Thermalright IFX-10 Motherboard Backside Cooler Review

CONCLUSION

It is fairly safe to say that the IFX-10 is based on a quirky idea and it can pay dividends under a variety of conditions, but don’t expect it to perform miracles. It really only shines at the higher end of the acceptable heat spectrum and has almost no effect on idle temperatures. There really is no area that one can point too and say that Thermalright needs to improve on to make this a more efficient cooler. Yes, a thermal pad is not the best nor the most efficient way of conducting heat away from a CPU but it is safe, and most people are more than willing to give up potential cooling for long term, worry free stability. Nothing ruins a good day like having a motherboard/CPU/etc short out because it as improperly grounded and it fried itself.

In the end the biggest strength of the IFX-10 is its ease of use coupled with its ability to upgrade a normal pushpin mounted cooler to a highly secure cooling platform. However, as the mounting system is sold separately that really isn’t a good reason to spend extra the money. So is the IFX-10 an answer in search of a question? No, it is not a gimmick, but it isn’t Dam Good Value due to its lack of a "universal" mounting kit nor does its performance reach the level of Dam Good Hardware.

Unless you positively, absolutely need the ultimate in air cooling performance this may not be the wisest of investments. An extra thirty dollars can allow you to upgrade from a decent cooler to a very good one, which will give much improved cooling without the need for backside coolers. Don’t get us wrong, the InfernoFX-10 will improve your temperatures but if you need an extra couple of degrees cooling that badly maybe its time to step into the world of water cooling.


Pros:

- Light weight
- Solid construction
- Reduces temperatures
- Novel idea


Cons:

- No fan included
- Does not fit all cases (like CM690)
- Only accepts one fan
- Limited cooling potential