Performance

Testing methodology:
For idle temperatures the PC is run at idle for 3 hours and temperature is measured using Realtemp 3.4. For load temperatures Prime95 is run using the "In-place large FFTs" test for 3 hours then temperature is measured again with Realtemp. Ambient temperature was kept to 23° Celsius (+/- 1°C) and was measured by a standard mercury thermometer.

The system being used to test the heatsink is as follows:

Fan Noise

The SpinQ utilizes a blower type fan. At lower speeds the fan is relatively quiet but when ran at 100% it is a bit louder than a typical 120 mm fan found on most CPU coolers on the market today. With the adjustment knob that Thermaltake has included with the unit, adjusting the fan speed to your liking is pretty easy. I found that for everyday use approximately 60% fan speed is optimal for my ears. Depending on your sound comfort level you can adjust it accordingly.