The Phanteks PH-TC14PE bears a suspicious resemblance to the renowned Noctua NH-D14, with a similar construction, shape, and even mounting style. If immitation is the greatest form of flattery, Phanteks is head over heels in love.
August 30, 2012 by Lawrence Lee
|
Product
|
Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler |
|
Manufacturer
|
Phanteks |
|
Street Price
|
US$80 |
If you’ve never heard of Phanteks, it should be surprising to hear that they claim to have more than 20 years experience in the field of thermal solutions. While it’s possible they could have been a nameless OEM for much of that time, according to a WHOIS search, their website domain was registered only three years ago. Their product catalog is also almost barren, consisting of just two CPU heatsinks and a pair of fan models.
If that wasn’t suspicious enough, the two CPU coolers listed on their site, the Phanteks PH-TC14PE and PH-TC14CS, look to be almost carbon copies of the NH-D14 and NH-C14, big dual fan heatsinks from the well-known and respected Noctua. In fact we haven’t seen products so similar in this market since the first rash of direct-touch heatpipe coolers were released about four years ago and those were all produced by the same OEM. Today we examine the PH-TC14PE, the NH-D14 look-alike, to determine if it’s a high-quality clone or a shoddy imitation.
|
|
Noctua large coolers are packed in failry big boxes filled with thick cardboard sections that act solely as padding. Phanteks’ packaging is much more compact, no larger than it needs to be and the product inside seemed no less worse for wear from the journey to our labs. One cool thing about Phanteks’ heatsinks is that they comes in different colors. In the case of the PH-TC14PE, you can choose between white, black, blue, orange, and red for both the heatsink body and fan blades. If your case has a side window, this can give your system innards a unique look. Our sample is the red version, however the fan blades have an earthy tone, not far off from the brown of Noctua’s fan blades.
|
|
The package contents are familiar to anyone who’s opened up one of a Noctua box. The mounting hardware is segregated by socket with individual re-sealable bags and there are a considerable amount of accessories including a 3-pin Y cable, a 3-pin to 4-pin PWM adapter, three sets of fan clips, rubber isolation strips, and screws and dampening pads for mounting the fans onto your case if that’s your preference.
|
Phanteks PH-TC14PE_RD: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
|
| Brand | PHANTEKS |
| Model | PH-TC14PE_RD |
| Type | Heatsinks and Fans |
| Compatibilities | Intel Socket LGA 2011/1155/1156/1366/775 AMD FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2 (stock back-plate required) |
| Color | Red |
| Material | .Copper (Base and Heat-pipes), Nickel Plated .Aluminium (Cooling Fins/ Top Cover) .Patented P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-Oxidant Thermal Shield) .Patented C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating) Technology |
| Fan Model | PH-F140 Premium Fan with PWM Adapter |
| Fan Size | 140 x 140 x 25mm (Dual Fans included) |
| Fan Compatibilities | 140 x 140 x 25mm (3pcs) / 120 x 120 x 25mm (3pcs) (Third fan clips and accessories included) |
| Bearing Type | UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) Bearing |
| Blade Geometry | Nine Red Colored Blades with MVB (Maelstrom Vortex Booster) Design |
| RPM | 1300 ± 10% |
| Max Air Flow | 88.6 CFM |
| Max Air Pressure | 1.37mm H2O |
| Acoustical Noise | 19.6 dB (A) |
| RPM with PWM Adapter | 700 – 1200 RPM ± 10% |
| Max Air Flow with PWM | 45.1 – 78.1 CFM |
| Max Air Pressure with PWM | 0.45 – 1.21mm H2O |
| Acoustical Noise with PWM | 13.4 – 19 dB (A) |
| Input Power | 2.8W |
| Current (Ampere) | 0.24A |
| Rate Voltage | 12V |
| MTBF | >150,000 hr |
| Heatsink Dimensions without Fan | 134 x 140 x 160mm (LxWxH) |
| Heatsink Dimensions with Dual Fans | 159 x 140 x 171mm (LxWxH) |
| Heatsink Weight without Fan | 907g |
| Heatsink Weight with Fans | 1110 / 1250g (Single/Dual) |
| Package Dimensions | 167 x 214 x 190mm (LxWxH) |
| Scope of Delivery | .1x PH-TC14PE_RD Heatsink .2x PH-F140 Premium Fan .PH-F140 Fan Accessories .6x Rubber Bar, 12x Fan Clip Adapter, 6x Fan Wire Clip 6x Rubber Pad .1x PWM External Adapter .SoliSku Mounting Kits for Intel and AMD .1x Y-Fan Splitter .1x PH-NDC Thermal Compound .2x Phanteks PH-TC14PE User’s Manual |
| Warranty | 5 Years. |
PHYSICAL DETAILS & INSTALLATION
The Phanteks PH-TC14PE is composed of a copper base, 5 x 8 mm thick copper heatpipes friction-fit to 44 aluminum fins, all nickel-plated by the looks of it. By our measurements, the heatsink is 161.5 mm tall (6.4 inches) but the effective height depends on how high the fans are mounted. According to our digital scale, it weighs approximately 1320 grams (2.9 lb) or 960 grams (2.1 lb) without the fans and clips.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BASE & 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.
|
Approximate Physical Measurements
|
|
|
Weight
|
960 g g 1320 g with stock fans and clips |
| Height | 161.5 mm |
| Fin count | 44 x 2 |
|
Fin thickness
|
0.40 mm |
|
Fin spacing
|
2.21 mm |
|
Vertical Clearance*
|
52 mm |
| * measured from the motherboard PCB to the bottom fin of the heatsink |
|
|
Large Heatsink Comparison:
Average Fin Thickness & Spacing |
||
|
Heatsink
|
Fin Thickness
|
Fin Spacing
|
|
Thermalright HR-01 Plus
|
0.45 mm
|
3.15 mm
|
|
Thermalright HR-02 Macho
|
0.34 mm
|
3.12 mm
|
|
Scythe Ninja 3
|
0.39 mm
|
2.64 mm
|
|
Noctua NH-U12P
|
0.44 mm
|
2.63 mm
|
|
Noctua NH-C12P
|
0.47 mm
|
2.54 mm
|
|
Noctua NH-D14
|
0.43 mm
|
2.33 mm
|
|
Thermalright Archon SB-E
|
0.49 mm
|
2.33 mm
|
|
GELID Tranquillo Rev.2
|
0.40 mm
|
2.30 mm
|
|
GELID GX-7 Rev.2
|
0.31 mm
|
2.25 mm
|
|
Phanteks PH-TC14PE
|
0.40 mm
|
2.21 mm
|
|
be quiet! Dark Rock 2
|
0.38 mm
|
2.22 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
|
|
Scythe Kabuto & Zipang 2
|
0.34 mm
|
1.94 mm
|
|
NZXT Havik 140
|
0.41 mm
|
1.91 mm
|
|
Scythe Mugen-2
|
0.31 mm
|
1.89 mm
|
|
Swiftech Polaris 120
|
0.43 mm
|
1.85 mm
|
|
Thermalright Venomous X
|
0.53 mm
|
1.84 mm
|
|
Noctua NH-C14
|
0.38 mm
|
1.79 mm
|
|
Enermax ETS-T40
|
0.40 mm
|
1.79 mm
|
|
Scythe Yasya
|
0.32 mm
|
1.78 mm
|
|
Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
|
0.40 mm
|
1.70 mm
|
|
Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2
|
0.30 mm
|
1.70 mm
|
|
Scythe Grand Kama Cross
|
0.38 mm
|
1.66 mm
|
|
Reeven Kelveros
|
0.47 mm
|
1.61 mm
|
|
Zalman CNPS9900 MAX
|
0.16 mm
|
1.59 mm
|
|
Thermalright Silver Arrow
|
0.32 mm
|
1.57 mm
|
|
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
|
0.43 mm
|
1.54 mm
|
|
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C
|
0.56 mm
|
1.52 mm
|
|
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
|
0.42 mm
|
1.50 mm
|
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.
|
Reference Noctua 140mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
||
|
Voltage
|
Speed
|
|
|
12V
|
28~29 dBA
|
1250 RPM
|
|
9V
|
21 dBA
|
990 RPM
|
|
7V
|
15~16 dBA
|
770 RPM
|
|
6V
|
13 dBA
|
660 RPM
|
|
Reference Nexus 120mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
||
|
Voltage
|
Speed
|
|
|
12V
|
16 dBA
|
1100 RPM
|
|
9V
|
13 dBA
|
890 RPM
|
|
7V
|
12 dBA
|
720 RPM
|
|
Reference Nexus 92 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
||
|
Voltage
|
Speed
|
|
|
12V
|
16 dBA
|
1470 RPM
|
|
9V
|
12 dBA
|
1150 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 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 or CPUBurn 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
|
|
|
Specifications: Phanteks PH-TC14PE
|
|||
|
Manufacturer
|
Power Rating
|
2.8 W (2.16 W on label) |
|
|
Model Number
|
PH-F140
(PH-F120 on label) |
Airflow Rating
|
88.6 CFM |
|
Bearing Type
|
UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) |
Speed Rating
|
1300 ± 10% RPM |
|
Corners
|
Open |
Noise Rating
|
19.6 dB (A) |
|
Frame Size
|
140 x 140 x 25 mm |
Header Type
|
3-pin |
|
Blade Diameter
|
132 mm |
Starting Voltage
|
3.9 V |
|
Hub Size
|
41 mm |
Weight
|
170 g |
|
Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer
or observed; data in the blue cells were measured. |
|||
The stock fan’s blades are straighter than most and fills up most of the space between the hub and the frame. The gaps between the blades and the space between the blade edges and frame is minimal. It’s also notable that the tips of the blades are raised slightly on the exhaust side. We couldn’t dig up any meaningful information or schematics on its mysterious “Updraft Floating Balance” bearing though Phanteks claims is raises the axis to increase its MTBF (mean time before failure) to an unheard of 17+ years.
|
|
The stock fans are among the best 14 cm models we’ve encountered. At 9V (1050 RPM) and above, they were whiny as most fans tend to be, but they had a very nice smooth sound at lower levels. There was no audible tonality or bearing chatter, even at close proximity, which is incredibly rare in our experience.
|
Stock Fan Measurements
|
||||
|
Voltage
|
One Fan
|
Two Fans
|
||
|
Speed
|
Avg. Speed
|
|||
|
12V
|
1360 RPM
|
32 dBA
|
33 dBA
|
1260 RPM
|
|
9V
|
1130 RPM
|
26 dBA
|
27 dBA
|
1050 RPM
|
|
7V
|
940 RPM
|
20 dBA
|
21 dBA
|
880 RPM
|
|
6V
|
830 RPM
|
17 dBA
|
18 dBA
|
790 RPM
|
|
5V
|
710 RPM
|
14 dBA
|
14~15 dBA
|
680 RPM
|
|
Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
||||
The two included fans were close in speed to one another, differing by 40 RPM at most, so we didn’t experience any noticeable intermodulation effects. Strangely when the outer fan was removed, the fan at the center increased in speed by 30 ~ 100 RPM depending on the voltage. As a result, the noise levels were pretty similar whether we had one or both fans mounted. The fans became quiet at about 7V (close to 900 RPM).
TEST RESULTS
|
Test Results: Phanteks PH-TC14PE
|
||||
|
Fan Voltage
|
One Fan
|
Two Fans
|
||
|
Thermal Rise
|
||||
|
Stock 140mm Fan
|
||||
|
12V
|
32 dBA
|
38°C
|
35°C
|
33 dBA
|
|
9V
|
26 dBA
|
39°C
|
37°C
|
27 dBA
|
|
8V
|
20 dBA
|
42°C
|
38°C
|
21 dBA
|
|
7V
|
17 dBA
|
45°C
|
39°C
|
18 dBA
|
|
6V
|
14 dBA
|
48°C
|
41°C
|
14~15 dBA
|
|
Reference 140mm Fan: Noctua NF-P14
|
||||
|
12V
|
29 dBA
|
39°C
|
36°C
|
32 dBA
|
|
9V
|
21~22 dBA
|
42°C
|
38°C
|
24 dBA
|
|
8V
|
18 dBA
|
43°C
|
39°C
|
20~21 dBA
|
|
7V
|
15 dBA
|
45°C
|
41°C
|
17 dBA
|
|
6V
|
12~13 dBA
|
48°C
|
43°C
|
13 dBA
|
Not only did the PH-TC14PE’s stock fans sound good, they were excellent performers as well. In single fan configuration, the Phantek fan kept pace with our reference Noctua fan, putting up similar temperatures at comparable noise levels. In dual fan mode, the stock fans took over, producing similar thermal results with a 2~3 dB reduction.
On most high-end coolers we typically see a decrease of 2~3°C when a second fan is added to the mix. As the PH-TC14PE is designed with dual fan operation in mind the difference was much larger, especially at low speeds. At 7V and 6V, the thermal rise dropped by 6°C and 7°C respectively.
Heatsink Comparison Tables
|
CPU Coolers (ref. 140mm fan): °C Rise Comparison
|
|||
|
Heatsink
|
Fan voltage / SPL @1m*
|
||
|
9V
|
7V
|
6V
|
|
|
18~22 dBA
|
13~16 dBA
|
11~13 dBA
|
|
|
Thermalright Archon SB-E
|
37
|
40
|
42
|
|
Prolimatech Armageddon
|
39
|
42
|
45
|
|
NZXT Havik 140
|
40
|
43
|
47
|
|
Noctua NH-C14
(top mounted) |
40
|
44
|
48
|
|
Noctua NH-C14
|
40
|
44
|
49
|
|
Thermalright Silver Arrow
|
39
|
45
|
49
|
|
Phanteks PH-TC14PE
|
42
|
45
|
48
|
|
be quiet! Dark Rock 2
|
49
|
51
|
53
|
| *Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers. | |||
With only one fan at work, the PH-TC14PE isn’t very impressive. Thinner, single-stack heatsinks do considerably better with just one fan.
|
Dual Fan CPU Coolers (ref. 140mm fans): CPU °C Rise Comparison
|
|||
|
Heatsink
|
Fan Voltage / SPL*
|
||
|
8V
|
7V
|
6V
|
|
|
18~20 dBA
|
15~17 dBA
|
12~14 dBA
|
|
|
Prolimatech Genesis
|
36
|
37
|
39
|
|
Thermalright HR-02 Macho
|
36
|
37
|
40
|
|
Noctua NH-C14
|
37
|
39
|
41
|
|
Thermalright Silver Arrow
|
37
|
39
|
41
|
|
Noctua NH-D14
|
38
|
40
|
42
|
|
Phanteks PH-TC14PE
|
39
|
41
|
43
|
|
NZXT Havik 140
|
39
|
40
|
43
|
|
*Note: there are minor differences in measured SPL due to the variety of fan orientations and mounting methods offered by the compared coolers.
|
|||
With two of our reference fans going, the PH-TC14PE trails the Noctua NH-D14 by just a single degree across the board.
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.
- Phanteks PH-TC14PE with two stock fans at 1m
— 5V (14~15 [email protected])
— 6V (18 [email protected])
— 7V (21 [email protected])
— 9V (27 [email protected])
— 12V (33 [email protected])
- Phanteks PH-TC14PE with one stock fan at 1m
— 5V (14 [email protected])
— 6V (17 [email protected])
— 7V (20 [email protected])
— 9V (26 [email protected])
— 12V (32 [email protected])
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is no denying that the Phanteks PH-TC14PE mimics the Noctua NH-D14‘s design but it can’t be dismissed as a cheap knockoff being sold out of the back of a truck in a run-down alley. It doesn’t simply emulate its looks — it is a full-fledged copy that delivers much of the same experience. The PH-TC14PE has a heavy duty build quality, an excellent mounting system, great cooling proficiency, and a nice set of accessories. It even beats the NH-D14 in one key area — its stock fans are more acoustically sound.
The Noctua, bizarrely, ships with only one NF-P14 (14 cm) paired with a smaller NF-P12 (12 cm). Each fan sounds fine on its own but in tandem they create intermodulation effects that imbue the NH-D14 with an undesirable sound. When both heatsinks were equipped with two NF-P14’s, the NH-D14 came out on top ever so slightly but Phanteks’ stock fans were actually more efficient, effectively making it a draw. Even a hypothetical NH-D14 with matching fans doesn’t have a clear edge. All things considered, we actually prefer the clone over the original.
While the Phanteks PH-TC14PE might be a knockoff, it doesn’t come with a heavy discount. In fact, at US$80 it’s slightly more expensive than the NH-D14’s US$75 price-tag. All the coolers in this price range don’t give you much bang for your buck but if you’re looking for a high-end heatsink that sounds great straight out of the box, you can’t do any better than the PH-TC14PE. If you’re more concerned about cooling than acoustic quality, the Thermalright HR-02 Macho and Silver Arrow are better performing alternatives to both.
Our thanks to Phanteks for the PH-TC14PE CPU cooler sample.
* * *
Phanteks PH-TC14PE
is Recommended by SPCR
SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
GELID GX-7 & Tranquillo Rev.2 CPU Coolers
be quiet! Dark Rock 2 Tower Heatsink
Enermax ETS-T40: Direct-Touch Heatpipe Cooler
Thermalright HR-02 Macho Quiet/Fanless Cooler
Reeven Kelveros & Arcziel CPU Coolers
Thermalright Archon SB-E 15cm Fan CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D14 flagship dual-fan CPU cooler
* * *
