The Prolimatech Armageddon hopes to capitalize on the greater airflow of a 140mm fan with a narrow, wide body. Its a simple design compared to that of the Coolermaster V8, with its sprawling jumble of heatpipes and fins. One approach rises near the top, while the other sinks close to the bottom.
April 22, 2010 by Lawrence Lee
| Product | Prolimatech Armageddon CPU Cooler | Coolermaster V8 CPU Cooler |
| Manufacturer | Prolimatech | Coolermaster |
| Street Price | US$70 | US$55~$60 |
Prolimatech Armageddon
In spite of their limited product catalogue, the Megahalems
CPU cooler quickly gave the Prolimatech brand instant recognition among PC enthusiasts.
The Megahalems was a powerful opening salvo due to its superb performance, a
solid mounting scheme, and an aggressive marketing campaign that landed review
units at the door of many hardware sites months before the heatsink became available
in North America. The rave reviews that followed had many users looking for
high performance cooling giddy with anticipation for it to arrive.
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Their other CPU heatsink, the Armageddon, shares many of the same design elements,
but is considerably thinner so the fan does not need to generate as much pressure.
The heatpipes are not staggered or arrayed in columns as per usual — they
are lined up all in a row so each one receives direct airflow. The large surface
area is designed to be cooled by an 140 mm fan.
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The mounting hardware for the Armageddon is similar to that found on the Megahalems,
except for the fan clips which we will discuss in greater detail later on. The
backplate only has holes for LGA1156 and LGA1366. Users with AMD systems have
the option of purchasing an AMD
adapter kit separately.
| Prolimatech Armageddon: Specifications (from the product web page) | |
| Heatsink Dimension | (L)144mm X (W)50mm X (H)160.3mm |
| Heatsink Weight | 750g |
| Heatpipe | Ø 6mm X 6pcs |
| Suggest Fan | 140mm X 140mm X 25mm |
| Suggest Fan Speed | 800~1200rpm |
| Suggest Noise Level (dBA) | Below 26dBA |
| Air Flow | 57CFM |
| Direction of heatsink | Faces the rear exhaust system fan |
Coolermaster V8
Coolermaster have been in the cooling game for years, and love them or hate
them, you must admit that they have a sense of fearlessness when it comes to
design. Once they settle on an idea, they commit wholeheartedly each time. The
best example of this was 2 years ago, when they released the massive Hyper
Z600 meant for passive operation. The Z600 weighed more than 1 kilogram,
and it remains to this day, among the heaviest, largest heatsink we have ever
tested.
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The V8 isn’t quite the beast the Z600 was, nor does it feature a revolutionary
design with vegetable juice inside the heatpipes. At the core of the V8 is
an encapsulated 120 mm fan surrounded by a traditional tower body. The only
example of this type of design that has succeeded in recent times is the Noctua
NH-D14. (Editor’s Note: It’s a newer heatsink that manages
to edge the Z600 in massivity.) To make things more interesting (and convoluted),
the V8 also has two smaller heatsink sections on the exterior of each side
— it almost looks like a pair of large northbridge or VRM heatsinks attached
to the main structure. The fan has a controller attached to it that can be
mounted on a expansion slot bracket, but it has a limited range delivering
the equivalent of 9V at its minimum setting.
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The V8 uses the same mounting system as the Z600, which unfortunately involves
tightening the mount from the back of the motherboard. On a more positive note,
all of AMD’s current sockets are supported and the associated
mounting frame can be rotated. Our sample also shipped with LGA1156 and LGA1366
mounting hardware, but according to Coolermaster, the supported Intel sockets
vary from region to region.
| Coolermaster V8: Specifications (from the product web page) | |
| CPU Socket | Intel Socket: LGA1366 / LGA1156 / LGA775*AMD Socket: AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 |
| CPU Support | Intel: Core™ i7 Extreme / Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 / Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium / CeleronAMD: Phenom™ II X4 / Phenom™ II X3 / Phenom™ II X2 / Phenom™ X4 / Phenom™ X3 / Athlon™ II X4 / Athlon™ II X3 / Athlon™ II X2 / Athlon™ X2 / Athlon™ / Sempron™ |
| Dimensions | 120 x 128 x 161.1mm |
| Weight | 865g |
| Heat Sink Dimensions | 120 x 120 x 158mm |
| Heat Sink Material | Copper Base / Aluminum Fins / 8 Heat Pipes |
| Heat Pipes Dimensions | ø6mm |
| Fan Dimension (W / H / D) | 120 x 120 x 25mm |
| Fan Speed | 800 – 1800RPM |
| Fan Airflow | 69.69CFM |
| Air pressure (mmH2O) | 2.94mm H2O |
| Bearing Type | Rifle Bearing |
| Fan Life Expectancy | 40,000hrs |
| Fan Noise Level (dB-A) | 17 – 21 dBA |
| Fan Speed Adjustment | Install on PCI Slot |
| Connector | 4-pin |
| Fan Control | PWM + VR Controller |
| Rated Voltage | 12V |
| Start Voltage | 7V |
| Operating Voltage | 10.38V – 13.2V |
| Rated Current | 0.12A |
| Input Power | 1.44W |
| Note | * Supplied accessories may differ by country or area. Please check with your local distributor for further details. |
PHYSICAL DETAILS – Prolimatech Armageddon
The Armageddon features 6 heatpipes in a straight row and 44 aluminum
fins. It measures 144 x 50 x 160.3 mm and weighs about 770 grams.
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FAN CLIPS – Prolimatech Armageddon
Rather than using long wire clips to grasp the mounting holes
of the fan, fan mounting is accomplished with a set of thin steel clips that
hook through the sides of the fan’s frame. This seemingly innocuous change actually
creates a few problems.
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INSTALLATION – Prolimatech Armageddon
The most critical aspect of installation is for the heatsink to
be securely mounted. The more firmly it is installed, the better the contact
between the heatsink’s base and the CPU itself. It’s also less likely to fall
off. Ease of installation is also important — a simple mounting scheme
means less time spent installing, and a reduced likelihood of screwing up.
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PHYSICAL DETAILS – Coolermaster V8
The interior structure of the V8 has four heatpipes running
through 57 fins while the smaller exterior portions have 39 fins with two
shorter heatpipes each curved to resemble a scythe. The entire heatsink measures
120 x 128 x 161.1 mm (L x W x H) and weighs in at about 700 grams, 860 grams
with the stock fan and cover.
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INSTALLATION & FAN REMOVAL – Coolermaster V8
The most critical aspect of installation is for the heatsink
to be securely mounted. The more firmly it is installed, the better the contact
between the heatsink’s base and the CPU itself. It’s also less likely to fall
off. Ease of installation is also important — a simple mounting scheme
means less time spent installing, and a reduced likelihood of screwing up.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
| Approximate Physical Measurements | ||
| Cooler | Prolimatech Armageddon | Coolermaster V8 |
| Weight | 770 g 900~930 g with 140 mm fan | 700 g 860 g with stock fan and cover |
| Fin count | 44 | 57 (interior) 39 (exterior) |
| Fin thickness | 0.51 mm | 0.30 mm |
| Fin spacing | 2.08 mm | 1.90 mm (exterior) 1.80 mm (interior) |
| Vertical Clearance | 49 mm (from the motherboard PCB to the bottom fin) | 46 mm (from the motherboard PCB to the bottom of the fan) |
| Horizontal Overhang (+/-) | –10 mm (far edge of the heatsink to the top edge of the motherboard PCB) | –20 mm (far edge of the heatsink to the top edge of the motherboard PCB) |
| Comparison: Approximate Fin Thickness & Spacing | ||
| Heatsink | Fin Thickness | Fin Spacing |
| Scythe Ninja 2 | 0.39 mm | 3.68 mm |
| Thermalright HR-01 Plus | 0.45 mm | 3.15 mm |
| Noctua NH-U12P | 0.44 mm | 2.63 mm |
| Noctua NH-C12P | 0.47 mm | 2.54 mm |
| Thermolab Baram | 0.44 mm | 2.52 mm |
| Noctua NH-D14 | 0.43 mm | 2.33 mm |
| Prolimatech Armageddon | 0.51 mm | 2.08 mm |
| Prolimatech Megahalems | 0.50 mm | 2.00 mm |
| Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 0.40 mm | 2.00 mm |
| Xigmatek HDT-S1283 | 0.33 mm | 1.96 mm |
| Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2 | 0.34 mm | 1.94 mm |
| Scythe Mugen-2 | 0.31 mm | 1.89 mm |
| Coolermaster V8 | 0.30 mm | ~1.85 mm |
| ZEROtherm Nirvana | 0.43 mm | 1.82 mm |
| ZEROtherm Zen | 0.37 mm | 1.80 mm |
| Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 0.40 mm | 1.70 mm |
| Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 0.42 mm | 1.50 mm |
| Thermalright Ultra-120 | 0.45 mm | 1.42 mm |
Testing was done on our new
i7-1366 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system and
procedure follows.
Key Components in Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i7-965 Extreme
Nehalem core, LGA1366, 3.2GHz, 45nm, 130W TDP. - Asus
P6X58D Premium ATX motherboard. X58 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Intel
X25-M 80GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - 3GB QiMonda
DDR3 memory. 3 x 1GB DDR3-1066 in triple channel.. - Seasonic X-650 SS-650KM
650W ATX power supply. This PSU is semi-passively cooled. At the power levels
of our test platform, its fan does not spin. - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs. - Nexus 120 fan (part of our standard testing methodology; used when
possible with heatsinks that fit 120x25mm fans)
The system is silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fan is used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
| Reference Nexus 120mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements | ||
| Voltage | SPL@1m | Speed |
| 12V | 16 dBA | 1100 RPM |
| 9V | 13 dBA | 890 RPM |
| 7V | 12 dBA | 720 RPM |
| 5V | 11 dBA | 530 RPM |
Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
power. - Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
the fan speed during the test. - PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
audio interfaces. - Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower - Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
standard fan testing methodology. - SpeedFan,
used to monitor the on-chip thermal sensors. The sensors are not calibrated,
so results are not universally applicable. The hottest core reading is used. - Prime95,
used to stress the CPU heavily, generating more heat than most real applications.
8 instances are used to ensure that all 4 cores (with Hyper-threading) are
stressed. - CPU-Z,
used to monitor the CPU speed to determine when overheating occurs. - Thermometers to measure the air temperature around the test platform
and near the intake of the heatsink fan.
Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC
power supply while the rest of the system was off to ensure that system noise
did not skew the measurements.
Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.
The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 22~23°C.
TEST RESULTS
Reference Fan Measurements: Scythe Slip Stream 140 mm
As we do not currently have a reference 140 mm fan, the Prolimatech Armageddon
was tested with our reference Nexus 120 mm, the Noctua NF-P14 found on the NH-D14
heatsink, and an untested Scythe 140 mm fan.
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| Scythe 140 mm Fan Specifications | |||
| Manufacturer | Power Rating | 2.64 W | |
| Model Number | SM1425SL12LM-P | Airflow Rating | 69.93 CFM |
| Bearing Type | Sleeve | RPM Rating | 1300 RPM |
| Corners | Open | Noise Rating | 24.7 dBA |
| Frame Size | 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Header Type | 4-pin PWM |
| Fan Blade Diameter | 128 mm | Starting Voltage | ~5.4 V |
| Hub Size | 40 mm | Weight | 140 g |
| Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. | |||
The fan we chose was pulled off a Scythe Grand Kama Cross heatsink, a 140 mm
PWM model from Scythe’s Slip Stream lineup. It has a curved, but quite round
housing, 120 mm fan holes, and a surprisingly small hub.
| Scythe 140 mm Fan Measurements | ||
| Voltage | Speed | SPL @1m |
| 12V | 1310 RPM | 26 dBA |
| 10V | 1090 RPM | 21 dBA |
| 9V | 970 RPM | 17 dBA |
| 8V | 820 RPM | 14 dBA |
| 7V | 680 RPM | 11~12 dBA |
| Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the intake side of the fan. Ambient noise level: 11 dBA. | ||
The Scythe fan exhibits some minor bearing chatter, and is a little whiny
at full speed, but other than that, its acoustics are excellent throughout its
range, like other members of the Slip Stream family. The fan is really only
too loud at 12V. At 10V, the measured noise level is high at 21 dBA, but all
you really hear is turbulence. It undervolts well, becoming inaudible at around
7V, so we did not bother testing it below that level.
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Stock Fan Measurements: Coolermaster V8
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| V8 Stock Fan Specifications | |||
| Manufacturer | Power Rating | 3.84 W | |
| Model Number | A12025-20RB-4DP-F1 | Airflow Rating | 69.69 CFM |
| Bearing Type | Rifle | Speed Rating | 1800 RPM |
| Corners | Open | Noise Rating | 21 dBA |
| Frame Size | 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Header Type | 4-pin PWM |
| Fan Blade Diameter | 111 mm | Starting Voltage | ~4.0 V |
| Hub Size | 43 mm | Weight | 110 g |
| Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. | |||
The V8 stock fan is similar to the one found on the GeminII S, with 9 translucent
blades with heavy curvature and rifle bearings.
| V8 Stock Fan Measurements | |||
| Voltage | Speed | SPL @1m | |
| With Cover | Without Cover | ||
| 12V | 1980 RPM | 32~33 dBA | 31 dBA |
| 9V | 1460 RPM | 23~24 dBA | 22 dBA |
| 8V | 1240 RPM | 19~20 dBA | 18~19 dBA |
| 7V | 1020 RPM | 15 dBA | 14 dBA |
| 6V | 790 RPM | 12 dBA | 12 dBA |
| Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the intake side of the fan. Ambient noise level: 11 dBA. | |||
Like the Scythe 140 mm, the V8 stock fan has very good acoustics. It’s loud,
turbulent, and produces a noticeable hum at 12V, but is much quieter at 9V,
though it has a tendency to drone. At 8V it sounds fairly smooth but is a little
buzzy. At 7V and below it is very quiet, becoming inaudible at 5V. The fan sounds
noticeably better if the top cover is removed, and doing so does not affect
thermal performance. The included fan controller can only dial down the fan’s
speed to about 1430 RPM, close to 9V.
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Cooling Results
| Prolimatech Armageddon w/ ref. 120 mm fan | |||
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| Fan Voltage | SPL@1m | Temp | °C Rise |
| 12V | 16 dBA | 62°C | 40 |
| 9V | 13 dBA | 64°C | 42 |
| 7V | 12 dBA | 68°C | 46 |
| Prolimatech Armageddon w/ Noctua 140 mm fan | |||
| 8V | 19 dBA | 62°C | 40 |
| 7V | 15 dBA | 64°C | 42 |
| 6.5V | 14 dBA | 65°C | 43 |
| 5V | 12 dBA | 70°C | 48 |
| Prolimatech Armageddon w/ Scythe 140 mm fan | |||
| 10V | 21 dBA | 58°C | 36 |
| 9V | 17 dBA | 60°C | 38 |
| 8V | 14 dBA | 63°C | 41 |
| 7V | 11~12 dBA | 65°C | 43 |
| Load Temp: Prime95 for ~10 mins. °C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (22°C) at load. | |||
Though the Armageddon is design to be used with a 140 mm fan, it performed
pretty well when paired with our reference 120 mm fan. The thermal rise was
only 40°C at 12V, increasing to by a small amount as the fan speed was reduced.
Surprisingly the larger Noctua fan lagged behind. The Nexus fan at 9V generated
the same thermal result as the Noctua fan at 7V, but measured 2 dBA lower which
is easily noticed at 13~15 dBA level. In addition, the lowest speeds we tested
for both fans produced 12 dBA, yet the Nexus had a 2°C edge in cooling.
The Scythe 140 mm fan fared much better than the Noctua. Running at 9V and
17 dBA, it bested the NF-P14 running at 8V and 19 dBA by 2°C. At 7V, it
generated less noise than both the Nexus and Noctua fans at their lowest tested
speeds, but held a solid 3°C lead over the Nexus and absolutely dominated
the Noctua by 5°C.
The Scythe’s convincing victory over the Noctua makes a compelling argument
for its use as our 140 mm reference fan. The model we used isn’t available yet,
but non-PWM versions are on the market and should perform similarly. They are
also more affordable, selling for US$12~$14 while the Noctua goes for more than
US$20.
| Coolermaster V8 w/ stock 120 mm fan* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan Voltage | SPL@1m | Temp | °C Rise |
| 12V | 31 dBA | 64°C | 42 |
| 9V | 22 dBA | 66°C | 44 |
| 8V | 18~19 dBA | 68°C | 46 |
| 7V | 14 dBA | 71°C | 49 |
| 6V | 12 dBA | 78°C | 56 |
| Coolermaster V8 w/ ref. 120 mm fan* | |||
| 12V | 16 dBA | 68°C | 46 |
| 9V | 13 dBA | 72°C | 50 |
| 7V | 12 dBA | 76°C | 54 |
| Load Temp: Prime95 for ~10 mins. °C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (22°C) at load. *top cover was removed during testing (did not affect thermal performance). | |||
The Coolermaster V8 is nowhere near proficient as the Armageddon. When paired
with the stock fan, it is only competitive when fan speeds are high. At 7V and
14 dBA, the thermal rise approached 50°C and increased by 7°C at 6V.
Our reference fan was a much better performer; at 12V, it produced the same
CPU temperature as the stock fan at 8V, but was also quieter by 2~3 dBA. The
Nexus also topped the stock fan by 2°C at the 12 dBA level.
A low speed fan doesn’t have much of a chance sandwiched in the middle of a
structure like that of the V8’s. The fin spacing is on the tight side and ,
the fins on the smaller heatsink sections on the outside run perpendicular to
those on the inside. With so much impedance on both sides of the fan, it is
exceedingly difficult to cool the V8 without high airflow.
Comparables
| °C rise Comparison | ||||
| Heatsink | Nexus 120mm fan voltage / SPL @1m | |||
| 12V | 9V | 7V | Rank | |
| 16 dBA | 13 dBA | 12 dBA | ||
| Prolimatech Megahalems | 38 | 41 | 44 | #1 |
| Prolimatech Armageddon (Scythe 140 mm fan) | 38 17 dBA | 41 14 dBA | 43 12 dBA | N/A |
| Noctua NH-D14 | 38 | 42 | 45 | #2 |
| Noctua NH-U12P | 39 | 42 | 44 | #2 |
| Scythe Mugen-2 | 39 | 42 | 45 | #4 |
| Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366 | 40 | 42 | 45 | #4 |
| Prolimatech Armageddon | 40 | 42 | 46 | #6 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Quiet | 40 | 43 | 46 | #6 |
| Thermalright U120 eXtreme | 40 | 43 | 48 | #8 |
| Thermalright U120 | 42 | 45 | 49 | #9 |
| Noctua NH-C12P | 43 | 47 | 51 | #10 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Extreme | 43 | 47 | 53 | #11 |
| Zalman CNPS10X Flex | 45 | 50 | 54 | #12 |
| Coolermaster V8 | 46 | 50 | 54 | #12 |
| Scythe Kabuto | 51 | 53 | 60 | #14 |
The Prolimatech Armageddon comes in a couple of degrees short of its older
brother when paired with our reference 120 mm fan. It needs to be used with
a decent 140 mm fan like the Scythe Slip Stream to really compete with Megahalems,
but even then, it’s a very close race. Of course we’d wager that equipping any
of the heatsinks in our top 5 with the same Scythe 140 mm fan would give us
similar results.
The Coolermaster V8 just doesn’t have what it takes to excel as a quiet CPU
heatsink. The convoluted mess of heatpipes and fins is too much for a low speed
fan to overcome. Beset on both sides with heavy impedance, our reference fan
delivered a disappointing result that places the V8 near the bottom of our chart.
MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recording starts with 5~10 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.
- Scythe
140 mm Slip Stream fan at 1m
— 7V (11~12 dBA@1m)
— 8V (14 dBA@1m)
— 9 (17 dBA@1m)
— 10V (21 dBA@1m)
— 12V (26 dBA@1m)
- Coolermaster
V8 stock fan at 1m (without fan cover)
— 6V (31 dBA@1m)
— 7V (22 dBA@1m)
— 8V (18~19 dBA@1m)
— 9V (14 dBA@1m)
— 12V (12 dBA@1m)
- Coolermaster
V8 stock fan at 1m (with fan cover)
— 6V (32~33 dBA@1m)
— 7V (23~24 dBA@1m)
— 8V (19~20 dBA@1m)
— 9V (15 dBA@1m)
— 12V (12 dBA@1m)
- Nexus
120mm Real Silent Case fan at 1m
— 5V (11 dBA@1m)
— 7V (12 dBA@1m)
— 9V (13 dBA@1m)
— 12V (16 dBA@1m)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Prolimatech Armageddon
The Armageddon is similar in various ways to the Megahalems.
The two coolers are constructed in the same manner with similar materials, the
weight is within an ounce of one another, and they share the same superb mounting
system. They are like a pair of equally sized blocks of clay; the Armageddon
was molded into a thinner, wider form. The resulting heatsink doesn’t quite
deliver the end-of-the-world performance its name suggests, falling short of
the Megahalems unless you strap a quality 140 mm fan to it.
Speaking of the fan, the included clips work fine but only if the 140 fan in
question has a frame that is flat at the sides. In particular, fans with contours
on the inside of the housing like Scythes will not work. There is also no option
for a 120 mm fan even though the popular fan makers Scythe and Noctua produce
140 mm fans with 120 mm mounting holes, ironically for maximum compatibility.
Two pairs of wire clips that go on the outside, one set for 120 mm fans and
one set for 140 mm fans would have been far preferable.
To summarize, there is little reason to choose the Armageddon over the Megahalems
especially since the Armageddon is priced slightly higher at US$70. Also, in
cases that have the power supply on the ceiling, the Armageddon’s bigger wingspan
may cause interference depending on the distance between the motherboard edge
and PSU and the position of the CPU socket. Still, there’s no question it is
a top CPU cooler, one that might fit the bill better in your particular case
/ system.
| Prolimatech Armageddon | |
| PROS * Excellent performance | CONS * Fan clips incompatible with 120 mm fans and some 140 mm fans |
The Prolimatech Armageddon is Recommended by SPCR
* * *
Coolermaster V8
The V8’s design precludes it from being a quiet effective cooling
solution. It has the look and feel of an impressive cooler, but the heatsink
body is more of an adversary than an ally to the fan buried within its core.
The fins are too tightly spaced, and the fins of the two smaller structures
on the exterior run in the opposite direction, creating even more impedance.
The only thing quiet about the heatsink is the stock fan which has very good
acoustics, but this is marred by the plastic cover it’s attached to. It not
only makes the fan louder, but is a pain to remove if you want to replace the
fan.
The V8 has a very secure mounting system and allows rotation on AMD motherboards,
but getting it on/off is the tricky part. Installation requires the motherboard
to be flipped on its side or upside-down so that the final step, securing the
nuts the back side of the motherboard, can be completed. This is bothersome,
a bit dangerous, and terribly inconvenient. If the case doesn’t have an access
hole behind the CPU socket, the entire motherboard must be removed to get the
V8 off.
On its own, the V8 isn’t a poor heatsink, but it underperforms compared to
much of the competition. There are many alternatives on the market that do a
better job, install with less hassle, and take a smaller bite out of your wallet.
| Coolermaster V8 | |
| PROS * Stock fan has good acoustics | CONS * Middling performance |
* * *
Our thanks to Prolimatech
and Coolermaster
for the Armageddon and V8 heatsink samples.
* * *
Articles of Related Interest
Cogage TRUE Spirit
& Zalman CNPS10X Quiet CPU Coolers
SPCR’s 2010 CPU Heatsink
Test Platform [UPDATED: 10 April 2010]
Zalman CNPS10X Flex CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU
cooler
ZEROtherm Nirvana CPU Cooler
Scythe Top-Down Coolers:
Kabuto vs. Zipang 2
* * *
