Budget Coolers for AMD Platform

Part 1. GlacialTech, Speeze and Thermaltake Products

Test results

We use the same procedures for evaluating thermal efficiency of coolers for Socket 754/939/AM2 as for Socket 478 coolers and those that are actively used for testing LGA775 coolers. The primary data used for the consequent calculation of thermal resistance are temperature readings of the thermal diode built into a processor, only the thermal source is different (Athlon 64 3700+ processor), the base platform (Fujitsu-Siemens D1607 motherboard), and a set of test applications.

Testbed configuration:

• Fujitsu Siemens Computers D1607-G motherboard
• AMD Athlon 64 3700+ CPU (Clawhammer)
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP

We use the S&M utility to simulate maximum thermal load of a processor, and SystemGuard from Fujitsu-Siemens to monitor temperatures.

Notes
Each cooler was tested with thermal paste Stars 420
The diagram contains complex results

Note
Thermal resistance θ_ja is defined as the relation
θ_ja = (T_j — T_a)/P_h, where T_j is the temperature of a CPU core, T_a is the environment temperature (it's 33°C in this case), P_h is the thermal capacity of a processor (in this case it's 80 Watts).

Finally, at the end of this article we publish the noise measurement results (the method of testing is described in the article Noise characteristics of coolers and the noise measurement method) as well as the efficiency/noise rating of coolers.

Note: Background noise level 18 dBA

Note
The efficiency/noise ratio (ENR) is calculated as:

ENR = DM*(R_t/P¢C)/(NL/R_n), where

R_t — reference temperature (the reference thermal resistance θ_ja of the cooling system - 0.3°C/Watt), TC — the core temperature with the operating cooling system, R_n — reference noise (the reference noise level is 25 dBA), NL — noise level, generated by the cooling system, DM — denominate multiplier (10).

Summary table

Model	Thermal resistance,  °C/W	Noise, dBA	Weight, g*	Compatibility with Socket AM2
Arctic Cooling Alpine 64	0.48	33	485	Yes
Cooler Master DK8-8I32A-99	0.55	35	410	Yes
Cooler Master CK8-8JD2B-99	0.46	39	485	Yes
Cooler Master CK8-9JD2B-0C	0.54	32	480	Yes
Cooler Master X Dream K640	0,541	321	445	Yes
Cooler Master X Dream K641	0.55	34	430	Yes
Foxconn NBT-CMAK8-1CN	0,481	451	360	Yes
Foxconn NBT-CMAK8-1T	0.66	32	320	Limited
Foxconn NBT-CMAK8-2T	0.63	33	345	Limited
GlacialTech Igloo 7300 Light	0.49	32	415	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7300	0.45	38	415	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7300 Pro	0.43	42	415	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7210 Silent	0.58	30	310	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7210 Light	0.51	33	310	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7210	0.48	37	310	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7220 Light (E)	0.51	33	290	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7220 (E)	0.46	37	290	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7220 Pro (E)	0.44	44	290	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7310 Light	0.48	30	365	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7310	0.45	35	365	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7310 Pro	0.43	40	365	Yes
GlacialTech Igloo 7310 TC	0,461	321	370	Yes
Speeze DolphinReef III	0.50	36	3052	Yes
Speeze KestrelKing I	0.50	48	290	Yes
Speeze KestrelKing II	0.48	49	300	Yes
Speeze CopperReef	0.49	35	4352	Yes
Thermaltake TR2 M6 SE	0.58	33	425	Yes
Thermaltake TR2 M14 SE	0.48	36	470	Yes
Thermaltake TR2 M17 SE	0.46	36	505	Yes
Thermaltake TR2 M19 SE	0.54	40	300	Yes
Thermaltake TR2 R1	0.46	31	435	Yes
Titan Data Cooler DC-K8A825Z	0.54	40	395	Yes
Titan Data Cooler DC-K8A825Z/CU35	0.54	38	405	Yes
Titan Data Cooler DC-K8D925Z	0.48	37	385	Yes
Titan TTC-K8ETB/825	0.54	42	405	Yes
Titan TTC-K8DTB/925	0.53	40	415	Yes
Titan TTC-K8ATB/825/SC	0,533	503	560	No
Titan TTC-NK32TZ	0.41	41	550	Yes

*Full weight, including the retention module

1 This parameter varies depending on fan speed

2 Without taking into account additional installation accessories

3 This parameter corresponds to maximum fan speed

There seems to be no need in any comments here. It's time to have a look at our a table of ranks — ratings of cooling systems!

Budget coolers for AMD - Ratings of 38 Winter Models

Procedural appendix. Integrated Assessment of Usability of Cooling Systems