13 Core i7 coolers compared

X-bit Labs has published a big roundup of 13 HSF kits for the Intel Core i7 processor, it includes coolers from Cooler Master, Noctua, Prolimatech, Scythe, ThermoLab, Thermalright, ThermalTake and Zalman. You can check it out over here. The Thermalright IFX-14 was the best cooler in the test, and the fairly affordable Scythe Mugen 2 is the next best pick.

Nevertheless, time has come for a big comparative analysis of the coolers performance, because there are a lot of highly efficient solutions available in the market these days. The final factor that determined the need for this test session was the launch of the Intel Core i7 based platform with the new LGA1366 socket. Today we are going to discuss how the new and old super-coolers will perform in the new platform, what the peculiarities of Nehalem core cooler are and how the Intel Core i7 overclocking potential depends on the cooling efficiency. We are going to open our today’s article with a detailed review of a new cooling solution - Prolimatech Magahalems – that is a new candidate for the super-cooler title.