Conclusion

If you are looking for a cooler that is as quiet as possible without actually being passive, then the Asus Triton 77 is the cooler for you. I have to admit that at first I was not overly impressed with the Triton, but after using it for 2 weeks I grew to not only be impressed but actually became quite fond of this cooler. It doesn’t matter if you are just surfing the web or maxing out all four cores of your computer for 8 hours straight, this cooler is virtually inaudible. When I did finally remove it from the test pc and reinstalled the stock cooler I was shocked by the difference in noise. To make matters even better the installtion was the easiest we have encountered yet in our long list of CPU cooler reviews. Dual core cooling also impressed me quite a bit and in the value charts you can see that this translates into ithe Triton being a good choice for your hard earned money if you aren't overclocking a quad core. Even its overall design was impressive and it will definately be the centerpiece of your computer if you happen to have a windowed side panel.

However, quad core performance on the Triton is not that great at all. In fact it is slightly worse than the stock cooler when it comes to cooling quad core CPUs. This is to be expected as this cooler is designed and marketed not towards the air overclocking crowd, but rather it is squarely aimed at the silent pc enthusiasts. If you want a cooler that will give you ultra low temperatures and high overclocks, you will be disappointed with this cooler and should look elsewhere.

If you have a HTPC system with the vertical height necessary for the Triton and you want an ultra quiet CPU cooling solution or you are just someone who hates noise, this cooler will impress you if you give it a chance. As long as you understand its limitations and you understand that its main goal is noise reduction and NOT heat reduction on quad core chips, you too may come to not only be impressed but also come to respect what Asus has done here. I know I have and I know that this cooler now has a permanent home on one of my computers.


Pros:

- Good dual core cooling
- VERY Quiet
- Nickel Plated Aluminum (high bling)
- Very, very easy Installation


Cons:

- Not great at QUAD cooling
- Not designed for overclocking