Test System and Temperature Results

Test System

Testing Procedure

All testing is done at a room temperature of 23°C (73°F) with a 1°C margin of error. The coolers are tested with Turbo, EIST, and C1E enabled, which will allow the CPU to clock down to a low 1.6 GHz while idle, or clock up to proper speeds under stock and overclocked conditions. The retail Intel Core i7-4770K I use for testing at stock is set to load-optimized defaults with the CPU's voltage at a static 1.15 V. Overclocked, the processor is running at 4.2 GHz on the CPU and 3.9 GHz on cache, with respective voltages set to 1.20 V and 1.15 V. During all these tests, fans are set to run at 100% in the BIOS, with temperatures being recorded by AIDA64.

The idle test will consist of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 15 minutes. This will allow for a stable temperature reading that will be recorded at the end of those 15 minutes.

Wprime's and AIDA64's CPU test represent typical multi-threaded loads. Both offer consistent results, with one being a benchmarking application and the other a stability test. Both are run for 15 minutes before the peak reading during the test is recorded and taken as the result. This test lets enthusiasts know what temperatures they can expect to see with games and applications. Wprime is set to eight threads while AIDA64 is configured to stress the CPU, FPU, cache, and system memory.

AIDA64 offers maximum heat generation when set to stress just the FPU in the stability test, which will really push the CPU. This test represents extreme loads much like LinX, Prime95, and other extreme stress tests many users are familiar with.

Idle Temperatures

In fifth place at both stock and overclocked, just 1°C behind the top performers, Thermaltake's NiC C5 does rather well in idle.

Typical Load Temperatures

In Wprime, the first typical load test, the NiC C5 does relatively well at stock, performing on par with the Phanteks PH-TC12DX. However, it falls back a few spots to finish 1°C behind the Phanteks cooler in the overclocked test.


Firing up Aida64's CPU benchmark, which increases the load, the Thermaltake NiC C5 continues to do well. At stock, it again ties the Phanteks PH-TC12DX and the Scythe Ashura which shares the same memory compatibility at stock. With the CPU overclocked, the NiC C5 climbs up a few spots, easily beating the Scythe Ashura by 3°C and the PH-TC12DX by 1°C.

Max Load Temperatures

Now for the torture test. Using Aida 64 to maximize the heat produced by loading up the CPU's FPU, we see the NiC C5 climb to third place at stock, just 2°C behind the Corsair H110. Even with the CPU overclocked, Thermaltake's cooler does an admirable job in this test by again beating the Scythe Ashura by 3°C and the Phanteks PH-TC12DX by 1°C.