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Product:
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OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler |
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Price:
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$55 (CDN) / $50 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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OCZ Technology
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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September 10th, 2006
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Rating:
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The process of mounting the OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler requires a series of steps and must be completed before the motherboard
is mounted inside a case. For my particular installation on an AMD Socket 939 platform the stock retention mechanism
needs to be removed first. In order keep the unit stationary, the appropriate back plate must be installed on the underside
of the motherboard. With the back plate installed, the next step is to install the CPU of your choice and apply
a coat of thermal paste. For this review I decided to not use the generic thermal compound and as an alternative will
be using Arctic Silver 3.
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Click image for larger view
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Once the thermal paste is applied the Tempest can be installed on top of the CPU. Using a Phillips screwdriver all that
is required is to tighten the mounting screws on each side of the copper base. Each screw is supported by metal
spring that counter balances the weight of the heatsink on top of the CPU. During this process, I found it easier to
mount the heatsink first and then attach the 92mm Quad LED cooling fan afterward in order to complete the installation.
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Click image for larger view
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Testing:
To start performance tests, I assembled the following pieces of hardware to complete the system:
- Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI Motherboard
- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ CPU
- WinFast PX6800 GT TDH Video Card
- Western Digital WD2000 Caviar SE 200GB SATA HD
- OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit
- LG GCE-8525B CD-RW Drive w/ SuperLink
- LG GSA-H10N Super-Multi Internal DVD Writer
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound Card
- Enermax Liberty 500W ATX 12V Ver2.2 Power Supply
- Mountain Mods Twice 7 Case
The "Burn-In Wizard" from SiSoft Sandra 2007 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 GigaByte's Easy Tune 4 for idle and full load.
Ambient room temperature was measured at 33 degrees Celsius. For comparison, I will be testing the OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler
against the Spire SP741B3 DiamondCool II which is another low noise CPU Cooler utlizing heat pipe technology.
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Running the OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler against the Spire SP741B3 DiamondCool II HSF Cooler in a number of performance tests
provided some very impressive results. The OCZ Tempest demonstrated better cooling results in idle and load modes. Overall
test results for idle temperatures measured approximately 33°C-36°C respectively, with 3°C difference between both
models. In full load mode, the OCZ Tempest managed to maintain a steady temperature reading of 39°C while the Spire SP741B3
DiamondCool II stabilized at 44°C. It's hard to determine which fan provides better acoustic levels since both products
have been designed for low noise environments. Overall, the 92mm Quad LED fan bundled with the OCZ Tempest moves more
CFM at 44CFM while the 90mm Spider fan for the DiamondCool II moves only 41CFM.
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Conclusion:
The definition of a Tempest is characterized as "a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult" which is almost a perfect
description for the new OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler. While OCZ Technology is still considered a relatively new player in the
cooling market; the company's first generation retail heatsink is off to a great start. The Tempest does an excellent
job at catering to both AMD and Intel platforms with a series of mounting brackets that require motherboard removal
prior to installation. The overall construction of the Tempest is top notch and designed to accommodate 92mm or 80mm
cooling fans of all shapes and sizes. Consumers will appreciate the inclusion of 4 embedded heat pipes for enhanced
thermal cooling as well as bonded aluminum fins which optimize the airflow and prevent obstruction. The copper core is
very smooth and features one of the finest finishes I have seen in a long time. Add in the good documentation and
relative painless installation and you have one great retail product. During my evaluation I didn't experience too
many issues with the OCZ Tempest, other than the fact that your motherboard must be removed prior to installation and
the inclusion of generic thermal compound included in the package. It would be a nice feature add-on if OCZ Technology
provided the means of controlling the RPM level of the 92mm cooling fan. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the OCZ Tempest and
award MTB's Seal of Approval with a final rating of 9 out of 10.
If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the OCZ Technology
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Four heat pipe design
- Universal clipping mechanisms
- Wide platform support for both AMD and Intel CPU's
- Compatible with most systems
- Excellent cooling performance
- Perfect for low noise environments
- Good documentation and retail packaging
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Cons:
- Heavy
- Generic thermal paste
- Requires motherboard removal prior to installation
- 92mm cooling RPM speed cannot be adjusted
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Error processing SSI file
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Error processing SSI file
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