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Product:
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Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 Heatsink Cooler |
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Price:
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$39.95 (CAN) / $32.50 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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ADPmods
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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February 17th, 2005
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The second stage of cooling added into the Freezer 4 is the inclusion of four copper heat pipes that
are interconnected to a solid copper base. One of the distinct advantages of using heat pipe technology
in PC cooling is that it provides some excellent benefits in terms of improving thermal transfer.
Arctic Cooling has expanded diameter and bonded each heat pipe allowing this unit the ability to
transfer heat up to 200 watts.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The inclusion of the aluminum heat exchanger and four copper heat pipes has increased the overall
size and weight of the Freezer 4. The unit itself weighs 488 grams while the Intel specification for weight
limit on a Pentium 4 CPU is 450 grams. To counter balance the additional weight, the Freezer 4 uses a
standard clipping mechanism that fits into the stock P4 retention bracket. The bottom of the Freezer 4
is machined smooth but is does not have a reflective copper surface. Consumers have the option of
lightly wet sanding the surface with a higher grit of sandpaper to make the surface look new again.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The process of mounting the Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 Heatsink Cooler is very easy and can be completed
in less than 10 minutes. The installation process begins with the placement of two support clips that
are inserted into the stock CPU retention bracket. Once the mounting clips are installed, the Freezer 4
is lowered onto the CPU itself and secured using two locking clips. Prior to mounting the Freezer 4 a
thin layer of Artic Cooling's MX-1 Thermal Compound was applied to the core of the CPU.
Testing:
To start performance tests, I assembled the following pieces of hardware to complete the system:
- Asus P4C800 Deluxe Motherboard
- Pentium 4 2.4B CPU
- 2 x 256MB OCZ PC4000 DDR RAM
- ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB DDR Video Card
- 2 x Maxtox Diamond Plus 9 60 GB Hard Drives (Raid 0)
- Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Card
- LiteOn 52x32x52 CD-RW
- LG 52X CD-RW/16X DVD-ROM Combo Drive
- Aspire Aluminum ATX-AS500W PSU
The "Burn-In Wizard" from SiSoft Sandra Pro 2004 is used to put the CPU under concentrated load for a
pre-determined amount of time. The options selected in "Burn-In Wizard" run the CPU and CPU Multimedia
benchmarks for approximately 15 minutes. The system is left alone for approximate 15 minutes before the
burn-in test is performed. Maximum temperatures are measured in degree Celsius and recorded using an
independent thermal probe and Motherboard Monitor 5.3.7.0 for idle, full load, idle overclock and full
load overclock. The system was run in normal mode at 2.4 GHz and overclocked mode (VCORE 1.67, FSB 170,
Multiplier 17x) in order to get the system running at 3.0 GHz. Ambient room temperature was measured at
29 degrees Celsius. For comparison, I will be testing the Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 Heatsink Cooler
against my top rated heatsink, the Thermalright SLK947U.
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The overall performance results indicate that the Arctic Cooling Freezer 4 Heatsink Cooler does manage
to hold its own against the Thermalright's SLK947U. The performance margin between both heatsinks was
very small at 2-4 degrees in all test beds for standard and overclocked modes. The Thermalright SLK947U
has a slight advantage since you can pair the unit with any type of cooling fan while the Freezer 4 is
limited to a 77mm fan with no option for RPM adjustment. In terms of noise level, the Freezer 4 wins
hands down as one of the quietest heatsinks that I have had a chance to evaluate.
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Conclusion:
Arctic Cooling has provided yet another uniquely styled heatsink which deviates from traditional
heatsink design. The Freezer 4 provides some great aesthetics with the aluminum heat exchanger and
four copper heat pipes. The copper core is very smooth with a mid-level reflective finish which is
suitable in its current format but consumers have the option of lapping it for added performance. The
bundled 72mm cooling fan is one of the quietest fans that I have had a chance to evaluate which means
there are some additional applications where this unit would be suitable such as an HTPC system. I
would have loved to see the inclusion of a higher performance cooling fan with the ability to adjust the RPM
level. While this product did not out perform my current top rated P4 heatsink, most consumers will be
pleased at the decent performance levels and current price ratio. Overall, I’m rating this product a
8.5 out of 10 and would recommend it to
users looking to obtain decent performance without excessive noise levels. If you have any questions
regarding this review be sure to visit the ADPMods
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Unique design and aesthetics
- Aluminum heat exchanger with four copper heat pipes
- Solid clipping mechanism
- Easy installation
- 6 year manufacturer warranty
- Perfect for low noise environments
- Price
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Cons:
- No RPM adjustment options
- Limited to the bundled 72mm cooling fan
- Size and weight
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