SFF.Network SilverStone's new Argon AR11 49mm LP cooler
- Thread starter jeshikat
- Start date
I
Ionrent
Guest
Thanks for the measurements!
Silverstone seems to have taken cues from Cryorig with the heatpipe configuration, but traded a few mm in fin stack height for a thicker fan, skipped the nickel plating, and went with bare heatpipe contact. It's a budget looking cooler for sure, but I like that it's simple to replace the fan. Seeing how the C7 is already around $25-30, I'm not sure how it's going to compete unless it's a surprise performer. And they missed an opportunity with mounting compatibility.
Anyway, looking forward to a cooler shoot-out if you guys get the time.
Silverstone seems to have taken cues from Cryorig with the heatpipe configuration, but traded a few mm in fin stack height for a thicker fan, skipped the nickel plating, and went with bare heatpipe contact. It's a budget looking cooler for sure, but I like that it's simple to replace the fan. Seeing how the C7 is already around $25-30, I'm not sure how it's going to compete unless it's a surprise performer. And they missed an opportunity with mounting compatibility.
Anyway, looking forward to a cooler shoot-out if you guys get the time.
Did they have any work on when this would reach the market? I guess the AR05 and AR06 might both be replaced by this....
interesting. I would REALLY like to see performance numbers of this compared to an NHL9i. With a 15mm thick fan it can be only 44mm high, that's perfect for an S4 Mini! 
This cooler looks somewhat promising while we wait for @dondan 's CPU cooler. Put a 92mm slim Noctua on it and it should be good to go.
https://www.techpowerup.com/240911/silverstone-intros-argon-ar-11-low-profile-cpu-cooler
https://www.techpowerup.com/240911/silverstone-intros-argon-ar-11-low-profile-cpu-cooler
Looks like this little guy will be on the market very soon, it's now listed on their site as a new product here.
Seems like a few other tech news sites are reporting on it within the last day as well.
Seems like a few other tech news sites are reporting on it within the last day as well.
44.5decibels??? around 25 ihighest I would considerand that is too high for me ( and a lot of others).........
190 dBA Heavy weapons at 10 m behind the weapon (maximum level)
130 dBA Loud hand clapping at 1 m distance (maximum level)
110 dBA Siren at 10 m distance; frequent sound level close to loudspeakers at rock concerts
95 dBA Loud crying, hand circular power saw at 1 m distance
80 dBA Very loud traffic on an expressway at 25 m distance
60 dBA Noisy lawn mower at 10 m distance
50 dBA Refrigerator at 1 m distance; bird twitter outside at 15 m distance
45 dBA Noise of normal living; talking or radio in the background
40 dBA Distraction when learning or when concentration is needed
35 dBA Very quiet room fan at low speed at 1 m distance
25 dBA Sound of breathing at 1 m distance
0 dBA Auditory threshold
and also make tongue in cheek allowance for manufacurers optimism on how quiet they really are
190 dBA Heavy weapons at 10 m behind the weapon (maximum level)
130 dBA Loud hand clapping at 1 m distance (maximum level)
110 dBA Siren at 10 m distance; frequent sound level close to loudspeakers at rock concerts
95 dBA Loud crying, hand circular power saw at 1 m distance
80 dBA Very loud traffic on an expressway at 25 m distance
60 dBA Noisy lawn mower at 10 m distance
50 dBA Refrigerator at 1 m distance; bird twitter outside at 15 m distance
45 dBA Noise of normal living; talking or radio in the background
40 dBA Distraction when learning or when concentration is needed
35 dBA Very quiet room fan at low speed at 1 m distance
25 dBA Sound of breathing at 1 m distance
0 dBA Auditory threshold
and also make tongue in cheek allowance for manufacurers optimism on how quiet they really are
The C7 didn't have direct-touch heatpipes though. This might actually be a better performer.
However, the C7 copper might once again take the crown (roughly a ~5c+ reduction with pure copper).
However, the C7 copper might once again take the crown (roughly a ~5c+ reduction with pure copper).
I didn't catch on to the base difference - and I should have as I own a C7. Well, it does address compatibility with Intel keepout zones/RAM/other components that the other small Argon sinks potentially have with the heatpipes extending beyond the body of the coolers.
Direct touch heat pipes are not generally an advantage over a proper copper baseplate, they are merely marketed that way. While on the surface your mind goes "oh hey the heat goes straight into the pipe, that has to be better right?", they actually represent a significantly reduced surface area for heat transfer, especially when the pipes are surrounded by aluminum, which they almost always are. In fact, the only real advantage I can see to direct touch heat pipes is that they confer a fairly significant reduction in cost to the manufacturer who no longer has to tool and fabricate a baseplate.
If direct touch heat pipes were actually better than a baseplate, you'd see them used in high end coolers (which you don't). Go make a list of the companies that use direct touch coolers and cross reference with the list of top end cooler makers and they should be more or less mutually exclusive.
As far as I know, the reason direct-touch coolers aren't on top is ultimately because of how the coolers are being designed. If we had two versions of Noctua's top cooler, one with a baseplate and one with a quality direct touch base -the direct touch would be on top (likely by only a degree or two but still...), simply due to the general law's of thermal dynamics (at least up to a certain point -explained below).
The traditional and triumphant baseplate designs are great for providing a larger surface area direct from the CPU IHS (much larger area for thermal transference) but they are somewhat inefficient as the heat has to soak the plate first and heat travels completely random directions. The goal of the attached heatpipes behind the plate are to guide as much heat away from the source that it's currently bound to (i.e. the baseplate) and dissipate to the attached fins -the faster this happens the better. This is why having thicker heatpipes or many more heatpipes mounted to the "larger-than-the-processor" backside generally provides better results (construction depending).
The problem with traditional direct-contact heatpipe designs is that they only tend to do a terrific job transferring the initial amount of heat -extremely efficiently. However, without having enough attached metal to absorb the continued heat being generated by the processor (especially high wattage or overclocked CPUs), the entire heatpipe structure can heatsoak too quickly, which then requires a much more efficient fin structure and/or fan to help counter the load. This issue is compounded by how small the surface area of a modern processor is (excluding Threadripper, haha) in that you can only fit 3, maybe 4, heatpipes directly on the surface of the processor. This becomes especially problematic when the CPU's TDP is higher than 95w.
For a low profile, downwards-facing design however, I think the Argon 11 should do pretty well compared to the C7.
In the past we have had several benchmarks where direct touch has provided a marked improvement over their competition (typically used for lower TDP applications) all without breaking the bank.
Ultimately though, fin density, fin complexity, fin angles, fin thickness, fin material, type of fan, fan speed, fan shrouds, heatpipe gaps, heatpipe thickness, type of heatpipe construction, surface area, surface contact patch, and several other factors weigh in where the cooler will stand.
The traditional and triumphant baseplate designs are great for providing a larger surface area direct from the CPU IHS (much larger area for thermal transference) but they are somewhat inefficient as the heat has to soak the plate first and heat travels completely random directions. The goal of the attached heatpipes behind the plate are to guide as much heat away from the source that it's currently bound to (i.e. the baseplate) and dissipate to the attached fins -the faster this happens the better. This is why having thicker heatpipes or many more heatpipes mounted to the "larger-than-the-processor" backside generally provides better results (construction depending).
The problem with traditional direct-contact heatpipe designs is that they only tend to do a terrific job transferring the initial amount of heat -extremely efficiently. However, without having enough attached metal to absorb the continued heat being generated by the processor (especially high wattage or overclocked CPUs), the entire heatpipe structure can heatsoak too quickly, which then requires a much more efficient fin structure and/or fan to help counter the load. This issue is compounded by how small the surface area of a modern processor is (excluding Threadripper, haha) in that you can only fit 3, maybe 4, heatpipes directly on the surface of the processor. This becomes especially problematic when the CPU's TDP is higher than 95w.
For a low profile, downwards-facing design however, I think the Argon 11 should do pretty well compared to the C7.
In the past we have had several benchmarks where direct touch has provided a marked improvement over their competition (typically used for lower TDP applications) all without breaking the bank.
Ultimately though, fin density, fin complexity, fin angles, fin thickness, fin material, type of fan, fan speed, fan shrouds, heatpipe gaps, heatpipe thickness, type of heatpipe construction, surface area, surface contact patch, and several other factors weigh in where the cooler will stand.
interesting. I would REALLY like to see performance numbers of this compared to an NHL9i. With a 15mm thick fan it can be only 44mm high, that's perfect for an S4 Mini!
Unfortunately, their website now lists it with a 15mm fan, but it measures 47mm high.
Cooling System: 92mm x 92mm x 15mm fan
Dimension: 97mm (W) x 47mm (H) x 94mm (D) (with fan)
Dimension: 97mm (W) x 47mm (H) x 94mm (D) (with fan)
@3lfk1ng Maybe move this discussion to the linked thread below?
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/silverstones-new-argon-ar11-49mm-lp-cooler.2363/unread
Mod edit: Done
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/silverstones-new-argon-ar11-49mm-lp-cooler.2363/unread
Mod edit: Done
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm thinking it'll be mandatory to swap a Noctua fan onto this, 44.5db jet engine stock fan.
Similar threads
- Article