Prolimatech Panther CPU Cooler Review

Let’s first focus on the cooling performance of Prolimatech’s Panther. At stock CPU frequencies, it manages to match some of the coolers in a similar price range such as Xigmatek’s Aegir and Enermax’s ETS-T40-VD. The cheaper Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus does prove to be stiff competition. Once the thermal load is increased, the Panther pulls ahead of the majority of its nearest price competitors and even manages to match the Hyper 212 Plus’ performance.

Acoustic output can be considered a strength for the Panther. It manages to perform at a quieter level than the Xigmatek Aegir, Thermaltake’s high performance Frio Advanced and Corsair’s all-in-one water cooling unit, the H80. The Hyper 212 Plus operates at a similar acoustic level to the Panther while Phanteks’ dual tower PH-TC14PE and Cooler Master’s Hyper 612S are both quieter. The Panther is by no means loud but does finish mid-table in terms of acoustic output which, coupled with its competitive performance, shows that the Panther offers a good balance between cooling potential and audio output.

Installation was fairly straightforward thanks to a relatively concise manual. Securing the cooler to the motherboard was slightly awkward due to the fact that we had to physically hold the backplate while tightening the cooler’s spring-loaded screws. Once installed, the cooler was kept in position throughout testing showing that its mount was very secure and effective. The low-interference design of the Panther is certain to appeal to users who want enthusiast-level cooling performance but don’t want to sacrifice room around the CPU area or their tall memory modules. The fan installation method is frustrating and borderline inadequate. A pair of clips holds the 120mm fan loosely in place via the frame’s internal space. While the method isn’t great, it does work with the supplied fan. Try attaching a third-party fan such as Scythe’s 1850 RPM Gentle Typhoon and then you will run into problems. We think that Prolimatech should invest some time in creating and implementing a new fan attachment method to avoid any unwanted problems.

One point that we found to be a very odd decision by Prolimatech was the decision to only offer support for Intel’s LGA 1155/1156 socket. Yes, you heard me correctly; the Panther isn’t compatible with LGA 775 or LGA 1366 sockets. This is a decision which Prolimatech have made many times in the past with coolers such as their Megahalems. Will the extra cost involved in adding the LGA 775 and 1366 mounting hardware be outweighed by the extra number of people who could then purchase a compatible cooler? Possibly. Either way, it seems an obscure decision to only offer support for LGA 1155/1156 when LGA 775 and 1366 are still popular sockets.

Using Prolimatech’s Panther in a system with considerable aesthetic importance is definitely possible. The all-silver heatsink has an appealing glimmer to it which should fit in with most colour schemes. The red LED fan will provide some glow and lighting which will appeal to certain users and be disapproved by others. A black PWM cable which is short and very easy to hide should help keep cable clutter to an absolute minimum.

Pricing of €39,90/$55 could be considered fair for the Prolimatech Panther. Cooler Master’s Hyper 212 Plus may be the better price vs performance cooler, but we haven’t really seen a cooler that can actually match it in that field. The Xigmatek Aegir and Enermax ETS-T40-VD are both priced closely to the Panther yet it manages to outperform them both in terms of cooling performance, albeit narrowly in the Xigmatek’s case. The Panther also outperforms the Aegir in terms of acoustic output.

Overall, Prolimatech have a good cooler in the Panther. It outperforms many of its similarly priced competitors, operates at a low noise level and has an extremely non-intrusive design. Anybody looking for a good performing, quiet CPU cooler which doesn’t break the bank or interfere with other components should definitely consider the Prolimatech Panther.