ThermalRight SI-128 vs Xigmatek HDT-S1283

X-bit Labs takes a look at two coolers that use heatpipes with a diameter of 8mm, which is more than the typical 6mm heatpipes.

There’s nothing new in the idea to use heat pipes with a larger diameter. Early this year we tested the Enzotech Ultra-X cooler that proved to be one of the best air coolers available. The 8mm pipes have a larger area of contact with the base as well as with the heatsink ribs, having a positive effect on the cooler’s overall performance. Of course, the cooler employs fewer pipes than if they were 6 millimeters in diameter. Despite that, the first cooler with 8mm pipes, the Enzotech Ultra-X, proved more efficient than its opponents.

After those tests I thought there would be a migration from 6mm to 8mm heat pipes. And that’s the way it goes now. More and more coolers with lager pipes are being announced these days. Ice Hammer said it would develop such a cooler by the end of 2007 while the yet obscure PC Cooler has already released the South China Sea. For this review I tested two coolers from Thermalright and Xigmatek that use four and three 8mm heat pipes, respectively. Let’s see how efficient these millimeters are.

You can read the full review over here. Price/performance wise the Xigmatek cooler seems to be the best one. However, if you're looking to get the best overclocking performance on air cooling the ThermalRight Ultra-120 eXtreme is still the best choice followed by the Enzotech Ultra-X.