5 Low-profile coolers being tested
may any of them be suitable for your own small build?
As much as we at Minimalistic PC love small and compact computers, m-ITX based systems are becoming more and more popular, proven by the increased availability of commercial m-ITX sized cases, motherboards and graphic cards.
A component that can vary a lot in size and performance is the mandatory CPU cooler which also plays a big role in overall performance of your system. We have therefore decided to take a look and test 5 different low-profile CPU coolers to find out how they perform.
Will any of them fit your current or upcoming build?
The test design
Each cooler will be installed on the same system (see the system specifications below) with only the cooler being the difference. The system will then run a 1-hour round of OCCT (for full constant load) and the temperatures will be monitored and recorded. The coolers will be tested with different options, which will be mentioned in the review.
Because of the lack of professional audio equipment we cannot monitor, nor record, the noise (dB) that the cooler’s fans make. We can, and will, however write our subjective opinion regarding this.
The system
| Component: | Model: |
|---|---|
| CPU: | Intel Core i7-4790k & i5-4690k (simulated)* |
| Motherboard: | GIGABYTE Z97N-Wifi |
| RAM: | ADATA 8GB (2x4GB) CL9 1600MHz XPG |
| GPU: | GIGABYTE GTX 970 ITX |
| PSU: | Corsair RM650** |
| Chassis: | Jonsbo U2 |
| Hard drive: | Intel 510 120GB |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 |
* By underclocking and turning off Hyper-threading of our Intel Core i7-4790k we tried to simulate an Intel Core i5-4690k. We are aware that this simulation may not represent an actual i5-4690k.
** By using a semi-passive power supply like the Corsair RM650 we are assured that there will be no noise from the power supply during the test sessions.
GIGABYTE Z97N-Wifi with an Intel Core i7-4790k and a pair of ADATA 4GB (total 8GB) CL9 1600MHz XPG.
Jonsbo U2 with one exhaust fan (120mm) and no intake fans.
The coolers
| Model: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermalright AXP-100 | Noctua NH-L9i | Noctua NH-L12 | Raijintek Pallas | Raijintek Zelos | |
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 121 mm x 105 mm x 44 mm | 95 mm x 95 mm x 23 mm | 150 mm x 128 mm x 66 mm | 153 mm x 150 mm x 55 mm | 94 mm x 93 mm x 29 mm |
| Height with supplied fan: | 58 mm | 37 mm | 93 mm | 68 mm | 44 mm |
| Included fan (name, size, speed, noise, air flow): | TY-100, 100 mm, 900 ~ 2500RPM ± 15%, 22 ~ 30 dBA, 16.0 ~ 44.5 CFM | NF-A9x14 PWM, 92 mm, 600 ± 20% - 2500RPM ± 10%, 23.6 dBA, 33.84 CFM | Noctua NF-F12 PWM & Noctua NF-B9 PWM, 120 mm/92 mm, 300/300 ± 20% ~ 1500/1600 ± 10% RPM, 22,4/17,6 dBA, 55/43.7 CFM | Aeolus α, 140 mm, 650 ~ 1400 RPM, 28 dbA, 44.43 ~ 56.55 CFM | 9015 PWM, 90 mm, 800 ~ 1400 RPM, 20 dbA, 41 CFM (max) |
| Weight (without & with supplied fan): | 320 g, 360 g | 345 g, 420 g | 415 g, 680 g | 420 g, N/A | 190 g, N/A |
| Sockets: | LGA 775 / 115x / 1366 / 201x AMx / FMx | LGA 115x | LGA 775 / 115x / 1366 / 201x* AMx / FMx | LGA 775 / 115x / 1366 / 201x AMx / FMx | LGA 115x FMx / AMx |
* Intel LGA2011-0 (Square ILM), LGA2011-3 Square ILM with NM-IPS2,
Thermalright AXP-100
Noctua NH-L9i
Noctua NH-L12
Raijintek Pallas (heat sink only)
Raijintek Zelos
Thermalright AXP-100
Package & Content
Thermalright AXP-100 comes in a rather unique and industrial looking box with no images or text whatsoever, except for the logo. Inside the box the content for the installation, a manual, a small sticker, and of course the heat sink and the fan, are found.
The Cooler - Close Up
The Thermalright AXP-100 is a rather small and compact cooler, but with the aesthetics of larger coolers makes it quite unique. The heat sink has six full nickel plated 6 mm heatpipes, and the base of the cooler is made out of pure copper while also being nickel plated. The thickness of the fins are 0.5 mm and the gap between each fin is 1.9 mm.
The supplied fan is a TY-100 at only 14 mm thick. However, the bundled mounting plate and screws allow larger and thicker fans to be installed, up to a 140 mm fan with a thickness of 25 mm, giving the opportunity to upgrade the cooler and it’s capabilities.
Additional specs:
| Heatsink Specifications: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 121 mm x 105 mm x 44 mm | ||||
| Height with supplied fan: | 58 mm | ||||
| Included fan (name, size, speed, noise, air flow): | TY-100, 100 mm, 900 ~ 2500RPM ± 15%, 22 ~ 30 dBA, 16.0 ~ 44.5 CFM | ||||
| Weight (without & with supplied fan): | 320 g, 360 g | ||||
| Sockets: | LGA 775 / 115x / 1366 / 201x AMx / FMx | ||||
Installation
Installing the Thermalright AXP-100 is rather easy to install, although many steps have to be executed which may be confusing. First the backplate and the coolers many washers have to be installed, and thereafter the screws. Then the mounting plate is installed with screws so that the cooler itself can be installed to the mounting plate with the help of a piece of metal. Even though the AXP-100 is not too hard to install, a lot of small parts have to used.
Installed
When installed, the AXP-100 feels very solid and steady in its place. The cooler doesn’t interfere with the RAM-modules making large heat sinks on RAM a possibility. It also has a lot of room around the cooler, making swapping cables or other components on the motherboard easy. The height of the cooler is also rather low, being at 5.8 cm with the supplied fan.
Noctua NH-L9i
Package & Content
Noctua NH-L9i comes with an ordinary looking package. However, opening it up displays a very unique and exclusive layout of the content, being displayed like jewelry. As the cooler is very small and compact, so is the amount of things supplied – manual, low-noise adapter, thermal paste, screws and a Noctua badge.
The Cooler - Close Up
The heat sink of Noctua NH-L9i is surprisingly small, measuring only 95 mm x 95 mm and being 23 mm high. Although it’s this small, the heat sink is very heavy for its size (345 g), giving it a very solid feel. The base and the heatpipes are made out of copper while being nickel plated, and the fins are made out of aluminium.
The included fan (Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM) is a 92 mm fan with a thickness of 14 mm. This makes the NH-L9i only 37 mm high with the fan installed.
| Heatsink Specifications: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 95 mm x 95 mm x 23 mm | ||||
| Height with supplied fan: | 37 mm | ||||
| Included fan (name, size, speed, noise, air flow): | NF-A9x14 PWM, 92 mm, 600 ~ 2500RPM ± 10 - 20%, max 23.6 dBA, max 33.7 CFM | ||||
| Weight (without & with supplied fan): | 345 g, 420 g | ||||
| Sockets: | LGA 115x | ||||
Installation
Noctua NH-L9i is by far the easiest cooler we have ever installed. Only requiring four screws makes the installation fast, easy and doesn’t require any installation manual at all, as you can’t do anything wrong. Just put the thermal paste in place, put the cooler and insert the screws. All this thanks to Noctua’s own SecuFirm2™ Mounting Kit.
Installed
When installed, the AXP-100 feels very solid and steady in its place. The cooler doesn’t interfere with the RAM-modules making large heat sinks on RAM a possibility. It also has a lot of room around the cooler, making swapping cables or other components on the motherboard easy. The height of the cooler is also rather low, being at 5.8 cm with the supplied fan.
Test Results
how did the contestants perform?
Conclusion
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