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Product: CGK 742092
Manufacturer: Taisol
Homepage: www.Taisol.com
Ah the joy of spring, the birds singing, the children playing and the dealers frequenting local parks. Now we are able to satisfy our hunger in leafier surroundings our minds feel less addled. OK, less addled than someone else who had scored in a different situation. After our recent thermal paste shoot-out (there really was shooting when the AS II decided it liked the look of one of our prize pipes), we wanted to check out some of the people's favourites in the cooler world. The first name that sprang to mind was the Taisol CGK 742092. If you haven't owned one of these then you haven't lived (well what else could I have written?).
Within hours of our initial flurry of pre-review activity (paraphernalia preparations) we decided that getting high was probably not the best course of action so we started to work. Our first port of call was the photo booth, after the obligatory poses, the Taisol was hoisted into place and were off and running. Smile...
A well produced unit which has a finely milled base unlike many of the entrants to our freak show. The fan is low profile and the clip attaches to all three notches on both sides and it has a hole into which you push the screwdriver from the side. The whole unit is extremely similar to the Coolermaster EP5-6I11 but I think the Taisol is the one who should be flattered.
Chuckle time. Lets drag on the WBK to see how to scare children with a menacing looking fan..
The fan is the first and most glaring difference but look at the height of the heatsink and the pitiful looking clip on the WBK.
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
Right, you boys in the States have apparently got a substance called "Goo Gone" which does exactly what it says on the label (awful advert). Here in the UK we are forced to rely upon that good old fashioned fail safe method of hard labour. I let three local ragamuffins loose on the thermal pad and within a few minutes they had cleaned the base till it was shinier than the silver coin I didn't give them. Slip slop slap for the boys in Oz or core preparation for the rest of you. Attach the rear clip and then make sure the unit was flush. Roger that, Skip. Insert screwdriver through helpful entry point, mild downward pressure and the front snaps into place like a dream. Booyaka-sha.
A post script to the review (I know this should be at the end) is that the removal of the unit was extraordinarily easy. the design of the screwdriver hole is such that once inserted, you only need to make a small movement to unclip it and it comes out extremely easily. I have encountered real problems removing some units, I even thought that one in particular was on the board for life!
Noise
After our experience with the low profile Coolermaster fan, we are assured of a good score for the Taisol so lets open those ears and fire up the erm... beastette?
We have left the peaceful world of pastel and are back to primary colour world. The fan is slightly faster than the Coolermaster, with a 5,200 rpm frequency. All I can say about the levels is.....nice. Another quiet performer which is obviously aimed at the OEM market which cannot support noisy fans.
Mmmmmdonuts
Well, Homer deserves some sort of homage in one review. There can be only one (McCloud) opponent for the Taisol and that must be its twin the EP5. They look nearly identical and so we can only assume that their performance will be similar. They are both in the "stock" category so following our latest precedent, the challenger will now take on the champion (the Coolermaster), in a no holds barred cobble fight.
The first test as ever is the default speed (700) at default voltage. Idle taken after 30 mins and full load taken after 30 mins of Seti@home. Contenders......ready......seconds-out, round 1!
Even Stevens, nearly. The 1*C difference is our margin for error so the results are extremely close. An auspicious start for the old war horse. It is managing to keep the Coolermaster at arm's (fins) length and they are both deadly serious about victory as the crown for the "king of stock coolers" is reputed to be made of purest green.
The test at 900 mhz is a big step up but one which they both should cruise through. The main difference between all these speeds is the voltage with this test running at 1.775v.
Another close one. This time the Coolermaster was able to steal a march on our latest chum. We are fickle in the igloo, so any hsf with a rock or two for a weary reviewer can be our friend. It is far too close to call and we just hope that the last round will be able to sort the men from the boys.
The final chance for one of our boys to shine is the fastest speed we have got the cpu up to. 945 mhz at 1.85v is generating a lot of wattage and if there is a weakness, this speed will show it up.
Ah, finally a conclusive result. Erm, sort of. The Coolermaster was able to pull out a 1*C lead by the end of our mini marathon. These two units have put in near identical scores which allow them to occupy the top of the podium in a surreal love fest. The temps that we see here are way below the others in the stock cooler class and I will be happy to run the Taisol as a normal cooler for evey day use. It is able to dissipate the high wattage that the Duron produces at its' max unmodded voltage.
Conclusion
I liked the Coolermaster and therefore I like the Taisol. It is a solid performer with an unobtrusive fan. The results are all within 1*C of each other and as this is the margin for error, they could have in reality produced the same temperatures. I think that this is actually the case as there is so little to chose between them in looks, noise and performance. The installation was a piece of cake (mmmmmmcake...) as was the extraction.
For those of you reading this that are not hell-bent on cooling down to ambient and spending your life savings, go out and purchase either of the two hsf in this review. If on the other hand you are keen to buy a Swiftech, then save your cash, buy a Taisol/Coolermaster and go on a long holiday. As I have ranted before, I choose peace and quiet over that extra few degrees of cooling and the Taisol fits the bill.
With the dealer abundance we are back to the good old crystals of power, so smoke on boys....
The final ChillBlast rating is *******
Check out the Taisol site at www.Taisol.com
A big up to the crew at Lapicon for sorting us out (like that).