Month: May 2010

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SPCR’s 2010 CPU Heatsink Test Platform [Updates: 10 April & 31 May]

Our CPU heatsink test platform has been updated with a hotter, more power hungry CPU. Eight of the top heatsinks we tested previously get put through the wringer once again. Some continue to excel while others drop to the wayside.

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Gelid Silent Spirit & Scythe Samurai ZZ CPU Coolers

The Gelid Silent Spirit and Scythe Samurai ZZ are a pair of modestly sized top-down CPU coolers with 92 mm fans. While neither will win any performance awards, their size is an asset in cases too small for large heatsinks with 120/140 mm fans.

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Introduction to Recommended Silent / Quiet Components

The section is a quiet computing guide to selecting components best suited for your needs. The “recommended/reference” articles are updated periodically as new information comes to light and new products surpass old ones. Please read this Introduction, which covers a lot of ground about the how and why behind our recommendations. Enjoy.

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Scythe Grand Kama Cross CPU Cooler

The Scythe Grand Kama Cross is a down-blowing CPU cooler featuring a large 140mm SlipStream fan, 4 copper heatpipes twisted to form a “X” formation, and an relatively small stack of aluminum fins. Does it have what it takes to compete with the big tower heatsinks?

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Fan Test System, SPCR 2010

A new fan test system for 2010 focuses on the desired end result of fans in a PC: Cooling, as seen in temperature drop. Measured airflow ranks low on measured parameters; noise remains priority number one. No one has tested PC fans this way before.

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Samsung N220 Pine Trail Netbook

The Samsung N220 has many of the usual trappings of a 10.1″ netbook including a low resolution screen, a small keyboard, and just 1GB of RAM. However, with Pine Trail at its heart and a hefty 5900mAh battery, it has the potential to be a very cool, quiet, and long-lasting travel companion.

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Titan Fenrir & Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus: Direct Touch Revisited

The Titan Fenrir and Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus are CPU heatsinks with direct touch/contact heatpipes. The Fenrir with its thicker heatpipes and larger body seems to have the advantage, but the slimmer Hyper 212 Plus may be the David to its Goliath.

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Enermax Modu87+ 500W 80Plus Gold

The most efficient ATX12V power supply in the world with a sensible power rating is the Enermax Modu/Pro 87+ 500W. It’s also the quietest, by a slim margin. Alas, finding one to buy is a challenge.

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Corsair Hydro H50 CPU Water Cooler

The Corsair Hydro H50 is an all-in-one CPU water cooler with a waterblock, reservoir and pump integrated into a single piece at one end, and a radiator that mounts to a single 120 mm fan placement at the other. It’s a hassle-free introduction into water cooling… but is it better than a high performance air

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