Acoustic Performance

We measured the noise level of our coolers throughout the entire speed range of their fans. Here are the results:

We’ve mentioned the Thermalright Frio Advanced above, so we include it into this diagram for the sake of comparison. Unfortunately, the Cooler Master X6 Elite is unable to please us with silence. According to the graph, its fan should rotate at 750 RPM to be subjectively comfortable, but the cooler can’t be silent at any speed of the fan. The problem is the rattling of the fan. The rattle can be heard at any speed, even at low ones. This must be a defect of our particular sample because the same fan in the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO used to be much quieter. Anyway, this is an unpleasant fact. The X6 Elite is quieter than the Thermaltake Frio Advanced at 900-1000 RPM but the rattle is there still.

Conclusion

The Cooler Master X6 Elite is yet another mediocre cooler. It has a uniquely shaped heatsink and fins, a cute PWM-regulated fan and a stylish plastic cap. It supports all modern platforms and features a simple and reliable fastening mechanism. Unfortunately, its cooling performance is just average while its noise level is rather high due to a rattling fan. On the other hand, the Cooler Master X6 Elite is preferable to the Thermaltake Frio Advanced thanks to its lower price and somewhat higher performance. It is sad that Cooler Master didn’t solder the parts of the cooler to each other instead of using press fitting and thermal glue as this might have made it far more efficient. As it is now, we have doubts whether the X6 Elite can be interesting to end users.