Reeven, a relatively unknown PC cooling company, looks to make a name for themselves with a pair of oddly named heatsinks. The Kelveros is a classic tower heatsink with direct touch heatpipes while the Arcziel is a traditional, but rather tall down-blowing model.
June 25, 2012 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Reeven Kelveros RC-1202 CPU Cooler |
Reeven Arcziel RC-0903 CPU Cooler |
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Manufacturer
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Street Price
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¥ 2,131 (US$27) | ¥ 3,980 (US$50) |
Reeven is a relatively unknown PC cooling company that might have some relationship with Scythe, the well known heatsink manufacturer. The "Reeven" is the name of one of Scythe’s tower heatsinks and a couple of Reeven’s products show up on Scythe’s Japanese website. We recently reviewed the Reeven Vanxie, a tiny low profile stock cooler replacement. This time we look at a couple of bigger models, the oddly named Kelveros and Arcziel.
Reeven Kelveros
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In many regards, the Kelveros is a classic, modern, heavy duty, tower heatsink. It stands 16 cm tall, has a substantial stack of aluminum fins, is equipped with a 1900 RPM 120 mm fan, and weighs just over two pounds. The cooler does have a few interesting features, including direct touch heatpipes, a technology that has made it possible for manufacturers to produce good, but not great, heatsinks at modest cost. The Kelveros also has an imposing jagged fin design, similar to the Scythe Yasya. A two-speed fan controller bracket is attached to the fan to augment its PWM capability.
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The accessories found in the box consist of Intel and AMD mounting hardware, including a rotatable universal backplate, a small packet of thermal grease, and a case sticker. The installation parts seem to be on the weak side, comprised of thin metal brackets and small screws with fine threads. We prefer coarse threads and easy to secure thumbscrews/nuts to minimize fiddling.
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Reeven Kelveros RC-1202: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
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| Model Number: | RC-1202 |
| Compatibility: |
Intel: 775 / 1156 / 1155 / 1366 |
| Dimension: | W130xH160xD79mm / W5.12xH6.3xD3.11in |
| Heatsink Material : |
Aluminum Fins (60 Fins) 6mm Copper Pipex2 / 8mm Copper Pipex2 |
| Fan Dimension: | 120x120x25mm / 4.72×4.72×0.98in |
| Fan Speed: | PWM with High / Low Switch Low: 650~1300RPM High: 650~1900RPM |
| Max. Air Flow: | Low: 35.0 ~ 69.1CFM High: 35.0 ~ 101.3CFM |
| Noise: | Low: 9.4 ~ 25.7dBA High: 9.4 ~ 34.7dBA |
| Weight: | 755g /1.66lb (Heatsink Only) |
Reeven Arcziel
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The Arcziel is a more modestly sized down-blowing cooler with a 92 mm fan, a height of 11.6 cm and weighs slightly over a pound. It utilizes a traditional three heatpipe soldered to a copper base scheme. The fan is raised using four plastic clips, creating a fair amount of separation. This produces less turbulence but also decreases cooling proficiency. It’s a questionable choice as the fin-stack is very dense and thick for a top-down heatsink.
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The Arcziel has a similar accessory set, but includes extra fan clips which actually turned out to be not only useful, but entirely necessary. Being a budget heatsink, the mounting options are more basic, pushpins for Intel motherboards, and tension clips for AMD installations.
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Reeven Arcziel RC-0903: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
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| Model Number: | RC-0903 |
| Compatibility: |
Intel: 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 AMD: AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 / 940 / 939 / 754 Socket AM3+ / FM1 ready |
| Dimension: | W95xD121.5xH86.5mm / W3.74xD4.78xH3.4in |
| Heatsink Material : |
Aluminum Fins / 6mm Copper Heatpipe x 3 / Copper base |
| Fan Dimension: |
92 x 92 x 25mm 3.62 x 3.62 x 0.98in |
| Fan Speed: | 500 ~ 2500RPM (PWM) |
| Max. Air Flow: | 10.0 ~ 51.15CFM |
| Noise: | 7.8 ~ 32.3dBA |
| Weight: | 383g 0.85lb (Heatsink Only) |
Physical Details & Installation: Reeven Kelveros
The Reeven Kelveros is composed of 59 aluminum fins friction fit to two 6 mm and two 8 mm direct touch heatpipes made of copper. The cooler measures 130 x 160 x 79 mm or 5.1 x 6.3 x 3.1 inches (W x H x D) and weighs about 940 grams or 2.1 lb.
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Physical Details & Installation: Reeven Arcziel
The Reeven Arcziel is composed of 60 aluminum fins friction fit to three 6 mm copper heatpipes which are in turn soldered to a large copper base. The cooler weighs 480 grams or 1.1 lb and measures 95 x 121.5 x 116 mm (86.5 mm tall without the fan) or 3.7 x 4.8 x 4.6 inches (W x D x H).
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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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| Cooler | Reeven Kelveros | Reeven Arcziel |
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Weight
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770 g 940 g with stock fan and clips |
400 g 480 g with stock fan and clips |
| Height | 160 mm | 116 mm |
| Fin count | 59 | 60 |
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Fin thickness
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0.47 mm | 0.28 mm |
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Fin spacing
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1.61 mm | 1.41 mm |
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Vertical Clearance*
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43 mm | 50 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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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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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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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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Small 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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Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B
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0.29 mm
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1.13 mm
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Scythe Big Shuriken
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0.33 mm
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1.19 mm
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Reeven Vanxie
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0.28 mm
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1.39 mm
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Reeven Arcziel
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0.28 mm
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1.41 mm
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Noctua NH-L12
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0.49 mm
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1.51 mm
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Scythe Kozuti
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0.12 mm
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1.69 mm
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Scythe Samurai ZZ
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0.33 mm
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1.74 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.
Key Components in LGA1155 Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge core, LGA1155, 3.1 GHz, 45nm, 95W TDP, overclocked/volted to 3.6 GHz and 1.300V.
- Intel DP67BG ATX motherboard.
P67 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Kingston
SSDNow V 30GB 2.5" solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - OCZ Platinum Extreme Low Voltage DDR3 memory. 2 x 2 GB, DDR3-1333 in dual channel.
- Seasonic X-400 SS-400FL
400W ATX power supply. Passively cooled - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs.
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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1080 RPM
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9V
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13 dBA
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880 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.
Reeven Kelveros: Stock Fan Measurements
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Specifications: Reeven Kelveros Stock Fan
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Manufacturer
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Power Rating
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6.24 W | |
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Model Number
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RM1225S19C-PS
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Airflow Rating
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101.3 CFM |
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Bearing Type
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Sleeve |
Speed Rating
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1900 RPM |
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Corners
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Open |
Noise Rating
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34.7 dBA |
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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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114 mm |
Starting Voltage
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< 5.0 V |
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Hub Size
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40 mm |
Weight
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170 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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The stock fan bears a resemblance to Scythe’s Slip Stream series due to the soft curves of blades and the curled struts that increase the angle they form with the blade’s edges. Spinning at around 1900 RPM, the fan has a substantial power draw of 6.24 W, a tremendous airflow rating of 101.3 CFM and presumably a high noise output to match.
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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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1960 RPM
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34 dBA
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9V
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1600 RPM
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30~31 dBA
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7V (low)
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1330 RPM
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25 dBA
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6V
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1150 RPM
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21 dBA
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5V
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870 RPM
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15~16 dBA
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4.5V
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590 RPM
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11 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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Though the Kelveros fan has a high nominal speed, its acoustic character was surprisingly inoffensive for much of its range. It was turbulent and buzzy at higher speeds like many sleeve bearing models, but as the motor was slowed, the noise quality remained more or less constant. The one exception was at 5V where it generated 15~16 [email protected] and produced on an odd low pitched tone. This seems to be an isolated effect that was only noticeable at or near the 5V level, so for the most part, the fan undervolts well. The included two speed controller acts as a 12V/7V switch which isn’t particularly useful as PWM control is now common, and the fan still emitted a loud 25 [email protected] at 7V.
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Our acoustic analysis shows the tone we noted at 5V is centered at approximately 300 Hz. At most other voltages, the fan was surprisingly smooth.
Reeven Kelveros: Test Results
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Reeven Kelveros
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Fan Voltage
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Fan Speed
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°C Rise above Ambient
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Stock Fan
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12V
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1960 RPM
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35 dBA
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44
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9V
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1600 RPM
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30~31 dBA
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45
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7V
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1330 RPM
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25 dBA
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46
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6V
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1150 RPM
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21 dBA
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47
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5V
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870 RPM
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15~16 dBA
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51
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4.5V
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590 RPM
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11 dBA
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58
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Reference Nexus 120mm Fan
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12V
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1080 RPM
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15~16 dBA
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47
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9V
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880 RPM
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13 dBA
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51
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7V
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720 RPM
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11~12 dBA
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55
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The Kelveros’ delivered a 44°C rise at top speed, a poor showing as top notch heatsinks can typically reach a similar result with very low fan speeds. Furthermore, the performance barely changed when the fan was slowed to between 9V, 7V, and 6V. The stock fan was essentially bottlenecked by the capabilities of the heatsink. Low speed performance wasn’t great either; the stock fan was beaten by our reference Nexus 120 mm fan by 3~4°C operating at similar noise levels.
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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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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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Cooler Master V8
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46
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50
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54
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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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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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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 Kelveros isn’t a bad heatsink, but it is incredibly inefficient for its size and weight, ending up near the bottom of our large heatsink performance chart. It was also second worse amongst side-blowing tower coolers, beating only the AC Freezer Xtreme.
Reeven Arcziel: Stock Fan Measurements
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Specifications: Reeven Arcziel Stock Fan
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Manufacturer
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Power Rating
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2.52 W | |
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Model Number
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RM9225S25C-P
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Airflow Rating
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51.15 CFM |
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Bearing Type
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Sleeve |
Speed Rating
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2500 RPM |
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Corners
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Open |
Noise Rating
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32.3 dBA |
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Frame Size
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92 x 92 x 25 mm |
Header Type
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4-pin |
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Fan Blade Diameter
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85 mm |
Starting Voltage
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< 5.0 V |
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Hub Size
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32 mm |
Weight
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80 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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The Arcziel’s stock 92 mm fan is a fairly high speed sleeve bearing model, rated for 2500 RPM. The design is unremarkable, with seven hook style blades intersected by straight struts.
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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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2570 RPM
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33 dBA
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9V
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1920 RPM
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25 dBA
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8V
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1640 RPM
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21~22 dBA
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7V
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1370 RPM
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16 dBA
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6V
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1100 RPM
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13 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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As one would expect of a 2500 RPM model, the Arcziel’s stock fan is quite loud. It becomes quieter when undervolted, but the fan’s character changes depending on the level. At 9V and above, it had a typical buzzy and turbulent nature. At 8V, the turbulence was transformed into an annoying drone. At 7V it produced 16 [email protected] which is considered quiet by most users, but the motor was audibly humming and rattling when observed at close proximity.
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The hum emitted by the fan at 7V has frequency of about 170 Hz, fairly low pitched.
Reeven Arcziel: Test Results
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Reeven Arcziel
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Fan Voltage
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Fan Speed
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°C Rise above Ambient
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CPU
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VRM
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RAM
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Stock Fan
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12V
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2570 RPM
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33 dBA
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34
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22
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21
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9V
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1920 RPM
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25 dBA
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38
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30
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25
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8V
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1640 RPM
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21~22 dBA
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40
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34
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26
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7V
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1370 RPM
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16 dBA
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42
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38
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27
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6V
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1100 RPM
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13 dBA
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47
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41
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27
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Reference Nexus 92mm Fan
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12V
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1470 RPM
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17 dBA
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41
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35
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23
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9V
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1150 RPM
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13 dBA
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52
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47
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31
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For such a large cooler (at least by our small heatsink testbed standards), the Arcziel’s performance is underwhelming but at least it doesn’t hit an apex like the Kelveros. The fan speed had a significant impact on temperature, creating a 13°C range between 6V and 12V operation. Interestingly, this is one of the few heatsinks where our reference fan actually fared worse, producing a thermal rise above ambient 5°C higher than the stock fan while emitting 13 [email protected].
Heatsink Comparison Tables
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°C rise Comparison (CPU Temperature)
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SPL ([email protected])
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20
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19
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18
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17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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Noctua NH-L12
(both fans) |
33
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–
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–
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34
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–
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35
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–
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36
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Noctua NH-L12
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
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–
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–
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–
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–
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34
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–
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37
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Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
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–
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–
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–
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–
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36
|
–
|
39
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Noctua NH-L12
(120mm fan) |
–
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–
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37
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–
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–
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38
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–
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39
|
42
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|
Scythe Big Shuriken
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
41
|
–
|
43
|
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B
|
–
|
39
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
43
|
–
|
48
|
|
|
Reeven Arcziel
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
42
|
–
|
–
|
47
|
–
|
|
Scythe Samurai ZZ
(ref. 92mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
44
|
–
|
51
|
|
Reeven Arcziel
(ref. 92mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
41
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
52
|
–
|
|
Scythe Samurai ZZ
|
–
|
–
|
45
|
–
|
–
|
46
|
–
|
52
|
|
|
Noctua NH-L12
(92mm fan) |
42
|
–
|
44
|
–
|
47
|
–
|
51
|
57
|
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken
|
43
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
46
|
–
|
61
|
|
|
Scythe Kozuti
|
–
|
–
|
57
|
–
|
–
|
62
|
–
|
65
|
|
|
Reeven Vanxie
|
–
|
66
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
77
|
–
|
F
|
Initially we thought it unfair to test such a big cooler on our small heatsink testbed, but our fears turned out to be unjustified. Like the Kelveros, the Arcziel doesn’t live up to expectations, being outperformed by the Big Shuriken 2 and Noctua NH-L12, despite a huge size mismatch.
|
°C rise Comparison (VRM Temperature)
|
|||||||||
|
SPL ([email protected])
|
20
|
19
|
18
|
17
|
16
|
15
|
14
|
13
|
12
|
|
Noctua NH-L12
(both fans) |
17
|
–
|
–
|
19
|
–
|
21
|
–
|
23
|
|
|
Noctua NH-L12
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
20
|
–
|
25
|
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
25
|
–
|
29
|
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B
(ref. 120mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
27
|
–
|
31
|
|
|
Noctua NH-L12
(120mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
24
|
–
|
–
|
26
|
–
|
27
|
32
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B
|
–
|
29
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
34
|
–
|
39
|
|
|
Noctua NH-L12
(92mm fan) |
28
|
–
|
31
|
–
|
33
|
–
|
38
|
43
|
|
|
Scythe Samurai ZZ
(ref. 92mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
36
|
–
|
43
|
|
Reeven Arcziel
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
38
|
–
|
–
|
41
|
–
|
|
Scythe Big Shuriken
|
28
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
30
|
–
|
47
|
|
|
Reeven Arcziel
(ref. 92mm fan) |
–
|
–
|
–
|
35
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
47
|
–
|
|
Scythe Kozuti
|
–
|
–
|
36
|
–
|
–
|
40
|
–
|
45
|
|
|
Scythe Samurai ZZ
|
–
|
–
|
38
|
–
|
–
|
39
|
–
|
47
|
|
|
Reeven Vanxie
|
–
|
45
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
56
|
–
|
F
|
VRM cooling is even worse on the Arcziel as it has a substantial fin-stack sitting up high above the motherboard, and the fan too is elevated, making it very difficult for airflow to make its way down over the areas around the CPU socket.
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.
- Reeven Kelveros with stock fan at 1m
— 5V (15~16 [email protected])
— 7V (25 [email protected])
— 9V (30~31 [email protected])
— 12V (35 [email protected])
- Reeven Arcziel with stock fan at 1m
— 7V (16 [email protected])
— 8V (21~22 [email protected])
— 9V (25 [email protected])
— 12V (33 [email protected])
FINAL THOUGHTS
Reeven Kelveros
The Reeven Kelveros’ stock fan, despite being a high speed model, has decent acoustics once the speed is turned down. That, unfortunately, is the only compliment we can pay. It’s impossible to run the fan at quiet levels while maintaining good performance because the proficiency of the heatsink is decidedly poor. Of all the tower heatsinks with 120 mm fans we’ve tested over the past few years, the Kelveros is second worst only to the AC Freezer Xtreme, which sold for considerably less.
The main culprit appears to be the mounting system — a backplate doesn’t necessarily equate to good contact between the heatsink base and processor heatspreader. The mounting clips are thin and weak, and attached to the bottom of the heatsink, rather than over the top of the base. When the screws are tightened, the metal bends downward, so most of the extra pressure is applied to the corners, rather than the center where the majority of CPU heat is generated. Having to flip the motherboard upside-down also makes installation difficult, particularly when attempting to center the bolts so no corner is favored over an other.
Availability is also an issue. We found only one place actively selling the Kelveros, a Japanese site listing its price as ¥ 3,980 or close to US$50. At this price, no one should even consider purchasing it. The Kelveros has nothing to distinguish itself aside from its looks.
Reeven Arcziel
As much as the Kelveros disappointed, the Arcziel managed to fail even more dramatically. It’s the first CPU cooler we can recall that could not be installed on our 1366 platform due to incorrect mount sizing. We then resorted to testing it on our LGA1155 test platform for smaller coolers, and it failed to surpass the performance of some heatsinks barely half its size. The fan isn’t very good, either, with tonal elements at various speeds.
The fundamental design of the heatsink seems flawed for a down-blowing model. The fin-stack is very thick with tightly packed fins, creating a big obstacle for the fan to push air through. In addition to being a tall cooler, the fan is raised far off the heatsink surface, decreasing its cooling capability further. The rigid plastic clips used to keep the fan in place are terrible, breaking so easily that Reeven provides an extra set as part of the accessory package. We started off with 8 and after a couple of careful fan swaps, were left with just 3.
The Arcziel too seems to only be available in Japan at the moment, with a retail price of ¥ 2,131 or approximately US$27 after conversion. With all its problems, it might be worth buying at a 50% discount. It is after all, still better than a stock cooler, though is incredibly inefficient for its size.
Reeven has made the most underwhelming entrance to the competitive world of aftermarket CPU coolers we’ve ever seen.
* * *
SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
Thermalright Archon SB-E 15cm Fan CPU Cooler
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 & Reeven Vanxie CPU Coolers
Fans from Noctua & Corsair at Computex 2012
SPCR’s Updated 2012 Small CPU Heatsink Test Platform
Fan
Roundup #6: Scythe, Noiseblocker, Antec, Nexus, Thermalright
Noctua
NH-L12 Low Profile Cooler
* * *
