CPU Cooling by stefan @ 2011-09-01
The PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler from the new company Phanteks offers impressive performance, has 4 available colors and comes with 2 140mm fans which match the heatsink; the product is also shipped with extra accessories like screws to be able to install the fans onto the case, vibration dampeners, an adapter for running the fans at 900RPM or a fan cable splitter.
At first I would like to thank CaseKing.de and Phanteks for offering me a sample of their PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler for testing and reviewing.
"Phanteks, is a company with more than 20 years international experience in providing thermal solutions. From specialists in providing thermal solutions we have now expanded to a company offering multiple product solutions.
With our thorough technical skills and marketing expertise, we fully optimize the products with thermal possibilities and capabilities. We have always been able to achieve the maximum due to our passion in finding and discovering new technical developments. Phanteks design team which has a base in Europe situated in Holland, consists of creative researchers, designers and developers have always been successful in spotting the exact needs of gamers. This results in our quality products.
Our expertise means no job is impossible, and that every customer is given a professional and personal service that is rare in today’s marketplace. We meet our customers expectations with superior products, customer service and industry knowledge."
Patented. P.A.T.S (Physical Antioxidant Thermal Shield)
This feature will greatly increase the cooling performance and reliability while deflecting other thermal radiation from other heat sources, such as the GPU, South Bridge, North Bridge, etc. P.A.T.S, ran at a long period, will display significantly better results in an enclosure, closed environment, than a tech station, open environment. In extreme conditions, PATS is able to withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celcius. P.A.T.S is environmental friendly and non-toxic.Patented.
C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating Technology)
C.P.S.C is a brand new technologic forming deposit that displaces heat onto corresponding metals at a quicker rate. With this technology, the Phanteks PH-TC14PE enhances thermal conductivity on the soldered surfaces of the heat-pipes through the copper deposits.
Designed with dual tower radiators; the PH-TC14PE has five 8mm heat-pipes linearly aligned to ensure optimal cooling. This cooler is made to have the least amount of air and thermal resistance.
Phanteks PH-F140 premium 140mm fans uses Updraft Floating Balance (U.F.B) bearing, nine Maelstrom Vortex Booster (M.V.B) blades, to achieve massive airflow and perfect dynamic balance. to reduce noise level, the fan emits a low dBA with the support of the acoustic rubber damper and rubber-bar to help eliminate vibration.
The SoliSku universal mounting kit provides an easy-to-install rotational backplate for Intel LGA 1155/1156/11366/775. AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 (stock backplate required ).
The PH-NDC is a superb quality thermal compound for heatsinks. It is made of high-purity nano diamond like particles to improve the thermal conductance between components. The generated heat caused by the CPU will transfer to the heatsink, without reduction in efficiency and resistance.
The PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler from Phanteks comes packed inside a medium sized cardboard box, with a photo of the cooler on the frontal side and examples of the available colors this cooler can come with:
A small product description, in multiple languages is located on the opposite side:
Next, on the outside package we can find the list of product features:
The full list of specifications can be also found here:
After opening the box, we can see that the top contents are covered with protective foam:
Besides the heatsink itself, in the box we can also find two fans, a small white box with mounting accessories and two user manuals, in different languages:
The manual shows us what we must find in the box and shows us the necessary steps to perform the installation:
The contents inside the small cardboard box are packaged individually: one for sockets from AMD, one for Intel and an accessory bag:
The 140mm PH-F140 fans match the color of the heatsink and feature UFB (Updraft Floating Balance bearing):
Each of the 9 blades comes with MVB (Maelström Vortex Booster) Design:
On the back of the fans we can find a sticker with the company name and the rating (12V, 0.15A):
The cable is sleeved and the connector is 3-pin:
Each fan comes with 4 fan clip adaptors:
The box contains 6 metal fan clips, in case we want to install more than two fans on the heatsink:
Here is how the fan does look when it is ready to be installed on the heatsink:
The PH-TC14PE heatsink has a nice orange color, with the company logo embossed on top:
The heatsink aluminum cooling fins and top cover are covered with a P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-Oxidant Thermal Shield), to increase the cooling performance; the patented C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating) Technology helps enhance thermal conductivity:
The PH-TC14PE is designed with dual tower radiators:
The five Copper 8mm heatpipes are Nickel plated; these are linearly aligned to ensure proper cooling:
The base is also made from Copper, Nickel plated and is covered by a protective transparent plastic film:
As extras, in the package we can also find a thermal compound syringe, a fan cable splitter, a fan cable adapter for 900RPM and 16 Acoustic Rubber Dampers in case we are installing the provided fans on the case:
Before installing the heatsink, it is recommended to remove the motherboard from the case, for mounting the backplate; the plate has written its the back for which socket is each hole designed:
The opposite side is covered with rubber, to avoid shorts and scratches on the surface of the PCB:
The next step would be to insert in the appropriate holes the 4 provided screws:
On the frontal side of the motherboard, the provided studs must be inserted:
Next, we should secure the strip adapters with the provided screw nuts; the screw nuts must be rotated until they stop, with a help of a screwdriver:
The mounting plate must be attached to the heatsink; for doing this, we have to use the provided
screw:
The mounting plate screw can be easily installed if using a magnetized screwdriver:
In the accessories box, we can also find some acoustic rubber bars, that must be installed on the zip point of the heatsink side area:
Before mounting the heatsink, make sure to put some thermal compound on the CPU and to remove the protective film from the bottom plate:
After the heatsink has been placed on the top of the CPU, we have to screw it to the screw threads of the mounting plate; the fans can be installed easy on the heatsink:
CPU : Intel I5 2500K Retail @ 4.8GHz , 1.3V
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_OR
Motherboard : ASRock P67 Extreme6
RAM : G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM
Video : Sparkle X460 Calibre 1GB
Power Supply : Cooler Master 850W
HDD : Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200.10
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
The OCCT 4.0.0.b16 utility was started with the following settings:
CPU:OCCT
Test Type: Automatic
Duration: 30 minutes
Test Mode: Small Data Set
All the tests were performed inside a closed case, the Cooler Master ATCS 840 with all stock fans installed. Also, all the coolers were tested with their stock fans at first, but for an even better comparison, the fans between the Noctua NH-D14 and Phanteks PH-TC14PE were switched and the coolers were re-tested.
Cooler 1: Noctua NH-U12P (NF-P12 fans, push-pull)
Cooler 2: Noctua NH-D14 (NF-P12 front, NF-P14 middle)
Cooler 3: Noctua NH-D14 (PH-F140 front, PH-F140 middle)
Cooler 4: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_OR (PH-F140 front, PH-F140 middle)
Cooler 5: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_OR (NF-P12 front, NF-P14 middle)
The ambient temperature was kept at a steady 25.5 degrees Celsius and the themal compound used for each cooler was Arctic MX-2.
As an extra, we have measured the noise produced by the fans included in this kit; one fan was attached to a controller and the speed was modified in small increments; for each step, the noise was determined with the sound meter. With the fan completely turned off, the noise in the test room was 31.2 dBA.
Being an air cooling monster like the offering from Noctua, the NH-D14, it weights 970g without any fan installed, 1100g with one fan and 1250g with both fans installed. The heatsink can be found in different colors: silver, blue, orange or red. The fans with U.F.B bearing and nine Maelstrom Vortex Booster blades have the same colors as the heatsinks; if we choose not to install the fans onto the heatsink, we can still use them as case fans, by using the included screws along with the Acoustic Rubber Dampers. As extra accessories, the manufacturer has included a fan splitter and a Q.S.A adaptor for running the fans at 900RPM.
Only the installation of the metal clip for the fans seems a little difficult, in the process of inserting them into the fan clip adaptors.
While going head to head with the Noctua NH-D14, it finally succeeded to beat it by scoring a temperature half degree lower than the previous air cooling king, this while using the stock fans.
When building a new computer system or just upgrading, if we do not decide to go on the water cooling path, this air cooler is an option to take into account.
Considering that this impressive product is only one of the first items from Phanteks, it is interesting to see what other models they will come up with in the future.
The Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler variants can be found for about 79.90 Euros (silver version) or 84.90 Euros (blue, orange, red); these prices put the cooler on the more expensive side.
I would like to thank again to Phanteks and CaseKing.de for making this review possible!