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Product: CH5-5K12
Manufacturer: Coolermaster
Homepage: www.Coolermaster.com.tw
Despite locking it in a cage for most of the day, the review monkey keeps poking me with a stick. I assume this is a subtle way to spur me into action but my sense of balance has been seriously impaired by something that I can't quite pinpoint. Crack. Ahaha his stick has snapped. That taught the little b*stard. They say needs must as the devil drives but this time it's as the monkey prods so....
We received more of the Coolermaster cpu cooler range courtesy of their UK offices. The first one we will review is the limited edition CH5-5K12 copper heat pipe cpu cooler. This unit is rated by Coolermaster only upto T-Bird 1 ghz and Duron 850+ mhz and accordingly we have taken pity on it and broken with tradition. After a number of complaints from the Federation Of Cooler Opportunity Front (FOCOF) about the bloodshed involved in our head to head matches. We have now decided to match each newcomer against the champion of its class. There are really only two classes Stock and O/C. So, the two champions in reverse order are Swiftech MC462-A and the Coolermaster DP5-6H51. The Coolermaster will battle the Coolermaster for a ranking between these two and the Coolermaster. Does this tell you something?
Check the knobs on this baby.
As we've come to expect from the Coolermaster range, it is extremely elegant and well made. The clip is the same that is used on the CB5 and the side mounted fan is also identical. The base is copper with a vertical copper heatpipe and the fins and outer casing made from aluminium.
The next shot is against the GW WBK just for a laugh.
These two hsf are really in different leagues. We knew that before the start of the review but this picture really drives the point which is what will be happening to the******* monkey unless he puts the stick down!
Test Rig
Duron 700
Abit KT7A-RAID
2*128 mb PC133 CL2
Voodoo 3 3000 PCI
Maxtor 6 Gig HD
Enermax EG 365P-VE
The PC is the same one used for all the cooler reviews except for the psu which we upgraded to the latest version of Enermax's 365 series. This one produces 350w which will be more than enough for us at the moment.
Our highly scientific approach has been compromised by a small number of factors. Chiefly that we don't have a scientific approach. This means that our aim is to provide a real world test, i.e. to simulate the experience that you would have if you had bought this heatsink. Therefore, we will take measurements from the onboard temp gauge under the cpu and decibel readings but not under lab conditions.
The ambient room temperature was kept at 22C +/- 1C, if this changed we stopped
testing until it had returned to this base level. As was pointed out to me by
BlitZ our readings for the Swiftech were off in the first test as it is impossible
to go lower than the ambient room temperature. Cheers BlitZ for pointing this
out and accordingly we now say that all readings are +/- 1C.
Installation
After the hassle of installing the Swiftech it looked an easy enough job to deal with the Coolermaster. First the mandatory removal of thermal pad but this Coolermaster came with a special one. It was black plasticine type stuff on the bottom and aluminium foil underneath. What difference this could make other than allowing for more gaps and leading to inefficient heat transfer I'm not sure. Off with pad, quick once over with the alcohol, once I feel confident enough I stop drinking and return to the job in hand (not that). The core is prepared and the tiny unit is in place. Back clip on, front clip down and goodnight Vienna. Quite literally, the isopropyl apparently isn't for drinking and seems to be poisonous.
Noise
After discharging myself before the police turned up, I stumbled home via the local. Don't be ridiculous, drinking after alcohol poisoning? The local crack house. Don't you people know anything? I don't.
The CH5 whirs along at a steady 6,500 rpm which is only a whisker (giant cat's) under the danger Delta's 6,800. The levels are very low considering the speed but the fan blade size is also much smaller on the CH5 so this will also help reduce the noise. There is a distinct high pitch edge to the sound, a bit like tinnitus but the daily abuse received at the crackhouse could be to blame. Not bad results for our little virgin (not for long as the DP5 saunters into view).
Spanking?
After taking a bitch slapping in it's review, the DP5 is out for blood but as we were instructed by FOCOF, there will be none (at least that's what I told them).
The first test as ever is default speed (700) at default voltage. Idle taken after 30 mins and full load taken after 30 mins of Seti@home. Are both competitors ready?
The calming effect of my pastel colours have lulled the monkey into a light sleep. Mmmmmonkey...If I pop the oven on and...err Sorry thought I was just talking to myself. The initial test reveals the CH5 to be trailing straight away with a poor 5C at idle and closing the gap under load to 2C. A particularly inauspicious start for this pupster.
900 mhz begins to sort the men from the lady boys so crank it up and let's see who gets spat out. The 900 mhz test is 9*100 @1.775v which is beginning to produce a reasonable amount of wattage.
Are our tests playing up again? Probably. The gap is increasing at idle but the full load scores are reversed with the CH5 managing to pull a switch on the DP5 and come out ahead. This is definitely a case of slight ambient temp differential in the tests coupled with the actual core temp for the CH5 being probably 47.9C and DP5's at 48.0C. If that makes sense. Logic is not common in these parts.
The last test really is the ultimate test as the voltage has been steeped up to the max @ 1.85v and some serious wattage needs to be dissipated by the team.
Back to their primary set up with the DP5 caning the CH5 at idle but the gap dramatically narrowing to 1C under load. The main figure we look at in these tests is the full load temp as this is where the cooler really matters. Both full load readings are roughly equal but are broaching the levels that I am not happy running this cpu at. The end of the quantathlon, and the DP5 looks smug. The full load temps have remained constant with only a degree to chose between them and this is our new margin for error.
It is the law of the cooling jungle that the ugliest survive. This still holds true with the CH5's looks counting for naught.
Conclusion
A nice cooler. This, as with all the Coolermaster's to date, is designed to cope with relatively low temperatures. These are beautifully designed and constructed hsfs but we cannot appreciate this if they are inside the case. The bottom line is this, overclockers - buy one but put it on the mantle piece and admire it's form, then go out and spend some more cash on an ear drum assaulting delta'd heatsink. If you are looking for a stylish stock cpu cooler, then this is it.
We did give it 10 crack crystals but I made up with the monkey and so we celebrated...
The final ChillBlast rating is ******
Coolermaster's site can be found at www.Coolermaster.com.tw
A big up the Coolermaster crew who recklessly send their little campaigners to the front regardless of the outcome. All manufacturers should take a leaf out of their book. They let people test their products, without the fear that a bad review will negate future review opportunity.