Intel Core i7 / LGA1366 CPU Cooler Roundup

Value

The term “Value” is such an amorphous term that it truly has different meanings for different people. For some a CPU cooler is only as good as it over-clocking potential, for others it is how quiet it does its job; for others still it’s how effective it is for its cost. We here at HWC try to provide as many answers as possible for the term “Value”. Hopefully by this point in the review people looking at OC potential or loudness levels will have a fairly good idea of what its Value is. For the “best bang for the buck” crowd we have included a chart below showing how much each 1°C less costs when compared to Intel’s FREE stock cooler. No consideration has been made for noise levels, “looks” or any other extraneous factors; this is just raw performance vs. monetary cost. For any cooler which performs worse than the Intel stock cooler a rating of “FAIL” will be given. For any cooler which has a “Value” of more than $10 per 1°C a rating of “FAIL” will be used in the graph but the chart will list its actual “Value”.

All prices are based on either their MSRP (if no e-tailer prices were available at review time) or the online price they sold for at the time of their review. If a CPU cooler does not include a fan the price of a Scythe S-Flex 1200RPM has been included ($12).

To make it as easy as possible for you to modify this ratio we have also included the various coolers temperature difference so if you do come across one of them on sale you can easily modify its “Value” rating. We here at HWC are in no way saying this is the definitive answer to “Value”, rather it should be considered another tool to help you make your final decision. After all something is only as “valuable” as what you consider it to be.


Please Note: This chart has be calculated based upon the differences between Intel stock cooler’s average load at its highest OC on a 920 @ 3.42GHz versus various after market coolers average load temperatures (in their stock configuration with stock TIM) also on a 920 @ 3.42GHz.


Since the Mega Shadow is still not yet available here in Canada the price reflects an estimated MSRP and we would not be overly surprised if its final price here in Canada is slightly less. Honestly though, this cooler is never going to be a great bang for your buck product; it is among the best of the best and as such demands a premium. Consider it the air cooler equivalent of an Aston Martin Vanquish and then ask yourself if it makes sense that it costs more than a Honda Accord.

Speaking of works of art, our favorite among the bunch has to be the Nirvana 120 since it performs extremely well in all of the tests while not costing an arm and a leg. Beauty, price and silence are golden and when you can combine this with performance, you get one heck of a cooler.

We have to say that we are surprised at the Cogage TRUE Spirit’s value. It may not perform up to the same levels as some of the other coolers in this roundup but its price allows it to really shine in the grand scheme of things. Also noteworthy is the fact that both the Spire and Kingwin units also easily broke the two dollar barrier (i.e. are high water mark for what constitutes a great value). They may have their flaws but just like the TRUE Spirit, their respective prices makes them good choices if you are looking for decent performance without spending more than double for extreme performance.

While the HDT coolers’ great value came as no surprise, the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme’s posting such decent numbers is surprising. This is a big cooler and is also an expensive one so it should be handicapped in the “value” category. However, we should remember that its performance in other tests with lower fan speeds do tend to work against it.