Hello Micrornd,
I'd like to request that you just refer to me as TheHobbyist, my account name here. I didn't volunteer my real name and I ask that you respect my privacy.
Sorry, I thought that since you used it on the CoolClouds fund raising
page it was out there.
I won't use it again.
I am working on "Test Bed #2" and it would be great to take community feedback about how you would like to see coolers tested and what tests you would like to see.
So far the questions I will try to answer with "Test Bed #2" and subsequent testing are as follows:
How great of an effect does side panel on vs side panel off effect the thermal performance of each cooler?
How do the CoolClouds prototype and the Corsair H80i perform with no fans (cooler fans or case fans) but with the pump running
How do the CoolClouds prototype and the Corsair H80i perform with fans, but no pump
How do the different cooler form factors (I.E. AIO and motherboard mounted) affect the temperature of other components in the system? (i.e. CPU temp, case temp, vrm temp, cooler intake temp, etc)
How do the 3 coolers perform using cooler intake temperature instead of room ambient
How are temperatures affected by different AIO radiator placements (i.e. placed in rear exhaust as an exhaust, placed in rear exhaust as intake, placed in front intake as intake, etc)
What do you think?
Unlike some over at [H], I think testing should be done in a closed case to approximate real world usage.
The radiator on an AIO has several places it can be positioned (front, back, top, bottom, side) and airflow as an intake or exhaust through it.
This integrated radiator/HS has a single place it can go in the same case, same MB.
Airflow through it can be changed, but it's location can't.
Very few people run their setups permanently on a test bench where it is easy to adjust things to get optimal airflow to a HS to cool it's best possible and produce it's best numbers.
That's akin to cooling a cpu with LN, sure it produces really good numbers, but it's not how things really work in 99.99% of usage.
That same miserable 2 core would have it's a** handed to it by a slower 4 core in the real world doing real work with regular cooling.
Put a quality fan cooled HS in a PC, run the tests, replace it with the CoolClouds, run the same tests, that's a much truer comparison of how well it really works and how 99% of users will actually use it.
Do the same thing with an AIO and the Noctua. That's how the coolers will be used, not sitting of a bench with fans blowing whatever way allows it to produce the lowest numbers.
Remember CC is marketing this thing as a drop-in replacement that will cool better than what is currently in use, not as something that cools better on a test bench.
Yes, the case factors in to the equation, but people put these things in cases.
And they are not going just run them for 15-30 minutes, either.
How long is your PC on a day?
The uptime on mine is currently is 283 hrs.
Cooler air intake temp? Really? Who cares?
Of course ,if you give any cooler, cooler air to start with, it will perform better.
Simple physics and yes, some will perform better than others.
BUT, how does that relate to everyday usage?
It just doesn't, since the CC cooler is stuck on top of the cpu, it is at a disadvantage to a AIO, but that's how it will work in real usage, and the way it will work with the Noctua also.
Only people that don't
use there PCs care about unrealistic bench tests.
99% of users aren't benchmark queens, they just want their
stuff to work in their PC.
Any tests should reflect real world usage.
Think about it, how much micro-stutter does AMD see in running benchmarks, compared to playing games.
So if they fix the drivers to eliminate micro-stutter in benchmarks, what happens in games no longer matters right?
No, but that's an example of bench testing compared to real world usage.
I see no real reason to test it with the pump disabled, if that happened in real usage the cpu would throttle or shut down (or in some cases the MB would shut down).
I am glad you mentioned VRM temps as it's the cooler's job to deflect some air downward to cool the vrm's, at least per Intel's socket/HS thermal design specs.
AIOs forget to mention this need, as do some fan based coolers also.
The bigger problem is still that this is a prototype, meaning the production unit may be worlds apart, better or worse, especially if they (CC) follows through with their proposed multi-vendor production vision.
Prototypes are for proof of concept, not real evaluation against other products.
Compromises
will have to be made for production runs.
How that affects the CC cooler.................
With 10 days left and less than $300 out of $100K in fundraising, it's probably a moot point
Facebook
Twitter