The Enermax ETS-T40 tower CPU heatsink/fan is equipped with an impressive looking mounting system, a surprisingly smooth sounding fan, and an affordable price. Unfortunately the one thing missing is great performance.
July 23, 2012 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Enermax ETS-T40-TB CPU Cooler |
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Manufacturer
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Enermax |
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Street Price
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US$35 |
Enermax is a veritable legend in the PC power supply market but like many other manufacturers, they’ve expanded their range to cases and cooling products. Diversification is the general strategy for survival in the face of changing tech market patterns. Our first Enermax CPU heatsink sample is yet another ubiquitous tower, a budget model equipped with direct-touch heatpipes and their distinct “Twister” 120 mm fan.
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Unlike some companies, Enermax isn’t particularly fussy with their packaging. The ETS-T40 ships in a simple white box with blue accents, just large enough for the heatsink and accessories. The ETS-T40 is a simple four heatpipe 160 mm tall cooler in the same vein as the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, the current undisputed low-cost heatsink; it’s not a bad design to emulate. We’ve seen direct-touch heatpipe models come and go but most of them have been cursed with a poor mounting system resulting in less than adequate pressure between the base and CPU heatspreader.
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One look at the ETS-T40’s mounting gear and we’re optimistic. A simple metal frame is assembled around the socket and a thick bar goes over the base exerting a downward force, a system similar to that employed by Noctua, Prolimatech, and Thermalright on their high performance coolers. A second set of fan clips is also included for those who prefer to utilize a dual fan configuration.
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Enermax ETS-T40: Key Features
(from the product web page) |
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Feature & Brief
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Our Comment
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| World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
– Patented VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection. |
Every manufacturer claims their design is optimized for maximum performance. |
| Side flow type with four Ø6mm high performance heat pipes. | A standard design. |
| Unique T.B.Silence PWM fan to adjust the power efficiently and keep the silence. | Unique yet alike to every other PWM fan. |
| Dual fan installed option and solid springs attached. | Typically only useful on thick heatsinks but having the option is a bonus. |
| Anti-vibration rubbers prevent fan vibration and absorb noise. | Dampens vibrations and also creates some separation between the heatsink and fan. |
| Universal bracket for Intel® 775/1155/1156/1366/2011 and AMD® AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1. | Good. |
| High thermal conductivity grease to ensure the best thermal conduction between CPU and the heat sink. | We’ll take their word for it. |
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Enermax ETS-T40: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
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| Model | ETS-T40-TB |
| Compatible Socket | Intel® LGA 775/1155/1156/1366/2011, AMD® AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM |
| Overall Dimension | 139(L) x 93(W) x 160(H)mm |
| Heat Sink Dimension | 139(L) x 70(W) x 160(H)mm |
| Weight | 610g |
| Heat Pipe | 4 x Ø6mm |
| Material | Copper heat pipes, aluminum fins |
| Thermal Resistance | 0.09°C/W |
| Thermal Grease | Dow Corning® TC-5121 |
| Fan Dimension | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan Speed | 800 ~ 1800 RPM |
| Air Flow | 37.57 ~ 86.70CFM 63.83 ~ 147.30m3/h |
| Static Pressure | 0.72 ~ 2.41mmH2O |
| Rated Voltage | 12V |
| Bearing Type | Twister Bearing |
| MTBF | 100,000 hours |
| Noise | 10 ~ 21dBA |
| Connector | 4 pin PWM connector |
PHYSICAL DETAILS
The Enermax ETS-T40 is composed four 6 mm thick copper direct-touch heatpipes friction-fit to just 52 aluminum fins. The heatsink is 160 mm tall, a common height for tower coolers. According to our digital scale, it weighs approximately 620 grams bare and about 840 grams total with the fan secured.
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INSTALLATION
The most critical aspect of installation is that the heatsink be securely
mounted. A firm mating results in good contact between the heatsink’s base and
the CPU heatspreader and more efficient heat conduction. Ideally it should
also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces of
hardware as possible.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
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Approximate Physical Measurements
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Weight
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620 g 840 g w/ fan and clips |
| Height | 160 mm |
| Fin count | 52 |
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Fin thickness
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0.40 mm |
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Fin spacing
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1.79 mm |
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Vertical Clearance*
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44 mm |
| * measured from the motherboard PCB to the bottom fin of the heatsink |
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Large Heatsink Comparison:
Average Fin Thickness & Spacing |
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Heatsink
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Fin Thickness
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Fin Spacing
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Thermalright HR-01 Plus
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0.45 mm
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3.15 mm
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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0.34 mm
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3.12 mm
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Scythe Ninja 3
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0.39 mm
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2.64 mm
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Noctua NH-U12P
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0.44 mm
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2.63 mm
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Noctua NH-C12P
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0.47 mm
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2.54 mm
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Noctua NH-D14
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0.43 mm
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2.33 mm
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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0.49 mm
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2.33 mm
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be quiet! Dark Rock 2
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0.38 mm
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2.22 mm
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Prolimatech Armageddon
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0.51 mm
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2.08 mm
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Prolimatech Megahalems
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0.50 mm
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2.00 mm
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
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0.40 mm
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2.00 mm
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Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2
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0.34 mm
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1.94 mm
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NZXT Havik 140
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0.41 mm
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1.91 mm
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Scythe Mugen-2
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0.31 mm
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1.89 mm
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Swiftech Polaris 120
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0.43 mm
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1.85 mm
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Thermalright Venomous X
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0.53 mm
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1.84 mm
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Noctua NH-C14
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0.38 mm
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1.79 mm
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Enermax ETS-T40
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0.40 mm
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1.79 mm
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Scythe Yasya
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0.32 mm
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1.78 mm
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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0.40 mm
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1.70 mm
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Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2
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0.30 mm
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1.70 mm
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Scythe Grand Kama Cross
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0.38 mm
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1.66 mm
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Reeven Kelveros
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0.47 mm
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1.61 mm
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Zalman CNPS9900 MAX
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0.16 mm
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1.59 mm
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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0.32 mm
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1.57 mm
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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0.43 mm
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1.54 mm
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C
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0.56 mm
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1.52 mm
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Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
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0.42 mm
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1.50 mm
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Testing on larger heatsinks are done on our
LGA1366 heatsink testing platform, while smaller coolers tackle our LGA1155 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system
and procedure follows.
Key Components in LGA1366 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. - Noctua 140 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 140x25mm
fans) - Nexus 120 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 120x25mm
fans) - Nexus 92 mm fan (used when possible with heatsinks that fit 92x25mm
fans)
The systems are silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
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Reference Noctua 140mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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28~29 dBA
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1250 RPM
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9V
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21 dBA
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990 RPM
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7V
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15~16 dBA
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770 RPM
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6V
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13 dBA
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660 RPM
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Reference Nexus 120mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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16 dBA
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1100 RPM
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9V
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13 dBA
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890 RPM
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7V
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12 dBA
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720 RPM
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Reference Nexus 92 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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16 dBA
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1470 RPM
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9V
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12 dBA
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1150 RPM
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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 LGA1366 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 21~23°C.
Stock Fan Measurements
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Specifications: Enermax ETS-T40 Stock Fan
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Manufacturer
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Power Rating
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5.4 W | |
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Model Number
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PD122512MP-N
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Airflow Rating
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37.57 ~ 86.70 CFM |
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Bearing Type
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Twister (sleeve) |
Speed Rating
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800 ~ 1800 RPM |
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Corners
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Open |
Noise Rating
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10 ~ 21dBA |
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Frame Size
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120 x 120 x 25 mm |
Header Type
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4-pin |
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Fan Blade Diameter
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110 mm |
Starting Voltage
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< 5.0 V |
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Hub Size
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39 mm |
Weight
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120 g |
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Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer
or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. |
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Stock Fan Measurements
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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1930 RPM
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35~36 dBA
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9V
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1520 RPM
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28 dBA
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7V
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1060 RPM
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20 dBA
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6V
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820 RPM
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14 dBA
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5V
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580 RPM
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11~12 dBA
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
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The Twister fan’s acoustics are excellent through most of its range. At 9V and above, it is very loud and fairly buzzy, a typical characteristic of sleeve bearing models. At lower speeds, it has a very smooth, pleasant sound. It is a high speed model though (our sample was 130 RPM faster than its rated speed) so it is quite loud until about the 7V / 1060 RPM level. At 5V / 580 RPM it’s effectively inaudible.
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The fan has no audible tonality, as indicated by the lack of peaks in our acoustic analysis. The noise generated is distributed fairly evenly frequency-wise, giving it a smooth broadband profile.
TEST RESULTS
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Enermax ETS-T40
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Fan Voltage
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Fan Speed
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°C Rise
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Stock Fan
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12V
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1930 RPM
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35~36 dBA
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42
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9V
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1520 RPM
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28 dBA
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43
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7V
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1060 RPM
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20 dBA
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49
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6V
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820 RPM
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14 dBA
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55
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5V
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580 RPM
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11~12 dBA
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64
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Reference Nexus 120mm Fan
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12V
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1080 RPM
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16~17 dBA
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44
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9V
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880 RPM
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13 dBA
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46
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7V
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720 RPM
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12 dBA
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50
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Reference Nexus 120mm Fan x 2
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12V
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1080 RPM
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20 dBA
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41
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9V
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880 RPM
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15 dBA
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43
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7V
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720 RPM
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13 dBA
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47
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| °C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (20°C) at load. |
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The ETS-T40 performed well only with its stock fan at very high speeds. A large drop in performance occurred when the fan voltage was lowered below 7V. There was a 6°C increase going from 7V to 6V, and it took an additional 9°C hit at 5V. The ETS-T40 has the dishonor of being one of only a handful of heatsinks that have generated a thermal rise above ambient greater than 60°C on our testing platform. With these results alone, one might conclude that it’s a terrible cooler — but that’s only half-true.
When the stock fan was swapped with our trusty reference Nexus 120 mm fan, its performance picked up considerably. At 12V it emitted 16~17 [email protected], subjectively little more than half the noise of the stock fan’s 20 [email protected] at 7V, yet the Nexus produced a CPU temperature 5°C lower. At 9V, it was 1 dB quieter than the stock fan at 6V but the Nexus had a massive 9°C advantage. Adding a second Nexus fan improved performance by 3°C.
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After testing, we examined the thermal compound footprint and discovered a telltale sign of poor contact between the base and CPU. The ETS-T40 had noticeable veins of TIM spread out fairly evenly on its heatpipes. Contrast this to the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (the best direct-touch heatpipe cooler we’ve ever tested), which had only trace amounts, and much of the important copper pipe sections were virtually clear. High mounting pressure pushes most of the excess compound to the sides leaving only a faint impression behind. (Editor’s Note: It’s also possible that the aluminum dividers between the flattened heatpipes in the Enermax heatsink protrude just a little too far so that pressure between the heatpipes and the CPU is limited.)
Heatsink Comparison Tables
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CPU Coolers (ref. 120mm fan): °C Rise Comparison
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Heatsink
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Fan voltage / SPL @1m*
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12V
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9V
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7V
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15~16 dBA
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12~13 dBA
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11~12 dBA
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C
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38
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40
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43
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Thermalright Venomous X
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38
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41
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43
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Prolimatech Megahalems
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38
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41
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44
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Noctua NH-U12P
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39
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42
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44
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Scythe Mugen-2
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39
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42
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45
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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40
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42
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45
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Prolimatech Armageddon
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40
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42
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46
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
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40
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43
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46
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Noctua NH-C14
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39
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42
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48
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Scythe Yasya
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41
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43
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47
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
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40
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43
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48
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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41
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44
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48
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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42
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43
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49
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Thermalright Ultra-120
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42
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45
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49
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Titan Fenrir
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43
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46
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50
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Scythe Ninja 3
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44
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47
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49
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Enermax ETS-T40
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44
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46
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50
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Noctua NH-C12P
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43
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47
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51
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Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
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43
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47
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53
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Swiftech Polaris 120
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46
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49
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54
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Zalman CNPS10X Flex
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45
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50
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54
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be quiet! Dark Rock 2
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48
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50
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52
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Cooler Master V8
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46
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50
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54
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Reeven Kelveros
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47
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51
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55
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Scythe Grand Kama Cross
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45
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52
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57
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Antec Kühler H20 620
(pump at 7V, almost inaudible) |
52
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52
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53
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Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2
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49
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52
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58
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Scythe Kabuto
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51
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53
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60
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| *Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers. | |||
The ETS-T40’s middling performance with our reference fan puts it in the company of such heatsinks like the Scythe Ninja 3 and the Titan Fenrir; the latter is another direct-touch heatpipe model with a flawed mounting system that could use increased pressure.
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.
- Enermax ETS-T40 with stock fan at 1m
— 6V (14 [email protected])
— 7V (20 [email protected])
— 9V (28 [email protected])
— 12V (35~36 [email protected])
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ouyr first glimpse of the Enermax ETS-T40’s solid mounting system made us think that this could be the direct-touch heatpipe cooler that finally takes down the venerable Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, the king of budget heatsinks. But like the Reeven Kelveros, Swiftech Polaris 120, and Titan Fenrir before it, the ETS-T40’s mounting hardware doesn’t provide good enough contact between its base and the CPU. The end result is middling performance, and it’s only capable of that at high stock fan speed or more quietly when armed with a quality fan. The included Enermax Twister fan is a smooth sounding model that surprisingly delivers poor cooling proficiency at less than top speed with the ETS-T40. At comparable noise levels, our reference fan tromped it.
The ETS-T40 is yet another in a long line of flawed direct-touch heatpipe coolers with more bark than bite. High cost would make the ETS-T40 a complete blunder, but thankfully it has a very palatable street price of only US$35. But if you’re into quiet cooling, we don’t believe it’s worth even that much, not if one has to replace the fan to achieve acceptable cooling performance. It could work cool and quiet enough if your CPU runs cooler than our hot i7-1366. The aforementioned Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus can be found for a mere US$25 or less at some e-retailers, however, and unless this model has changed significantly from the sample we tested two years ago, it is tough to match.
Our thanks to Enermax for the ETS-T40 CPU cooler sample.
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SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
be quiet! Dark Rock 2 Tower Heatsink
Thermalright HR-02 Macho Quiet/Fanless Cooler
Cooler Master GeminII M4 Low Profile Heatsink
Reeven Kelveros & Arcziel CPU Coolers
Thermalright Archon SB-E 15cm Fan CPU Cooler
Antec Kühler H20 620 & 920 CPU Water Cooling Units
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