The SilentiumPC Grandis 2 XE1436 adopts a tried and true design we have see time and time again because it works. This hulking dual-tower, dual-fan design is quiet as well, hitting just 43 dBA with the fans spinning at max RPM, which is always nice since no one really wants to deal with leaf blower coolers anymore. In terms of quality, the design is above average with the fins being stiff and resistant to bending. While the top plate and heat-pipe caps keep things looking presentable, it also doesn't hurt that the cooler is easy to install. Overall, it is a good-looking, quiet cooler with nothing on the surface to really complain about. In terms of pricing, it can be considered exceptionally affordable with an alright two-year warranty.

That said, the devil is always in the details. Sadly, the SilentiumPC Grandis 2 XE1436 just doesn't stack up to the competition. First and foremost, it's large and heavy. While the weight isn't all that concerning, its size means it hangs over three out of four DIMM slots and encroaches on the fourth. While this isn't always a deal breaker, it becomes damning when you look at the performance data. Price to performance is not half bad, but the cooler fails to live up to expectations given its size. At 1030 g, this cooler should not be allowing the CPU to thermal throttle in our overclocking test, and yet the CPU does. Finally, availability is limited outside of Poland and Europe as a whole.

Generally speaking, I want to like the Grandis 2 XE1436. The previous Grandis design was solid for the price. Even now, the Grandis 2 is perfectly fine from a price/performance standpoint. However, performance is severely lacking, and there are many reasons for this. First, Coffee Lake packs extra cores, clocks, and cache, and in such a tiny area with TIM under the IHS that it isn't doing the Grandis 2 any favors. Next, the contact area is not the greatest for this platform. While contact over the CPU die itself is good, the rest of the IHS does not have the same degree of contact with lower mounting pressure. Finally, the 140 mm fan could likely have its RPM raised a bit or, considering how bad memory clearance is, just go all out with dual 140 mm fans. As such, the Grandis 2 XE1436 may shine on some platforms but not others.

While I have had many fantastic SIlentiumPC coolers cross my desk, the Grandis 2 just doesn't live up to those past experiences. It may perform a great deal better on other platforms, and if you find it for a good price, it may be worthwhile from a price/performance viewpoint. However, on LGA1151 with an i7 8700K, it leaves much to be desired. In general, smaller, similarly priced heatsinks have more to offer not just in terms of performance, but features as well. As such, I cannot currently recommend the Grandis 2 XE1436 for Intel LGA1151 systems.