Cooling Low-profile coolers comparison - any you want to see?

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

I'm currently preparing to rebuild several systems, among them moving my Streaming system from the Meshi to the S400. I will be doing a bit of case modding to be able to install the Silverstona Vida 240, but BEFORE that, I want to try out a few low profile CPU coolers.

System specs: i5-13500, 32 GB DDR4 (LPX), MSI B760I Edge Wifi, RTX 3050 (single fan), 1 TB SDD

I already got the Thermalright AXP120-x67 sitting around. Any other LP coolers you'd like to seen tested in comparison?
What I can get my hands on are eg.:

- Thermalright IS-100
- Scythe Big Shuriken 3 RGB - seems to have no real advantage over the Thermalright AXP120-x67
- Deepcool AN600 (DairaeMyo did a comparison with this one and the AXP120-x67, using the i5-13600k)
- Raijintek Pallas 120 ARGB
- Alpenföhn Panorama 2 (GucksTV was talking about a review / comparison he did in the Velka production case thread; there is also a test by TweakPC in comparison with the NH-L9a; seems to be at similar cooling level, but fan noise is much worse)

What I got for now:

- Mars Gaming MCPU220 (which looks like a C14 clone, but with regular sized 120 / 25 fan; it actually looks like a bit like a NH-L12S clone)
- Noctua NH-L12S + additional NF-A9 (I really didnt want to remove it from the NH-D9L - getting the second fan on without taking the whole system apart was such a huge PITA, I'm NOT gonna torture my fingers with this again!)
- Thermalright AXP120-x67 - done with testing
-Thermalright SI-100 - currently testing (as of January 21st, 2024)

- Noctua NH-D9L w/ dual fan - as a wildcard / "real" dual-tower cooler - only going to use it if I find the time; its currently installed on the NAS CPU
- AIO: Be Quiet! Silent Loop 2 280 (thats the Meshlicious streaming system setup), with one Silent Wing 4 HS + Noctua 120 to 140 fan adapter, and one regular Silent Wings 3 140 HS that came with the AIO; the SW 4 HS had to be used, because else the GPU wouldnt have fit in "ITX / SFX mode", ie. horizontal.

Could try the NH-L12S, but the Noctua mainboard compatiblity check lists it as semi-incompatible because of "only one direction" installation possible, with fan on top. Dont know about "ghostication" though.

Wild card mixes: P12 Max for everything.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

In terms of fan options, there are quite a bunch:

a) 120 mm:
- Arctic P12 Max
- Arctic P12 ARGB
- Scythe Kaze Flex 120 ARGB 1800 rpm
- Scythe Kaze Flex Slim 1800 rpm
- Silverstone Airblazer 120RW (for the S400 build) - that one is one of the cheapest WHITE ARGB fans available with really solid performance (AFAIK Silverstone uses them for their Permafrost AIO line)
- elderly Phanteks ARGB 1200 rpm that came with the Phanteks P360A (need more cleaning before use)
- Arctic P12 PWM PST CO (that also need cleaning up, been used in the case mentioned before)

b) 92 mm:
- Scythe Kaze Flex 92 ARGB & non-ARGB
- in theory, also the Noctua NF-A9 (from my DH-D9L)

c) various others:
- Arctic P14 PWM PST
- 50 / 60 / 80 / 92 mm slim and "normal sized" fans

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Looking for benchmarking options on Linux. AFAIK there are a few, but real life ones would be best.

Right now, this could be a compilation of OBS or Mixxx from scratch. Both are somehow available as packages, but tend to lack several parts, are outdated with potential issues fixed only in newer versions, or dont work as they should (eg. the "transition effects not working" issue in OBS, or the "media is partially skipped" issue in Mixxx).

When initially compiling Mixxx from scratch on my main system (13700k w/ Arctic LF II), this took about 10ish minutes or so, and the peak spike temps were around 82 C, eventually settling around 65 C. Albeit that was with a fan curve optimized for noise, not cooling performance.

Update: CPU-intensive tests it should be, so .. compiling is a legit RL test (Reference: Arch Wiki > Stress Testing). Also, audio conversion, which is another easy task, because I record most of my shows in FLAC format. The Open Benchmark site lists quite a few potential methods and test cases (obviously catered for their own benchmarking system). Other options include Geekbench 6, which supposedly works cross-platform.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

The differences between the AN600 and the Thermalright AXP120-x67 seem to be rather small. 1 - 2 C difference. That could be because of the different fans. Hence I'm going to test with:

a) Original fan (120 mm)
b) Silverstone Air Slimmer (supposedly being one of the best of the 120mm slim fans)
c) Arctic P12 Max

In case of the NH-L12S, I'm going to test both configurations, ie. 120 mm and 92 mm, and maybe do an additional test with the Scythe Kaze Flex 92 (ARGB).

The main differences between the Noctua NF-A9 and the Scythe Kaze Flex 92 are: The Kaze Flex has a higher max RPM, ie. 2300, and also a slightly lower starting RPM, ie. 300. This allows for a bit better maximum airflow, but not higher pressure (at least according to the specs sheet), and the noise level can become a bit higher. Oh well, and then, the Kaze Flex is also cheaper, by about 30 - 40%.

The former one also being stated in the spec sheet, and IS TRUE, as my NAS build uses 2x 2 Kaze Flex 92 on each side, ie. bottom and top panel, for which I did quite a few tests for fan curve optimization; the noise at full blast is deffo hearable, but not annoying.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Just arrived and now sitting around, waiting for action:

- Noctua NH-L12S - 69 Euro
- Mars Gaming MCPU220 - 23ish Euro

Been sitting around for 2 months or so: Thermalright AXP120-x67 (45ish Euro).

About the MCPU220 one can already say: Not only is it cheap, but also .. its CHEAP. Comes premounted with fan. AFAIR I've seen this kind of plastique-style mounting method just recently; could have been a GN video, might have been the CPU cooler roundup 2023. Gonna rewatch and tell later

Update: YES, it was in the roundup, ie. in the Ultra Budget cooler category (Jonsbo CR1200). My guess is Mars Gaming is using a rebranded / white-label version of a Jonsbo CPU cooler, possibly an older model. Or maybe whoever builds the CPU coolers for Jonsbo is producing them also for Mars Gaming .. something like this.

Anyways, I gonna see if its value for money or just garbage

cu, w0lf.

 

[Phuncz]

Keep the info coming, thanks for your time and effort !

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Another update: The Silverstone Airblazer just arrived.

And: You know something is entirely going wrong if you have to rip open the cardboard package to safely remove the fan, to avoid ripping off the cables!
Now compare that to how the Arctic P12 ARGB and P12 Max ship (and also the regular ones), where I NEVER had such issues (except when trying to stuff them back into their packaging).

cu, w0lf.

 

[riba2233]

Alpenföhn Panorama 2

this looks like a slightly worse IS47XT, why would they do that?

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Alpenföhn Panorama 2

this looks like a slightly worse IS47XT, why would they do that?

My guess is, because everyone has been cursing about the Black Ridge not being competitive enough anymore, and so they decided for giving it another go? Or just some kind of lifesign? *shrug*

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Quick update: Also bought something that should help keeping track of noise level. Which I totally forgot about, but yeah, a sound level meter is helpful, not just for figuring out if case / CPU cooler fans are too noisy

Finding something decent, that optionally allows for somewhat better access (read: app or PC connection), on a lower price range is .. astonishingly hard.

cu, w0lf.

 

[Analogue Blacksheep]

Curious to see how to this goes! I’m running a SI-100 black so it’s good to see some comparisons!

 

[harryshuman]

Quick update: Also bought something that should help keeping track of noise level. Which I totally forgot about, but yeah, a sound level meter is helpful, not just for figuring out if case / CPU cooler fans are too noisy

Finding something decent, that optionally allows for somewhat better access (read: app or PC connection), on a lower price range is .. astonishingly hard.

cu, w0lf.

You should totally test AXP-120-X67. I did some testing of coolers (within another thread on this forum) and found X67 to perform better than Big Schuriken.

You should also try the big chungus JF13K and its mini variant.

 

[Revenant]

This is going to be a great project.

 

[Datagram]

Something I've always wanted to see tested in comparisons like these is the Alpenföhn Black Ridge with a 120mm fan and VLP RAM.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

I could get an SI-100, main issue is, I wont really have an application for it afterwards (OC I could sell it). For air cooling comparisons with "normal" CPU coolers, the only direct "regular" CPU cooler I got is the Noctua NH-D9L in dual-fan mode (thats 110 mm height). Its currently hanging around in the NAS build, doing literally nothing (because no hard drives = no NAS).

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Something I've always wanted to see tested in comparisons like these is the Alpenföhn Black Ridge with a 120mm fan and VLP RAM.

Do you mean putting a 120 mm fan in the low position, where normally the 92 mm fan would sit?
That could work, as the LPX sticks are 31 mm, and with the NH-L12S you get the NF-A12x15. Dont know about the fan mounting itself, but if all fails, zip tie to the rescue!

Edit: Oh, I realized you meant indeed VLP RAM, so something like these (RDIMM), with only 18.75 mm of height.

cu, w0lf.

 

[harryshuman]

I could get an SI-100, main issue is, I wont really have an application for it afterwards (OC I could sell it). For air cooling comparisons with "normal" CPU coolers, the only direct "regular" CPU cooler I got is the Noctua NH-D9L in dual-fan mode (thats 110 mm height). Its currently hanging around in the NAS build, doing literally nothing (because no hard drives = no NAS).

cu, w0lf.

That's the thing about CPU cooler testing, once you are done with them it's hard to resell them for decent price. I had to drop the price by 50% and I still have a few of them sitting on the shelf. Selling them on eBay is also a pain because most people don't want to pay for shipping and import. The 0.01% of people who are motivated enough to get the very specific cooler to match their build are hard to come by.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

That's the thing about CPU cooler testing, once you are done with them it's hard to resell them for decent price. I had to drop the price by 50% and I still have a few of them sitting on the shelf. Selling them on eBay is also a pain because most people don't want to pay for shipping and import. The 0.01% of people who are motivated enough to get the very specific cooler to match their build are hard to come by.

Well, out of the three which I got right now two can be used in actual systems, and the Mars Gaming is just a decorative item afterwards. Except if it does a decent job, then maybe I put it to use as well

In terms of "what to do with x", there is also the option of returning the hardware, at least here in Germany, within 14 days, as long as all is in order and nothing is broken / damaged / lost etc ("Fernabsatzgesetz"). Amazon even allows for a 30 day return with the same conditions. So if I'm quick, really quick, I could try with eg. the SI-100, and then return it right afterwards. Not the nicest way to do it, but its a feasible option.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

As I also happen to have just aquired the Tacens Orumx, a 14.5L mATX office PC case (also used by several people for mid-size gaming systems), which allows for a cooler height of up to 118 mm, this might be an additional testing course.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Curious to see how to this goes! I’m running a SI-100 black so it’s good to see some comparisons!

Ok, just ordered the SI-100, too. Supposedly is to arrive "today", according to Amazon.

Update: "Delivers till 22 o'clock" (10 pm for pre-modern times). With the current massive x-mas holiday rush, I guess that might actually turn out as an acurate prediction. Yesterday the amazon delivery person arrived AFTER DHL, the latter being the main postal / parcel delivery service in Germany, and chronicallly overloaded around this time.

cu, w0lf.