Thermaltake NiC F4 Heatsink Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013
Benchmarks
The Thermaltake NiC F4 is designed for Intel Socket LGA2011 / 1156 / 1155 / 1150 / 775 and AMD FMx and AMx processors. Here is an overview of the system and testing methodology.
The system as it was tested
Asus P8Z68 Deluze Gen3 Intel Z68 Chipset
Intel Core i7 2600K (3.5Ghz) Quad Core 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache
Thermaltake NiC F4 Heatsink
Intel OEM Heatsink
The CPUID System Monitor was used to obtain and record system temperature data and being that this is a quad core processor we need something that will work across all of the cores at once. For this task we're using a new version of Prime95 (p95v255a) that will allow you to spawn (n) instances to test with.
Intel Core i7 2600K (3.5Ghz) Quad Core 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache
Thermaltake NiC F4 Heatsink
Intel OEM Heatsink
The CPUID System Monitor was used to obtain and record system temperature data and being that this is a quad core processor we need something that will work across all of the cores at once. For this task we're using a new version of Prime95 (p95v255a) that will allow you to spawn (n) instances to test with.
Editors note: Even though the Windows 7 task manager reported 100% processor usage we could never attain a 100% of the rated heat output as documented by Intel (see above) when using Prime95 as a basis for that heat production. Knowing this we ran the stress test until the maximum temperature was attainted and stabilized.
Other things to consider when judging software induced heat output.
a) Clock throttling by the processor at high temperatures.
b) Normal software isn't designed to produce maximum heat output.
c) Variances of cooling temperature.
d) Variances in CPU load.
e) Inaccuracies in thermal diode readouts.
Of course the list goes on..
Our testing methodology is aimed to provide a real world look into this heatsink given the test system provided.
Other things to consider when judging software induced heat output.
a) Clock throttling by the processor at high temperatures.
b) Normal software isn't designed to produce maximum heat output.
c) Variances of cooling temperature.
d) Variances in CPU load.
e) Inaccuracies in thermal diode readouts.
Of course the list goes on..
Our testing methodology is aimed to provide a real world look into this heatsink given the test system provided.
Default Speed
A C/W rating can quickly be calculated using this formula.
C/W = (CPU temp - Ambient temp)/(Variance(%) * CPU Watts)
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 95W
0.21 C/W = (43C - 26C)/(.85(95W))
C/W = (CPU temp - Ambient temp)/(Variance(%) * CPU Watts)
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 95W
0.21 C/W = (43C - 26C)/(.85(95W))
Overclocked
For this next test the CPU speed was cranked up to 4.4Ghz and the test was re-run.
To calculate a new C/W rating for this test we will need to factor in the increased processor wattage. The formula and constants for this are listed below.
ocC/W = dCPU Watts * (ocMhz / dMhz) * (ocVcore / dVcore)2
ocMhz = 4400
dMhz = 3500
ocVcore = 1.31
dVcore = 1.2
The variance still applies for our C/W calculation
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 142W
0.27 C/W = (58C - 26C)/(.85(142W))
ocC/W = dCPU Watts * (ocMhz / dMhz) * (ocVcore / dVcore)2
ocMhz = 4400
dMhz = 3500
ocVcore = 1.31
dVcore = 1.2
The variance still applies for our C/W calculation
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 142W
0.27 C/W = (58C - 26C)/(.85(142W))
Benchmark Conclusion
In our heatsink and waterblock tests we don't really focus on overall load temperatures but rather how well the product can remove heat given a specified heat load. Since this is a real world testing method we need to take into consideration real world variables and estimate tolerances. This is why we normally only apply 85% of the total wattage output to our heat calculations.
The resulting C/W number is used to rate how efficient a heatsink or waterblock is based on the given heat load. These numbers can be used to determine heat capacity, the larger the difference the less efficient the heatsink is. (aka not good for overclocking)
Typically in our heat tests we like to see a zero change between the normal and overclocked C/W numbers as this will indicate a good cooler for overclocking. Sometimes these numbers go down between tests offering a favorable situation whereas others will rise. In the case of the Thermaltake NiC F4 the C/W went up indicating that we are beginning to reach the thermal limit of this cooler and that pushing our overclock may cause the cooler to collapse.
Keep in mind these calculations are provided for demonstration purposes only and may not reflect the actual lab tested C/W rating, but we're pretty close.
The resulting C/W number is used to rate how efficient a heatsink or waterblock is based on the given heat load. These numbers can be used to determine heat capacity, the larger the difference the less efficient the heatsink is. (aka not good for overclocking)
Typically in our heat tests we like to see a zero change between the normal and overclocked C/W numbers as this will indicate a good cooler for overclocking. Sometimes these numbers go down between tests offering a favorable situation whereas others will rise. In the case of the Thermaltake NiC F4 the C/W went up indicating that we are beginning to reach the thermal limit of this cooler and that pushing our overclock may cause the cooler to collapse.
Keep in mind these calculations are provided for demonstration purposes only and may not reflect the actual lab tested C/W rating, but we're pretty close.
