Performance Testing and Results
I used the following machine to test the Thermaltake Frio Advanced CPU cooler:
| CPU: | Intel Core i7 3770k |
| Motherboard: | ASRock Z77 Professional |
| RAM: | G.Skill RipjawsX 2133MHz |
| GPU: | MSI Radeon HD6970 |
| PSU: | OCZ Fatal1ty 1000w |
| Storage: | OCZ Vertex 3 240GB MaxIOPS |
| Case: | Thermaltake Armor Revo |
The 3770k is an interesting CPU, it doesn’t put out a tremendous amount of heat but it runs very hot. I tested the Frio Advanced against the Frio Extreme and the 3770k’s stock cooler, testing was done at stock clock speeds (1.04vcore), 4.1GHz (1.11vcore) and 4.5GHz(1.29vcore). To further complicate matters all TRUE and Frio Advanced tests were run with the fans at maximum as well as minimum speeds. The Frio Extreme is used for comparison because at the testing speeds/voltages used it beat the TRUE I usually use. The 3770k and Frio Advanced did not appreciate the extreme high speed/voltage testing, so there are no results at 4.7GHz.
The results are the average core temperature measured in degrees Celsius over the ambient air temperature. This mean you can estimate the performance in your computer with the same heatload by measuring your ambient case temperature and adding the average listed in these results. The ambient temperature was measured using a Fluke 51 thermocouple thermometer with the probe about one inch in front of the fan hub.
First up, stock clock speeds:
To put things into perspective a bit, the Frio Advanced costs around $50 while the Frio Extreme goes for $87 or so. The Intel cooler is free. This is good, because the Intel cooler is also terrible. The Frio Advance does it’s job here, the results are solid if not spectacular.
How about an overclock? We’ll all 70mv to vcore and crank things up to 4.1GHz.
The Frio Advanced is still hanging in there, though the Extreme’s lead is getting wider.
Up another 180mv and 400MHz to 4.5GHz. Things are getting serious now.
Things are getting toasty now, with the fans at low speed core temps are warmer than I’d really like, high speed drops them almost 5c.
All told the results are decent, I think that if I were able to mount the cooler in the normal orientation they would be quite good, here’s why:
The actual silicon core on a 3770k is long and thin, with the cooler in the normal orientation it spans at least three heatpipes, possibly five. Like this, roughly speaking:
The heat has a nice short path from core to processor lid (which spreads it a bit, but is pretty thin and not that great at spreading heat out) to multiple heatpipes.
Unfortunately I cannot mount the cooler that way on this motherboard, or the mounting system will damage a capacitor. I have to rotate it 90*, resulting in the core lining up like this:
One poor unfortunate heatpipe now has to deal with almost all of the heat generated. This will not help temperatures at all!
If your motherboard doesn’t have a tall capacitor under the spring loaded screw and you can mount the cooler in the normal orientation I expect your temperatures will be better. That said even as it was the performance is decent.
