X-bit labs

ASUS Silent Square CPU Cooler: New Candidate for Super Cooler Title? (page 8)

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 10/20/2006 | 12:20 PM ]

Conclusion

The new cooler from ASUS has proved to be capable of cooling overclocked CPUs. It is very efficient on the AMD Athlon 64 platform, a mere couple of degrees worse than the Thermaltake Big Typhoon. The difference between the two coolers on the Intel Core 2 Duo platform is bigger, and the Silent Square is a little behind again, yet its performance was quite successful considering the overclocking results I achieved with it. For example, the well-known Scythe Ninja couldn’t cope with the overclocked Intel Core 2 Duo under the same conditions and I had to lower the frequency by 1MHz FSB. The Silent Square also features a simple and reliable fastening system and a cute-looking highlighting of the fan.

So, it seems a good enough buy, but there’s one problem when it comes to actual buying. Products with the ASUS brand have always been expensive. The Silent Square is not an exception, having an average retail price of about $55. This is lower than the price of the Zalman CNPS9500 LED, but $10-15 higher than the price of the more efficient Thermaltake Big Typhoon. So, the Silent Square is not without competitors. Moreover, it is not ultra quiet as is promised by the manufacturer. It is not loud, but not exactly quiet, either.

Highs:

• High efficiency with overclocked CPUs
• Quiet
• Handy and reliable fastening mechanism
• Compatible with all modern platforms
• Highlighted fan

Lows:

• Overpriced