OCZ Vindicator: Heatpipe Tower Cooling from OCZ
by Wesley Fink on April 5, 2007 4:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Additional Fan Tests
Initial test results showed the fan of the Vindicator was heavily slanted to silence. The stock fan provided average to below average results in our cooler overclocking tests. To determine whether the overclocking limitations were a result of the cooler design or the fan selection, additional cooling tests were run with a remarkable new fan we just got in for review.
The SilenX IXTREMA 120 claims to provide the world's best noise-to-airflow ratio. The specifications certainly support that claim with an exceptional 14 dB-A noise level coupled with 72 CFM airflow. Perhaps even more remarkable is the rated watts of 1.92 which should be safe on almost any motherboard fan header.
We extend our sincere thanks to Frozen CPU for providing the SilenX IXTREMA 120 for testing. We are preparing for a roundup of 120 fans and Frozen CPU has provided an assortment of tantalizing fans that we think you will enjoy seeing in the upcoming 120 fan roundup.
The claimed low noise and high output of the SilenX fan certainly sounds attractive, so the IXTREMA was used to see if higher fan output would improve the cooling and overclocking of the OCZ Vindicator. Results with a single stock OCZ fan and a single SilenX IXTREMA 120 are reported in all performance charts and graphs.
Push-Pull Testing
Since a push-pull fan configuration made a significant improvement in our review of the Scythe Infinity cooler, push-pull was briefly tested using two stock OCZ Vindicator fans. Overclocking performance was also tested briefly using two SilenX IXTREMA 120 fans.
Push-Pull results were mixed and not directly comparable to the findings on the Infinity. A stock single OCZ Vindicator fan topped out at an overclock of 3.80Ghz. Using two of the 40 CFM fans allowed us to reach a top stable overclock of 3.87GHz - better than one fan, but still below the top heatpipe tower coolers and the push-pull Infinity.
However, a single 72 CFM SilenX allowed a top stable overclock of 3.90GHz - matching the top results with the Thermalright Ultra 120/SFLEX, Tuniq Tower 120, Cooler Master Hyper 6+, and Scythe Infinity (with two push/pull 46.5 CFM fans). This certainly points to a better fan providing better results with the OCZ Vindicator. The soon-to-be-released Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme remains alone at the top of our performance charts with an overclock of 3.96GHz combined with temperatures among the lowest tested at each overclock.
With these results with a single SilenX we were excited to test the OCZ Vindicator with two SilenX fans. To our surprise two SilenX 72 CFM fans in a push-pull configuration provided no better overclocking than a single 72 CFM SilenX. The conclusion is that increasing airflow in the Vindicator definitely improves performance - moving it from average to a top competitor. However, increasing airflow, even with high output low-noise fans, is not without limits. Eventually you reach the point where increasing airflow provides no further improvements in cooling or overclocking. This optimum point is likely to vary with each cooler and each type of design. It is a subject we will explore further in our 120mm fan roundup.
Since results were the same with one or two SilenX fans, we report results with one SilenX fan and the stock OCZ Vindicator fan. This is also consistent with the fact that two OCZ fans in push-pull improved cooling, but not to the extent of the improvement with one SilenX IXTREMA fan.
Initial test results showed the fan of the Vindicator was heavily slanted to silence. The stock fan provided average to below average results in our cooler overclocking tests. To determine whether the overclocking limitations were a result of the cooler design or the fan selection, additional cooling tests were run with a remarkable new fan we just got in for review.
The SilenX IXTREMA 120 claims to provide the world's best noise-to-airflow ratio. The specifications certainly support that claim with an exceptional 14 dB-A noise level coupled with 72 CFM airflow. Perhaps even more remarkable is the rated watts of 1.92 which should be safe on almost any motherboard fan header.
We extend our sincere thanks to Frozen CPU for providing the SilenX IXTREMA 120 for testing. We are preparing for a roundup of 120 fans and Frozen CPU has provided an assortment of tantalizing fans that we think you will enjoy seeing in the upcoming 120 fan roundup.
The claimed low noise and high output of the SilenX fan certainly sounds attractive, so the IXTREMA was used to see if higher fan output would improve the cooling and overclocking of the OCZ Vindicator. Results with a single stock OCZ fan and a single SilenX IXTREMA 120 are reported in all performance charts and graphs.
Push-Pull Testing
Since a push-pull fan configuration made a significant improvement in our review of the Scythe Infinity cooler, push-pull was briefly tested using two stock OCZ Vindicator fans. Overclocking performance was also tested briefly using two SilenX IXTREMA 120 fans.
Push-Pull results were mixed and not directly comparable to the findings on the Infinity. A stock single OCZ Vindicator fan topped out at an overclock of 3.80Ghz. Using two of the 40 CFM fans allowed us to reach a top stable overclock of 3.87GHz - better than one fan, but still below the top heatpipe tower coolers and the push-pull Infinity.
However, a single 72 CFM SilenX allowed a top stable overclock of 3.90GHz - matching the top results with the Thermalright Ultra 120/SFLEX, Tuniq Tower 120, Cooler Master Hyper 6+, and Scythe Infinity (with two push/pull 46.5 CFM fans). This certainly points to a better fan providing better results with the OCZ Vindicator. The soon-to-be-released Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme remains alone at the top of our performance charts with an overclock of 3.96GHz combined with temperatures among the lowest tested at each overclock.
With these results with a single SilenX we were excited to test the OCZ Vindicator with two SilenX fans. To our surprise two SilenX 72 CFM fans in a push-pull configuration provided no better overclocking than a single 72 CFM SilenX. The conclusion is that increasing airflow in the Vindicator definitely improves performance - moving it from average to a top competitor. However, increasing airflow, even with high output low-noise fans, is not without limits. Eventually you reach the point where increasing airflow provides no further improvements in cooling or overclocking. This optimum point is likely to vary with each cooler and each type of design. It is a subject we will explore further in our 120mm fan roundup.
Since results were the same with one or two SilenX fans, we report results with one SilenX fan and the stock OCZ Vindicator fan. This is also consistent with the fact that two OCZ fans in push-pull improved cooling, but not to the extent of the improvement with one SilenX IXTREMA fan.
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Spoelie - Thursday, April 5, 2007 - link
I would also like to know a more quantifiable difference between the stock fan and this silenx fan. The noise measurements are kinda useless since they put everything on the same level. But do they actually sound all the same? Is the silenx really quiter?? Would be kinda strange.So even if it is like (this one sounds louder as that one, and when i put my hand before them i can feel more air move with this one than with this one) than we can at least confirm what each fan does, just not by how much. The only thing we know at this moment is that the silenx moves more air, judging by the temperatures.
silentpcreview is really good, but the focus on these articles is different, they're more geared to overclocking. So while some critique is valid, this article is not trying to be a definite one on the noise front or a competitor to what silentpcreview does.