Page 3 - Test Results
Our test configuration is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K (Stock settings)
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z87
RAM: Patriot Viper 3 Series Black Mamba DDR3 16GB (2x8GB)
Graphics: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB
Chassis: SilverStone Kublai KL05B-W
Power: SilverStone Strider Gold S ST85F-GS 850W
Storage: SanDisk Ultra II 240GB; Western Digital Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional x64
Compared Hardware:
- SilverStone Tundra TD02-E
- Cooler Master Nepton 240M
- Noctua NH-C14
- Noctua NH-L9x65
- SilverStone Tundra TD03-E
- Intel Stock
All tests were run in our custom built computer to best reflect real life performance. The computer remained in the same location in the same room throughout all tests. The room temperature in our testing lab was around 21c. Stock thermal paste respective to both coolers were used to rate its performance; all pastes were given a proper amount of time for them to fully settle. The fans on all heatsinks were directly connected to the motherboard's 4-pin connector. The computer was turned on and idling for at least one hour for the idling tests. High CPU load results were obtained using the Prime95 in-place large FFTs test with four worker threads for a minimum of ten minutes or until the temperature was deemed stable. The Intel stock cooler was chosen as a baseline reference; it is always a good heatsink to figure out the delta between the reference unit and the tested product for standardizing performance against other coolers, even if not compared directly against.
Included in our tests were the Noctua NH-L9x65, Noctua NH-C14, Cooler Master Nepton 240M, and SilverStone TD03-E. While the two CPU coolers from Noctua are structurally different, and there are AIO liquid coolers in the mix, all of these products are present for perspective's sake. Temperature results were measured with CoreTemp, which reports the CPU's integrated digital thermal sensor for maximum accuracy. Each of the recorded numbers were the highest of the four core temperature values provided.
After allowing our test bench to idle for at least an hour, we dove straight into checking the temperatures. The SilverStone Tundra TD02-E produced an average result of 21 degrees Celsius, while the Intel stock cooler was a bit warmer at 30c. In comparison to its brother, the TD03-E sat at 23c. This is good, as it kept the processor's temperature at room temperature, even though the processor itself was working with a light load. However, this does not give an accurate representation of what coolers are supposed to do, especially for water cooling units, so we turned on Prime95 to see how the Tundra TD02-E stands up to the tests.
Running the test machine at Prime95 allowed us to really push our computer to the limits. Under full load, Prime95 rips the Intel stock cooler a new one, pushing the temperatures to 80 degrees Celsius. This is unacceptable, and can lead to accelerated wear on the processor. The SilverStone Tundra TD02-E kept the processor running at a good 45c. This was a difference of almost half in comparison with the Intel stock cooler, which is awesome. For comparison's sake, the Tundra TD03-E was not too far behind at 53c.
As for the sound goes, on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is silence, and 10 is the definition of loud, I would rate the Tundra TD02-E at 2.5/10 during idle, and around 4.0/10 under full load. When you push your computer to its limits, you will definitely notice the noise as the fans run faster. However, the fans were otherwise unnoticeable.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
