Performance

Note:
Idle temperatures are recorded with the computer sitting at desktop with no applications open for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Load temperatures are recorded using Prime95. The "In-place large FFTs" test is selected and allowed to run for 30 minutes.
All temperatures are recorded using Core Temp. Since Core temp acquires its data from the Digital Thermal Sensors on each core of the processor, where it runs hottest, the results are very accurate. More information can be found at www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/howitworks.html


Running at stock speeds, the CNPS10X Quiet performed very admirably against some of the top coolers on the market today. At high fan speed, it was only 2 degrees hotter under load than the Cooler Master V10 and a whole 14 degrees cooler than the stock AMD heat sink.


Even when overclocked to 3.9 GHz, it was impressive to see even the CNPS10X Quiet hold up against the added heat load. This overclock pushed the limits of the CNPS10X Quiet at low fan speeds and was almost too much for the cooler at high speed. The stock AMD cooler could not manage the over clock under load at all and the CNPS10X Quiet was 9 degrees hotter than the V10 which isn’t bad considering the V10 uses a thermoelectric module to help it along.

Fan Noise

At the "low" setting, the sound from the cooler was inaudible. The case fans along with the video card fans drown out all possible noise that the CNPS10X makes at low fan speed and even at high fan speeds. When turned up high, still no sound emanated from the cooler. It is incredibly quiet and lives up to its namesake. It would have been nice to see a PWM fan connector included for those wanting to bypass the Fan Mate 2 and allow the motherboard to take control of fan speed control. The Fan Mate 2 would not need to be used in most cases as this cooler is quiet enough to be drowned out by all other fans in the system. The AMD Stock cooler was much louder and the whine from it could be heard as the motherboard controlled the speed (through the PWM connector) as temperatures rose during load tests. Every other cooler tested was louder than the CNPS10X Quiet and at low fan speeds, I am sure it can be compared to the noise output from a passive heat sink.