Cooling Efficiency

Intel Platform

During this test session we managed to overclock our 45nm quad-core processor with the multiplier set at 21 and “Load-Line Calibration” enabled to 3.97 GHz (+48.8%) using the weakest cooling system of the today’s testing participants. The nominal processor Vcore was increased to 1.3625 V (+13.5%) in the mainboard BIOS:

The memory voltage was at 1.62 V and its frequency was around 1520 MHz (7-7-7-14_1T timings). All other parameters available in the mainboard BIOS and connected with CPU or memory overclocking remained unchanged (set to Auto).

The results turned out pretty interesting:

Zalman CNPS10X Extreme as is, i.e. without any modifications, can compete against ThermoLab BARAM only at medium and high rotation speed of its default fan. Obviously, the new cooler can’t boast superb efficiency at the minimal fan rotation speed of 1030 RPM, even though it did cope fine with a pretty seriously overclocked processor. And that is in fact quite logical, because thick and dense heatsink plates of the Zalman cooler require more airflow than an extremely optimized BARAM heatsink. At minimal fan rotation speed the default fan doesn’t create sufficient pressure to take the heat off the dense heatsink array quickly enough.

But the most interesting results are, in my opinion, the results of the modified Zalman CNPS10X Extreme. Look, by removing the plastic parts and using one of the best fans we won 4 °C at minimal rotation speed, and at 1760 RPM Zalman CNPS10X Extreme proved 1 °C more efficient than the ThermoLab BARAM! Of course, in this case, the owners of a modified Zalman cooler won’t be able to use the convenient rotation speed controller on the top cover; besides, BARAM can also be equipped with two fans in order to outperform the new competitor. Nevertheless, I wasn’t ready for such a turnaround, because the new Zalman cooler didn’t have anything so innovative about its design that could help us predict its victory over BARAM. Therefore, I decided to perform additional tests on the AMD platform. Here I have to add that Thermalright IFX-14 seems to be absolutely indifferent to what BARAM and CNPS10X Extreme are up to.