FrostyTech Mk.II Synthetic Thermal Heatsink Test Results
AMD Athlon64 / FX / X2 & Sempron class heatsinks
Results based on readings from a 38x38mm copper interface die with 125W heat load on the K8 version of the Mk.II Test Platform. Temperature results listed for each heatsink were calculated by determining the rise over ambient temperatures at time of test. Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here. |  | | Socket 939/940/754 & AM2 compatible CPU heatsinks | |
|
| manufacturer: | model no.: | *fan speed: | 125w thermal test (°c) | noise level (dba) |
|
| Thermalright | Ultra-120 | | 12.4 | 53.7 |
| Zalman | CNPS9700 LED | high | 16.5 | 56.5 |
| AVC | Z7U7414001 (stock AM2) | high | 17.0 | 63.0 |
| Noctua | NH-U12 | | 17.5 | 45.4 |
| Gigabyte | GH-PCU23-VE | high | 17.5 | 65.6 |
| Thermalright | Ultra-90 | high | 18.2 | 56.2 |
| Gigabyte | G-Power Pro | high | 18.6 | 71.9 |
| Enzotech | Ultra-X | high | 18.7 | 59.1 |
| Noctua | NH-U9 | | 18.8 | 58.4 |
| Evercool | Buffalo HPEA-10025 | | 19.5 | 50.2 |
| Cooljag | Falcon 92-AL | high | 19.8 | 52.1 |
| Akasa | AK-876 | high | 20.0 | 48.2 |
| Xigmatek | HDT-S963 | high | 20.1 | 50.2 |
| Akasa | AK-920 | high | 20.2 | 52.9 |
| Scythe | Mine Rev.B | | 20.4 | 36.8 |
| Cooljag | Falcon 92-Cu | high | 20.4 | 52.8 |
| Apack | Zerotherm BTF90 | | 20.5 | 52.1 |
| Coolermaster | Hyper6 | high | 20.5 | 54.7 |
| Asus | Arctic Square | high | 20.9 | 38.3 |
| Apack | Zerotherm BTF80 | | 21.3 | 51.9 |
| Thermaltake | Venus 12 | high | 21.7 | 68.1 |
| Cooljag | SFO-Q | high | 22.2 | 60.6 |
| ASUS | Starice | high | 22.8 | 67.4 |
| Zalman | CNPS9500 AM2 | high | 23.0 | 53.2 |
| Arctic Cooling | Freezer 64 Pro | | 23.2 | 50.9 |
| Coolermaster | Aquagate Mini | high | 23.2 | 59.2 |
| Thermaltake | Polo 735 | high | 23.4 | 68.0 |
| Cooljag | SFO-H | high | 23.6 | 60.6 |
| Alpha | PAL-8150 | | 23.7 | 58.9 |
| Zalman | CNPS9500 LED | high | 23.8 | 50.3 |
| Verax | Helado | | 24.3 | 36.3 |
| AVC | Z7U3301001 (stock 939) | high | 24.6 | 59.9 |
| Zalman | CNPS8000 | high | 24.8 | 57.4 |
| Gigabyte | 3D Cooler-Ultra | high | 24.8 | 63.0 |
| Scythe | Kama Cross | | 25.1 | 40.0 |
| OCZ | Tempest | | 26.0 | 51.6 |
| Scythe | Shogun | high | 26.0 | 45.9 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z2-EX | high | 26.3 | 45.9 |
| EKL | V8 | high | 26.3 | 57.5 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z3 | high | 26.5 | 58.6 |
| Thermalfly | F1-IACSHA | high | 26.6 | 60.4 |
| Zalman | FS-C77 | | 26.7 | 56.5 |
| Gigabyte | 3D Rocket-Pro | high | 26.9 | 56.7 |
| Zalman | CNPS7700-Cu | high | 27.0 | 50.7 |
| Gigabyte | 3D Cooler-Pro | high | 27.0 | 62.5 |
| nPowerTek | NPH-Big K8 | | 27.8 | 54.0 |
| Akasa | AK-922 (EVObue) | high | 27.9 | 60.3 |
| Zalman | CNPS7700-Cu LED | high | 28.1 | 49.8 |
| Akasa | AK-873 | high | 28.2 | 59.2 |
| Scythe | Katana II | | 28.3 | 37.9 |
| Spire | SP601B3 | | 28.3 | 48.9 |
| Ajigo | MF064-074 | high | 28.8 | 60.3 |
| Gigabyte | 3D-Rocket | | 28.9 | 50.7 |
| Vantec | Mach1 | high | 29.2 | 56.9 |
| Thermalright | SLK-948U | | 29.4 | 58.8 |
| CoolJag | SFO-D(18SC) | | 29.6 | 64.0 |
| Antazone | AS-C1000 | | 30.2 | 57.6 |
| Arctic Cooling | Alpine 64 | | 30.5 | 43.9 |
| Zalman | CNPS7000A-Cu | high | 30.3 | 45.2 |
| Dynatron | SK-V24 | | 30.3 | 56.4 |
| Verax | Quattro 1 | high | 30.7 | 55.4 |
| Xigmatek | AIO-S80DP | high | 30.7 | 55.0 |
| Zalman | CNPS7000-Cu | high | 31.0 | 45.2 |
| Coolermaster | Hyper48 | | 31.7 | 43.6 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z1 | high | 31.9 | 54.1 |
| Scythe | Kama SCKK1000 | | 31.9 | 47.5 |
| Scythe | Samurai SCSM1000 | high | 32.1 | 51.6 |
| Zalman | CNPS7000B-CU | high | 32.3 | 44.9 |
| Thermaltake | Silentboost K8 | | 32.3 | 49.7 |
| Jetart | JAX801 | | 33.2 | 53.5 |
| Dynatron | A22 | | 34.5 | 44.5 |
| nPowertek | NPH K8-1 | | 34.6 | 52.2 |
| Ajigo | MF043-044 (stock 754) | | 35.0 | 45.4 |
| Arctic Cooling | Silencer 64 Ultra TC | | 37.5 | 55.5 |
| Gigabyte | NeonCooler 8-BL | | 37.7 | 42.0 |
| Spire | Fourier IV SP607B3-C | | 38.4 | 60.2 |
| Titan | TTC-K8ATB/825/SC | | 38.7 | 63.1 |
| Akasa | AK-860SF | | 39.4 | 45.2 |
| Evercool | K802-715 | | 42.1 | 51.5 |
| Spire | SP741B3 | | 43.2 | 45.6 |
| Arctic Cooling | Freezer 64 LP | | 45.3 | 42.6 |
| Evercool | Magic Cooler | | 46.6 | 55.5 |
| ASUS | Starice | low | 92.4+ | 34.4 |
| | | 125w thermal test (°c) | noise level (dba) |
| *heatsinks are ranked according to the 125w thermal test results column (rise over ambient temp.). low temperatures with low noise levels are considered best. for reference heatsinks with variable-speed fans, only the high speed (12v) fan test result is included in the comparison sheet; more detailed results reside in each specific heatsink review. |
With a 125W heat load applied by the FrostyTech synthetic thermal test platform, the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink yields a rise above ambient temperature of just 12.4°C, with 53.7 dBA noise generated. The results shown here are valid only if a 120mm Martech D712025125Z2N fan is used.
The thermal performance of the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink is slightly better than the stock AM2 AVC Z7U7414001 heatsink (a difference of 4.6°C) and dramatically better than the stock 939 AVC Z7U3301001 heatsink (a difference of 17.2°C).
FrostyTech Mk.II Synthetic Thermal Heatsink Test Results
Intel Pentium D / Extreme Edition & Quad Core class heatsinks tested at 150W
Intel Core 2 Duo / Pentium 4 / Celeron class heatsinks tested at 85W
Results based on readings from a 30x30mm copper interface die with 150W and 85W heat loads applied on the LGA775 version of the Mk.II Test Platform. Temperature results listed for each heatsink were calculated by determining the rise over ambient temperatures at time of test. Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here. |  | | Socket 775 compatible CPU heatsinks | |
| manufacturer: | model no.: | fan speed: | 150w
thermal test* (°c) | 85w
thermal test (°c) | noise level (dba) |
|
| Thermalright | Ultra 120 | | 17.8 | 10.6 | 53.7 |
| Zalman | CNPS9700 LED | high | 19.0 | 10.4 | 56.5 |
| Thermalright | Ultra-90 | high | 19.6 | 13.0 | 56.2 |
| Enzotech | Ultra-X | high | 20.0 | 8.5 | 59.1 |
| Apack | Zerotherm BTF90 | | 21.8 | 12.7 | 52.1 |
| Xigmatek | HDT-S963 | high | 21.9 | 13.7 | 50.2 |
| Akasa | AK-965 | high | 22.2 | 13.8 | 48.1 |
| Apack | Zerotherm BTF80 | | 22.8 | 13.9 | 51.9 |
| Cooljag | Falcon 92-AL | high | 23.2 | 14.2 | 52.1 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z3 | high | 23.3 | 14.0 | 58.6 |
| Scythe | Mine Rev. B | | 23.6 | 15.0 | 36.8 |
| Cooljag | Falcon 92-Cu | high | 23.6 | 14.8 | 52.8 |
| Akasa | AK-920 | high | 24.3 | 14.1 | 52.9 |
| Asus | Arctic Square | high | 24.9 | 14.9 | 44.9 |
| Akasa | AK-922 (EVObue) | high | 25.5 | 15.4 | 60.3 |
| Thermalfly | F1-IACSHA | high | 29.0 | 18.3 | 60.4 |
| Thermalfly | I75DUB | high | 29.5 | 16.8 | 68.5 |
| Zalman | CNPS9500 AT | | 29.6 | 17.3 | 53.3 |
| Alpha Novatech | PRE9060M92P | high | 29.9 | 18.5 | 51.5 |
| Scythe | Kama Cross | | 30.0 | 18.8 | 40.0 |
| Akasa | AK-961 | | 30.0 | 18.7 | 60.7 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z2-EX | high | 30.1 | 18.7 | 45.9 |
| nPowertek | NPH-775-1 | | 30.1 | 18.8 | 50.1 |
| Sunon | Waturbo | | 30.6 | 18.3 | 57.5 |
| Apack | CF800 | high | 31.4 | 20.7 | 48.4 |
| Thermaltake | Jungle512 | high | 31.6 | 20.4 | 60.8 |
| Coolage | Frozen Orb F0-Z924AL | high | 32.0 | 19.9 | 48.9 |
| Xigmatek | AIO-S80DP | high | 32.4 | 21.4 | 55.0 |
| Scythe | Katana II | | 32.5 | 18.6 | 37.9 |
| Rosewill | RCX-Z2 | | 32.6 | 19.3 | 59.9 |
| Zalman | CNPS7700-Cu | high | 32.9 | 19.7 | 50.7 |
| Apack | CF900 | high | 32.9 | 20.3 | 48.3 |
| Evercool | PT02-9232CP | | 33.3 | 19.9 | 63.3 |
| Zalman | CNPS7700-Cu LED | high | 33.5 | 20.6 | 49.8 |
| Intel | Stock Pentium D | high | 33.8 | 20.7 | 47.5 |
| nPowerTek | SF775-2 | high | 34.7 | 21.1 | 64.6 |
| Akasa | AK-960E | | 36.1 | 21.4 | 56.3 |
| Thermalfly | I75DUH | | 37.8 | 22.8 | 48.7 |
| Cooljag | OAK-H | high | 38.5 | 22.9 | 55.7 |
| Cooljag | OAK-H2 | high | 38.6 | 24.1 | 55.6 |
| LS Cable | SHS-T700 | | 38.7 | 22.8 | 48.5 |
| Intel | Stock Core 2 Duo | | 49.2 | 29.0 | 36.7 |
| Spire | Fourier IV SP607B3-C | | 63.6 | 18.7 | 60.2 |
| Cooljag | OAK-H | low | 95.3 | 54.5 | 29.5 |
| | | 150w
thermal test (°c) | 85w
thermal test (°c) | noise level (dba) |
| *heatsinks are ranked according to the 150w thermal test results column (rise over ambient temp.). low temperatures with low noise levels are considered best. for reference heatsinks with variable-speed fans, only the high speed (12v) fan test result is included in the comparison sheet; more detailed results reside in each specific heatsink review. |
the heat output from intel processors varies widely between single and multi-core processors, so frostytech tests heatsinks with two thermal values that represent the upper limits of both existing cpu families; 150w and 85w. with a 150w heat load applied by the intel lga775 version of frostytech's synthetic thermal test platform, the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink yielded a spectacularly low rise above ambient temperature of just 17.8°C (53.7dBA)!
Next, the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink was tested with an 85W heat load; akin to a Core 2 Duo processor. This resulted in a very low 10.6°C over ambient at default fan speed. Once again, the Ultra-120 heatsink posts the lowest results to date on the Intel LGA775 thermal test platform!
Ultimately this makes the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink the best performing AMD socket 939/AM2 & Intel socket 775 model tested to date.
However, if there is one point to remember, it is that there is no such thing as "best" when it comes to heatsink's, there is always a better solution on the horizon. Always. The Thermalright Ultra-120 retails without a fan for about $48USD ($55CDN) through such online retailers as Newegg.com.
For comparison's sake, next to the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink the Noctua NH-U12 heatsink is its' best competitor. The NH-U12 has a rise above ambient temperature of 17.5°C, with only 45.4 dBA noise generated. With alternative fans it is possible that we could have reduced the noise output of the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink further still, but obviously this would have impacted its thermal performance in tandem.
The open framework of the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink allows users to endlessly try different combinations of 120 mm fans with the cooler, and in this respect the Ultra-120 provides a solid thermal foundation. The Ultra-120 provides performance cooling with reasonable noise levels, and so long as your computer system can accommodate the large 160mm tall frame, you should find the Thermalright Ultra-120 heatsink an excellent choice for Intel or AMD processors.
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