X-bit labs

Battle of the Titans: Super Coolers from Scythe, Thermaltake and Zalman Face to Face (page 24)

Category: Coolers

by Doors4ever

[ 10/21/2005 | 11:44 AM ]

Conclusion

The test results of the five coolers are all presented in a single diagram for comparison.

The first three positions are very close to each other, but two leaders are obvious: Zalman CNPS9500 LED and Scythe Ninja . The position of the CNPS9500 LED is rather ambiguous – if you increase its fan speed to the maximum of 2600rpm, this cooler will probably become an absolute leader, but there’ll be too much noise for home use. And if you drop its speed to the level of the quietest of the coolers (Thermaltake Big Typhoon), the Zalman may turn to be worse than it. It is rather strange to see (or hear) a Zalman cooler to be the loudest of the tested models. The Zalman 7000 model was followed by the Zalman 7700, so probably we should wait for a Zalman CNPS9700 with a quiet 120mm fan? On the other hand, the Zalman CNPS9500 LED easily mounts on any CPU socket and its efficiency is high. Its noise is not unbearably loud after all, so this cooler will probably become the default cooler in our test labs.

I would want to see a pretty-looking Scythe Ninja in my own home computer. Yes, its LGA775 fastening is very awkward, but it’s worth the trouble to go through the ordeal just one time and install the fastening frame. Moreover, I personally do not plan to buy an LGA775 processor in near future and this cooler will surely cope with a K8 processor either in fully passive mode or with a low-speed and quiet fan.

As a kind of recommendation for the manufacturer: I would want to have a one-piece fastening frame for LGA775, the same as employed for mounting the cooler on K8 processors, rather than consisting of two parts. The installation is just easier when you have four support points rather than are balancing on two. It would also be more convenient if the frame was screwed up from the face rather than reverse side of the mainboard.

I have heard rumors that the company is planning to release an all-copper Ninja model. I would certainly be interested to test that one!

Thermaltake coolers have their own advantages, too. They are cheaper and widely available in shops. Moreover, they can be mounted on Socket A (but there’s a risk of your chipping the CPU with their not very handy fasteners).

The Thermaltake Big Typhoon is the quietest, yet efficient cooler. Note that the Idle temperature of the CPU with this cooler is just a little, but better than with the other coolers. Its blowing at the mainboard may have helped a little here. And I think there’s no need to hurry the transition to coolers with a vertically positioned fan without first providing proper cooling of the CPU power circuit elements which become very hot at work.

Unfortunately, the Thermaltake Big Typhoon can only be installed normally on K8 processors. The fastening of the cooler on other sockets is below any criticism, but the installation could be simplified greatly if they replaced the tiny nuts with larger ones. It would take more effort to polish the cooler’s base better, but it would win a few degrees more in CPU temperature. If these measures are taken, the Thermaltake Big Typhoon may become one of the best coolers available. In its current state, however, it only takes the third place.

The Thermaltake Sonic Tower doesn’t leave the best possible impression. Its dimensions are too large and hinder its installation. And why did they set the heatsinks so wide apart? To get closer to the exhaust fan on the rear panel of the system case? It would be better to make the heatsink smaller and put two fans on the cooler since its ribs are placed very densely. Another possible measure is to put a fan in between the heatsinks – both heatsinks would be better cooled then. A not very obvious advantage of the Thermaltake Sonic Tower is that it doesn’t have sharp edges. Its plates are rounded, without angles, unlike the plates of the Scythe Ninja.

Even though the heat lane technology looks highly promising and the Scythe Shogun cooler may really be a good product, it can’t show its best due to the poor fastening system.

Speaking at large, the Scythe Ninja, Zalman CNPS9500 LED and Thermaltake Big Typhoon are about on the same level of efficiency, so your choice of the cooler should depend on other factors like price, availability, ease of installation and fastening on a particular CPU socket. Some users may also be guided by their personal sympathy or dislike to a particular brand, for example. But whatever cooler of these three you may choose, you won’t be disappointed. As for the Thermaltake Sonic Tower and Scythe Shogun, I wouldn’t recommend them for purchase because there are better, more efficient, quieter, simpler-to-install and cheaper models in the market.