Enermax have decided to take a daring entry into the CPU cooler market. Their debut line-up consists of a tower style cooler and a top-down style, low profile variant. A pair of actual heatsinks creates the line-up but Enermax have intelligently created 5 different products by bundling the tower style ETS-T40 with 3 different fan variations and the top-down style ETS-T60 with 2 unique fan configurations. Today, we will be looking at the tower style ETS-T40-VD which is bundled with Enermax’s extremely popular Vegas Duo fan. Be sure to keep an eye out for our review of the ETS-T60-VD soon!

The ETS-T40-VD is built around a single tower design consisting of 4 direct touch, 6mm copper heatpipes and an aluminium fin array. Enermax claim to have reached a “New Milestone” with their heatsink’s 0.09°C/W thermal resistance. The 3 innovations responsible for this value of thermal resistance are Enermax’s patented Stack Effect Flow (SEF), Vortex Generator Flow (VGF) and Vacuum Effect Flow (VEF). A single 120mm Enermax TB Vegas Duo fan is bundled with the ETS-T40-VD which utilizes the 4-pin PWM connector and is capable of reaching 1800 RPM while shifting up to 76 CFM of air.

Compatibility comes in the form of support for every modern Intel and AMD socket other than LGA 2011. At 160mm in height and weighing around 610g for the cooler alone, Enermax’s ETS-T40 cooler range should fit perfectly in most mid tower and above cases. Enermax have also included an extra pair of fan clips for enthusiasts who want to unlock every ounce of potential from the ETS-T40 heatsink.

With a retail price of around £37/€35 for the Vegas Duo version or less than £30/€30 for versions equipped with different fans, Enermax could have a CPU cooler which brings the aesthetic appeal to the table, but leaves the extortionate price tag behind.

Since releasing the very popular Matterhorn earlier this year, Alpenföhn have been working extremely hard to build upon that success. Their CPU cooler line-up has widened tremendously while VGA coolers, HDD coolers and notebook coolers are just some of the other product markets Alpenföhn have expanded into. Today we will be taking a look at one of their low cost solutions which targets system builders on a budget.

The Alpenföhn Civetta utilizes a triplet of 6mm copper heatpipes feeding into an aluminium fin array. The H.D.T. design should allow for fast heat extraction from the CPU, off-loading that heat to the aluminium fin array for it to be dissipated by the 92mm 2,800 RPM PWM fan.

Available for just €17.90 Alpenföhn set the Civetta at a price point which everybody can afford. Weighing in at a mere 290g for the heatsink alone and with a maximum height of just 120mm, Alpenföhn’s Civetta could be the perfect low cost CPU cooler for users with space constraints. Will the performance on offer allow the low profile crown to be passed on to the Civetta?

When Thermaltake released their Frio a short while ago, much of the enthusiast market were somewhat surprised by the class-leading performance on offer. The single tower CPU cooler managed to show excellent cooling potential that put it ahead of a large proportion of the single tower cooling market and even some of the dual tower market. Since then though, there has been a lot of change. More high performance CPU coolers have been released from the likes of Phanteks with their PH-TC14PE, Corsair and Antec with their all-in-one liquid cooling units and even Thermaltake with their own upgrade to the original Frio, the Frio OCK. Today’s sample, the Thermaltake Frio Advanced, definitely has some tough competition.

As the name suggests, Thermaltake have kept some of the cooler’s fundamentals the same. Changes come in the form of 5 6mm copper heatpipes in a H.D.T. design, a slightly revamped aesthetic design and a different pair of fans. The 130mm fans that Thermaltake choose to use are capable of up to 2000 RPM and use the very convenient 4-pin PWM connection. 2 high powered fans coupled with a dense aluminium fin array should make for excellent heat dissipation potential. The benefits of the H.D.T. design base’s heat transfer rate should become evident when used in conjunction with the aforementioned heat dissipation features. Let’s hope that our hot Core i7 2600K doesn’t saturate the claimed 230W heat extraction limit of those 5 copper heatpipes.

Thermaltake have designed their Frio Advanced to support all modern Intel and AMD sockets including the brand new LGA 2011. Priced at a very appealing £50/€50, the Thermaltake Frio Advanced could be a huge success in the budget conscious enthusiast market. So, without further ado, let’s put the Frio Advanced through our barrage of demanding tests and see if it can handle our extreme 4.7GHz overclock test which only the best few coolers are able to complete.

Xigmatek’s CPU cooler line-up is a vast one. They offer many contenders in a variety of markets which cater for every target audience. We recently tested one of their high end products in the Aegir SD128264 and found it to be a good performer if just a tad over-priced. Today we will be looking at a younger brother of the Aegir, Xigmatek’s Gaia SD1283.

The Gaia is available at the extremely competitive price of £17 in the UK, around $30 in the US and around €24 in Europe. While it may be half the price of its larger sibling, Xigmatek don’t want that to translate into half the performance. They try to accomplish this by using 3 8mm heatpipes in a direct-touch design coupled with a fairly dense aluminium fin array full of heat-extraction enhancements. A 120mm, PWM fan is used which is capable of pushing 56.3 CFM of air and rotating between 800 and 1500 RPM. Included are extra rubber mounts for those of us who want to squeeze out every last drop of heatsink potential by using a pair of fans in a push-pull configuration.

Xigmatek have catered for every user with the Gaia’s compatibility. It supports every modern Intel and AMD socket and has been confirmed to support the new LGA 2011 socket when it is released shortly. The dimensions of a heatsink are a commonly overlooked aspect by many manufacturers. Xigmatek have taken note of this and designed their 158mm tall heatsink to fit in a large amount of mid-tower or bigger cases.

Reading through the specification sheet reveals heaps of potential for the Gaia SD1283. Can the cooler deliver and challenge the likes of Cooler Master’s Hyper 212 Plus for the alluring price vs. performance crown?

Cooler Master have long been one of the major contenders in the CPU cooling market. Their popular enthusiast orientated ‘V’ series continues to offer excellent cooling performance at the price overclockers and gamers demand. The performance and price of their V6GT in particular was so competitive that we actually awarded it the coveted eTeknix gold award and continue to use it as a worthy comparison to the other CPU coolers we test. The ‘V’ series isn’t Cooler Master’s only claim to fame though. They currently offer one of the best price vs performance coolers available in the legendary Hyper 212 Plus. While Cooler Master may have a well established line-up of high performance coolers, low noise solutions are something they have been lacking, until now that is.

The Hyper 612S is one of the first attempts by Cooler Master to enter and conquer the low noise CPU cooler market. The heatsink itself is huge! It consists of no fewer than 6 6mm copper heatpipes, a flat copper base and a large aluminium fin array. The spacing between each aluminium fin is far wider than we have become accustomed to from Cooler Master CPU coolers. The wide fan gaps allow the 1300 RPM, 120mm fan to offer optimal cooling performance at its low fan speed while also keeping noise output to a minimum.

All modern Intel and AMD sockets are compatible with the Hyper 612S meaning that anybody using a modern system can (hopefully) enjoy the benefits of quiet computing and effective CPU cooling performance. Priced at around £35 this low noise solution could be perfect for enthusiasts who crave high overclocks and low noise.

So have Cooler Master hit a stroke of genius by expanding their cooling product category to the low noise market or should they have stuck to performance orientated coolers? Let’s find out.

Akasa Thermal Solutions are a well known cooling brand who strive to design competitive products which leave the consumer with a happy wallet. Value for money has long been the basis behind which their main products have been designed, with this aim proving to be successful enough to allow them to vastly expand their product catalogue. Akasa’s most recent success in the CPU cooling market was via the extremely competitive and highly regarded Akasa Venom. Today we will be taking a look at the Venom’s successor; the Akasa Venom Voodoo.

The Venom Voodoo keeps its predecessor’s striking yellow and black theme which resembles danger in the form of venom. Arguably the main feature of the Venom Voodoo is its gargantuan 6 direct touch copper heatpipe base. Yes, you heard me correctly, 6 6mm copper heatpipes forming a H.D.T. base. An aluminium fin array with standard fin spacing provides the heat dissipation medium for the 6 heatpipes transporting heat from the base. Airflow comes in the form of a pair of Akasa’s very popular 120mm Viper PWM fans which are capable of up to 1900RPM and 83.6CFM.

Compatibility with every modern Intel and AMD socket including AM3+ and LGA 2011 is offered by the Venom Voodoo’s mounting kit. Weighing in at a heavy 1065g and extended to 163.5mm tall, the Venom Voodoo definitely requires a large case to put it to good use. Retailing for around £40 in the UK, €45 in Europe and $60 in the US, Akasa could have a major winner on their hands if excellent performance accompanies the competitive price tag.

We were amazed by the performance and pricing of Akasa’s original Venom CPU cooler, awarding it our coveted eTeknix gold award. Have Akasa calculated the mixture for success just as they did with the original Venom or is the Venom Voodoo just a shadow of its predecessors glory?

While we love to bring you the latest reviews of products that have just come to market, sometimes we do need to take a step back and look at products that are already on the market and see why their products are having the success they are.

In this case, we are looking at a product that has been on the market for quite some time, but it is not till quite recently that the competition from Antec and Corsair has re-ignited the Liquid Cooling market. This Coolit Domino, is, if you like, a predecessor to the products we see today and as such we do expect that the newer products will have learnt from any mistakes Coolit may have made, but that’s not to say the Coolit might not offer better value for money or even superior performance.

Coolit are a well known company specialising in cooling systems for computers, encompassing CPU Cooling, GPU Cooling and other thermal products and have always tried to market products that differ from the norm, so lets see how the Domino performs in our tests.

Xigmatek are an interesting company who always look to push the performance and design boundaries of every heatsink they produce. One of the first heatsink manufacturers to successfully implement an effective H.D.T. (Heatpipe Direct Touch) design base, they have taken this feat one step further with the use of a D.L.H.D.T or Double Layer Heatpipe Direct Touch design on their SD128264 Aegir CPU cooler.

Continuing the naming scheme which sees Xigmatek’s coolers sharing their titles with ancient gods, Aegir or Ægir is a god of the ocean and king of the sea creatures known for throwing elaborate parties. The SD128264 shows resemblance to the recently reviewed SD963 Loki with its general appearance and design, so hopefully it will match the success of its smaller brother. Falling directly in the middle of the fierce £30-£40/$50-$70 price range at £35/$60, the Xigmatek SD128264 Aegir is going to have to put up an inspiring fight to be worthy of the price vs. performance recommendation.

The Aegir is a single tower D.L.H.D.T designed cooler. It features 6 copper heatpipes, four of which are 6mm in diameter and spread equally between the top and bottom side of the base meaning that 2 of them come in direct contact with the CPU heatspreader. The other two 8mm heatpipes are positioned directly in the centre of the base allowing them to come in direct contact with the hottest part of the CPU. The fairly dense aluminium alloy fin array receives up to 89.45 CFM of airflow from the 2200 RPM, 120mm, white LED, PWM fan.

The specification sheet shows huge potential but can this Aegir prove itself as the king coolers or are the competitors going to spoil its party?

Fan controllers are a peripheral that get very little praise from the enthusiast crowd. We seem to just use them and not take too much notice of the way they change our computing experience for the better. If you stop and think, it is easy to realise how important fan controllers are in daily usage scenarios, I can’t imagine anybody loving the loud noise of their fans on 100% speed 24/7.

Akasa are a brand who have realised the importance of fan controllers and strived to deliver the most effective product to suit everybody’s needs. Today we take a look at a product that was built almost in partnership with their loyal fans and customers, the FC. Trio fan controller.

The brushed aluminium FC. Trio is one of Akasa’s latest releases in the fan controller category. Listening to the consumer feedback of its FC-03 predecessor, the FC. Trio aims to offer an improved design and features list that has been desired but missing in previous Akasa fan controllers. Specific options such as being able to entirely turn off the bright VFD display and allow the fans to stop spinning completely were asked for by buyers, so those options they got. Other useful features are present such as a 30W per channel power rating, 3 channel controller and temperature monitoring system ensuring that the FC. Trio should tick everybody’s box.

The FC. Trio seems like a very feature rich fan controller. Let’s hope all of the advertised functions work in our tests.

Today, we are looking at their current flagship VGA cooler, the V6000. The V6000 is a high performance VGA cooling solution with promising characteristics such as 6 heat pipes feeding from a copper base, an aluminium heatsink with dense fin array and twin 92mm, 1800 RPM ‘quiet’ fans. Offering compatibility with the latest and greatest in single-GPU graphics cards such as the Radeon HD6000 and GeForce GTX500 series as well as some of the ageing hits such as AMD’s HD4870 and nVidia’s GTX 260, the DeepCool V6000 can be utilized by many potential consumers.

With an available retail price of around £50, the DeepCool V6000 has some very stern competition from competing manufactures such as Gelid. £50 places this cooler in an expensive market segment, so the performance better be good enough to compliment it’s price tag.

You can query any enthusiast on what they believe to be the best CPU cooler currently available for consumer purchase. The pair of dual tower brutes clinching the top two results in terms of popularity would probably be the mighty Noctua NH-D14 and Thermalright Silver Arrow. For a long time now, these two monsters have been widely regarding as the best there is where air cooling is concerned but can Phanteks with their dual tower PH-TC14PE CPU cooler change this ageing trend?

The PH-TC14PE features a unique design in so many ways. It is one of the few coolers that has been designed to pack the conduction might of 5 double ended 8mm copper heatpipes departing the copper base for a dual tower aluminium fin array. That is some extreme conduction and heat extraction muscle for a single CPU cooler. The unique features don’t stop there though. Phanteks have their own patented designs for helping them to avoid unintentional nose-dives in cooling performance. P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-oxidant Thermal Shield) which has been successfully proven in the aviation industry and C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating) technology are just some of the potentially useful and truly unique features designed to improve the cooling performance and thermal conductivity of the PH-TC14PE. Where other manufacturers fall short and overlook such an important aspect of any CPU cooler, the fan, Phanteks haven’t. They have made sure to include two of their high quality PH-F140TS Maelström Vortex Booster 140mm fans ensuring the potential heat extracting prowess isn’t disappointingly wasted by a lack of airflow.

With a red, blue, orange and standard (frosty white in colour) designed cooler being sold by Phanteks, the aesthetics are basically faultless. This is useless without the obligatory performance accompanying those tremendous looks, so let’s waste no more time and explore the performance of this colossal CPU cooler.

You may not have heard anything about Phanteks before and there is a reason behind that. They are a company who specialise in cooling products and up until a few weeks ago, were relatively unheard of by the majority of the public due to the fact that their business and products have been kept quiet. Now, the time has come for an explosion into the consumer cooling market. With the ever growing demands of new processors, graphics cards and other heat producing equipment, now is a brilliant time for a new cooling manufacturer to enter the scene.

Today we will be reviewing the 140mm Phanteks PH-F140TS fan. The 9 bladed F140TS is designed for use with CPU coolers and as a case fan. It uses an UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) bearing which should ensure low noise and a healthy lifespan hence the low 19dbA acoustic rating and greater than 150,000 hours MTBF. Offering a rated speed of 1200RPM (+/- 10%) and whopping 78.1 CFM of airflow, this is one fan that we definitely are keen to observe in action. The fan comes in 4 different colours; red, blue, orange and white guaranteeing compatibility with every type of case and colour scheme.

We have talked you through the features of the Phanteks PH-F140TS fan and the information about the company designing it, so let’s delve into the review and see how the performance stacks up against some of its competitors.

At first glance the Icy Vision Rev. 2 looks to be a decent performer. It features 5 heatpipes in a unique constellation, 85 aluminium fins and a pure copper base. The cooler’s heat transfer looks like it should be very potent for the task so the fact that dual “S-shape” 92mm Gelid fans which offer “20% more air flow” are used makes the complete heatsink and fan combination look very promising from a performance point of view. All of these performance features coupled with the wide range of ATI/AMD and nVidia compatibility and the Gelid Icy Vision Rev. 2 looks like it will be a great contender for the heat of our Radeon HD4870 graphics card.

Hopefully the Icy Vision Rev. 2 will impress us in testing just as much as its specification sheet has!

Features:

• 5 high performance power heatpipes
• Premium Aluminium fins & pure Copper base
• Dual S-shape fans for 20% more air flow
• Ball bearing fans for a long life time
  
• CrossFire & SLI compatible

The Loki SD963 aims to offer a cheap and cheerful upgrade for anybody who is currently using the stock heatsink supplied with their CPU. Using multiple Aluminium fins and 3 copper 6mm heatpipes entering into a Heatpipe Direct Touch (H.D.T.) base, the Loki looks to be a decent upgrade from the stock heatsink. A 1200-2800 RPM 92mm PWM fan should offer plenty of airflow to dissipate the heat extracted from a hot CPU, while the 20-28 dbA noise level should ensure any system can keep quiet.

Can Xigmatek offer the perfect upgrade from a stock heatsink in the SD963 Loki?

Features:

• H.D.T. (Heat-pipe direct touch) technology
• Dual fan installed option and anti-vibration rubbers attached
• 3 high performance U type heatpipes
• Light weight
• High performance, easy installation
• Highly efficient PWM fan

Specifications:

[TABLE=class: grid]
[TR]
[TD]Heatsink fin material[/TD]
[TD]Aluminium alloy[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Number of heatpipes[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Heatpipe diameter[/TD]
[TD]6mm[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fan speed[/TD]
[TD]1200-2800 RPM[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fan air flow[/TD]
[TD]52 CFM[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fan air pressure[/TD]
[TD]3.7mmH2O[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fan noise level[/TD]
[TD]20-28 dbA[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dimensions[/TD]
[TD]92(W) x 50(H) x 134(D) mm[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Weight[/TD]
[TD]430g (with fan)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Compatibility[/TD]
[TD]Intel LGA 775, 1156, 1366
AMD K8, AM2, AM2+, AM3[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]