisy at full speed but I am still impressed how effective this cooler really is. Both coolers stick to a solid design...and I do agree the 212's mounting solution is kind of odd and can a pain the first time...it's easy after that and not a big deal imho.


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## Mr.Scott (Dec 1, 2013)

de.das.dude said:


> those are indeed.
> i dont expect the 790 to be desinged that good. but considering the current size of sinks and how the sabertooth adn the other one is are actually flagship products, you should expect more right?
> this is one of the many reasons i veered off from asus and onto asrock. i have a 990fx extreme 4, with vrm fan cooling, push pull on a hyper 212 evo, and even have the rams in first and 3rd slots, all fitting snugly. this isnt good design, but this is PROPER design.


LOL. Whatever.
I see Asrock fanboy in your post, and it has nothing to do with air coolers or what I choose to do reviews on. Troll on, I'm done.


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## Rickkins (Dec 2, 2013)

I have the _Noctua NH-D14_ and I can honestly say it cools fantastic on my fx-8150.

I swapped out my H-80i for the Noctua and I feel like a genius for doing so.
Cold & Quiet....


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 2, 2013)

Mr.Scott said:


> LOL. Whatever.
> I see Asrock fanboy in your post, and it has nothing to do with air coolers or what I choose to do reviews on. Troll on, I'm done.


 
Wow...do you even know what you're saying?   de.das.dude is the last person anybody on here would accuse of being a troll.  He gave a very good reason why HE went to ASRock instead of ASUS.  He didn't jump up and down saying everything else sucks, ASRock rules, or anything even close to that.

Take the time to actually read what people write before you react, and your time here will be much more enjoyable.  This is one of the most polite and respectful forums on the internet, and members go out of their way to help each other, so please help keep it that way.  People won't always agree with you....that doesn't make them a troll.


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## Jeffredo (Dec 2, 2013)

I just ordered a Thermalright True Spirit 140 last night.  The place I ordered from had a 15% off coupon code and for $34 its definitely the best I could get.  I already have one in my other PC and its great - easy to install (motherboard out) and pretty darn good cooling capacity.  Plus its very quiet.

https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=FAN-BW140


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## Mr.Scott (Dec 2, 2013)

rtwjunkie said:


> Wow...do you even know what you're saying?   de.das.dude is the last person anybody on here would accuse of being a troll.  He gave a very good reason why HE went to ASRock instead of ASUS.  He didn't jump up and down saying everything else sucks, ASRock rules, or anything even close to that.
> 
> Take the time to actually read what people write before you react, and your time here will be much more enjoyable.  This is one of the most polite and respectful forums on the internet, and members go out of their way to help each other, so please help keep it that way.  People won't always agree with you....that doesn't make them a troll.



That's not what I got out of that. I got that flagship boards from reputable companies (Gigabyte and Asus) are designed improperly and only Asrock was of proper design. Maybe you need to re-read post #31, and maybe you should be minding your own business instead of crapping the thread defending your buddy, instead of offering any real content.


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## sneekypeet (Dec 2, 2013)

Okay everyone cleared the air with their opinion on that matter, can we please get back to the topic?


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## DF is BUSY (Dec 3, 2013)

how do you guys feel about single rad 120mm or single rad 140mm compared to the elite air coolers?

is elite air >>>>>>> single rads, hands down/no questions?


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## sneekypeet (Dec 3, 2013)

depends on the fans and head unit, if you are speaking of AIOs here.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 3, 2013)

DF is BUSY said:


> how do you guys feel about single rad 120mm or single rad 140mm compared to the elite air coolers?
> 
> is elite air >>>>>>> single rads, hands down/no questions?



elite ... hum ... if by elite you mean price (because pricey = performance! ofc   ) ok ok i stop the joke.

little personal comparison HR-02 Macho Vs H70 push pull with 2 SST AP-121 1° less in idle for the Macho and 2-3° less in load for the H70, but the H70 is a 50mm thick rad so for a 120mm it is almost efficient as a 240mm Aio as the H100/100i Seidon 240 etc (same goes for the other 38mm thick H80/80i, CM Seidon 120XL and the Antec Kühler 920 ) for me the reason i went back to the HR-02 was the aesthetic.


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## EarthDog (Dec 3, 2013)

DF is BUSY said:


> how do you guys feel about single rad 120mm or single rad 140mm compared to the elite air coolers?
> 
> is elite air >>>>>>> single rads, hands down/no questions?


Last i saw, no single rad could keep up with the highest end air coolers....assuming the both had the same fans of course.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 4, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Last i saw, no single rad could keep up with the highest end air coolers....assuming the both had the same fans of course.


single thickness indeed but double width 120mm are not bad, i would rarely recommend a single width 120/140mm over a air cooled-








it was on a i7-980X so the "stock" cooler is a beefier one and nosy as hell, just like a H70 with default 2000rpm fan  but with 2 SST AP-121 its much better


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## adsubzero (Dec 14, 2013)

GreiverBlade said:


> Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev. A good price/perf ratio too, it compete in the 75€ segment with a price of ~45€ but the size of it can be a hinder, Raijintek Ereboss is good too but just a copycat of the macho less excentered with a slim 140 to compensate, higher RPM than the Macho to beat it with 1° difference (1600RPM Ereboss vs 1300RPM Macho), Raijintek Aidos : Cooler Master Hyper TX3 (a bit better tho unless TX3 in push pull setup) Raijintek Themis : Cooler master Hyper 212S (again a bit better unless push pull 212S)
> 
> *Alpenfön Brocken 2* also a good one with the Scythe Ashura
> 
> ...



I have to say, Brocken 2 is one great cooler.
It's dead silent, I can't hear it on max rpm even when the case is open, and it's got a great performance/price ratio.
Beats lot of other more expensive coolers while being silent.


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## Digital1 (Dec 16, 2013)

My TT nic c5 has arrived and is installed. With my old stock cooler I was getting temps between 68-73c when playing Bioshock Infinite. I'm now getting between 36-41c. The fans that come with the cooler aren't the quietest, even on the low speed setting.  Especially noticeable when you tend to leave the pc running over night.  I will replace those with  a couple of Noctua's NF-S12A FLX in the new year though, and sure i'll be running quiet and content. The cooler is very good imo, easy to install and no ram slots blocked. Shame they couldn't have put as much fine detail into the fans design, as they did into the cooler itself, but at least it's a small flaw that can be remedied with another dip into the PayPal account.


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## vega22 (Dec 16, 2013)

i have a d14 and the older silver arrow called the ifx14.

it is better than the d14 so the new silver arrow sb-e should be able to remove more heat than it does.

it would be my pick if i was i in the market for a new blower today.



EarthDog said:


> Last i saw, no single rad could keep up with the highest end air coolers....assuming the both had the same fans of course.



antec h20 920 is on par with the best air, but it is very fat and hold much more liquid than most 120 aio loops.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 16, 2013)

marsey99 said:


> i have a d14 and the older silver arrow called the ifx14.
> 
> it is better than the d14 so the new silver arrow sb-e should be able to remove more heat than it does.
> 
> ...




indeed a H20 920 or corsair H70/80/80i cooler master seidon 120XL have a real good cooling potential.

i also have a IFX-14  a pretty beastly cooler


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## EarthDog (Dec 16, 2013)

marsey99 said:


> antec h20 920 is on par with the best air, but it is very fat and hold much more liquid than most 120 aio loops.


Well, the amount of fluid really means quite little in cooling capacity. The more liquid in a loop, assuming we are not talking going from a Liter to a pond, just means it will take longer to reach the equilibrium. So, if I had a loop that used 1L and temps after an hour reached 60C, if I had 1.5L it would take longer but the temps would remain the same. 

But yeah, I already conceded the 'thick' radiators may be in the ballpark. Truth be told, it depends on what review you look it as to what the results are.


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## vega22 (Dec 17, 2013)

seen it with my own eyes and know how these coolers stack up.

along side h50/h60 and many other air coolers.

the phantec i do not know, as i have yet to play with one of those, so it could be best but with its design i expect it to be very much akin to the d14.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 17, 2013)

marsey99 said:


> seen it with my own eyes and know how these coolers stack up.
> 
> along side h50/h60 and many other air coolers.
> 
> the phantec i do not know, as i have yet to play with one of those, so it could be best but with its design i expect it to be very much akin to the d14.


it's not the quantity of liquide who play a role but the dimension of the heat exchange surface in the radiator (also the number of fans but a H60 dual SST AP 121 is way under a H70 with same setup)

doube thick rad : Antec Kühler H2o 920/Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL/Corsair H80/H80i =38mm the H70 is a 50mm (H90 is another story since its a single thick rad but 140mm instad of 120mm)

while they are quite noisy if you push them, once you remove the stock fan and put a set of good SP fan with around 1900RPM (Scythe S-flex G or like me Silverstone SST AP-121) they can fight in the same league of a good air cooler IE: for me my Macho and H70 don't show much differences, just a shame that i lost the AMD bracket ... my poor H70 is in a box idling while my AMD setup has a stock cooler on it ... duh ...

H50/H60 : good at low RPM in a HTPC with a fixed RPM under 1300, as long as you don't have a "bubble noise" pump it's pretty decent and silent, i assembled a A10-5800k in a Fractal design Node 304 with a H60 (originaly with a Hyper TX3 : no comparison ... and stock : no way in hell  obviously

the reviews still show a H70 being above a NH-D14 but welcome to hell of noise if you keep the 2k RPM corsair fan ahahahhahaha  and Megahalems over a NH-D14 hell a single tower over a dual? ok right the TR SA SB-E/SB-E extreme and IFX-14 should beat the D14, for the Phantek : it should tag along... with Silverstone Heligon HE01 (which is cheaper tho)  and TR SA SB-E, but i know they offer a large panel of color still the price of that cooler is not interesting over a TR SA SB-E


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## markaflias (Dec 18, 2013)

Got a 212 and a noctua 9 cm and they almost do "same" temps , difference ? The price . Got a very good experience with a scythe yasya , its a bit loud but he does his job very good 

Noctua 14 cm is top-notch but you have to pay its price 


I agree with #15 , these are the best you can got out there.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 19, 2013)

i am still wondering why Noctua fans and coolers are so popular ... i mean come on ... they are on the lower half of most of the charts and  perform only a few ° lower or even worse, higher than  lower priced units, their fans where i live are around 10 to 15chf (12-17$) more than other brand, ok i know they have a good accessory bundle and they are mostly quiet but it's kinda weird ...

see the NH-C14 in the chart above? or even the D14 ? top notch but have to pay the price... bah!


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## crazyeyesreaper (Dec 19, 2013)

You realize they also have the best warranty and if a new socket comes out they always have an adapter kit and you can request it free of charge right? Thus when you buy a Noctua cooler it is supported longer than any other manufacturer's product on the market. The build quality is exceptional. In fact I had two fans on a cooler recently and one of the fans had a vibration noise when in push pull Noctua sent me another fan so I had the best performing product I could buy. Its their support and service that you pay for.

Not everyone can afford the best of the best, but if you truly want a cooler that has the best support period along with good cooling low noise and no nonsense you buy Noctua.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 19, 2013)

but they are not the best of the best, but i reckon they offer a good support/warranty

Thermalright does not bad either my Macho is quiet perform well cheap and the package i had missed the fan clip at beginning, one mail and 2 day after i received it at home, ok the finish is not polished like a Noctua but i like that raw look, i got my 2nd TY-147 directly from Thermalright with a 15% reduction due to the little problem i had. (btw i never had to use warranty or support service on any of my cooler, they never failed me beside the missing clips  )


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## crazyeyesreaper (Dec 19, 2013)

Well the Noctua fan functioned as intended it was only in push pull on a thin heatsink did the vibration noise occur even then switching the two fans which were the same make / model around solved the problem. Still Noctua just sent me another fan no questions asked. I didnt have to rma the fan or anything they just took care of it. A single email and all was well. I myself am willing to pay for that. I am willing to pay for a 7 year warranty I am willing to pay for future socket support.  AMD might keep the same design but intel with their HDT platforms constantly seems to change. Yet I dont have to buy a $10-15 adapter kit for my Noctua coolers they just take care of it for you.  That along with the unrivaled attention to detail in the build quality makes the price worth while.

Example of this.  

a cheap Ford Focus and a BMW will both drive the same roads at the same speed limits. They both have AC / Heat options for CD / XM radio etc they have everything a person needs to get by. However one is luxury with extra bells and whistles and far better attention to detail. At the end of the day it comes down to what you can afford.

my custom water kit while not miles ahead of loud push pull H110 or Kraken x60 or w.e with the 280mm rad has better expandability is far quieter etc. It cost me more but I got a better product. 
Another way to look at it is Noctua might be expensive but most high end air coolers today rival or only slighly beat the Noctua NH-D14. It took competitors years to beat that cooler while being as quiet.

Now you have Noctua working on Active noise cancellation CPU coolers which even with fans = 0 noise output.  I dont see Thermalright or Coolermaster investing in said technology.

Noctua tends to do it first or do it better all while having a far better warranty and support. I don't change CPU coolers often for my personal rig so long term support with exceptional cooling leaves either custom water or Noctua. But to each their own. In customers systems I tend to use Hyper 212 EVO / or w.e is on sale at the time as they are limited by a budget.

Regardless I would take say a Noctua NH-D14 which can regularly be found for $80-85 in the US over say the unavailable be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 or the Phanteks PH-TC14PE which ranges from $76-84 and its simply due to support.

In the high end category most of these coolers run the same $80-90 range yet Noctua stands far above in terms of support.  Maybe things are different in Switzerland when in comes to prices but in the US Noctua is price competitive 80% of the time while being in the top 1% for support.


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