Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer

[CurseTheSky]

With the next college semester starting in just a few weeks, I've put my water cooling on hold for a while. The P182 is a bit too small to make things easy, and I just can't afford to go out and get a roomier case. I've decided to stay with air cooling for a while longer, but my current Freezer 7 Pro isn't keeping things as cool as I'd like.

After researching the current popular air coolers a bit, I noticed the Xigmatek HDT-S1284 (four heatpipes) was beaten by the HDT-S1283 (three heatpipes) and clones (OCZ Vendetta 2, etc.) due to certain flaws. Apparently there's a second revision that fixes the flaws, but Newegg is still selling the original. Needless to say, I'm staying away until it all gets sorted out.

Just as I was about to grab the HDT-S1283, I noticed a review of the Sunbeam (AKA Tuniq) Core Contact Freezer. After searching a few other review sites, I went ahead and ordered one.

Is anyone else using one of these? I'm expecting a good temperature drop over my Freezer 7 Pro, but I'm wondering if I should have just grabbed the HDT-S1283 or Vendetta 2 instead.

 

[Rubycon]

Definitely and improvement over the AC Pro. Also better than the Vendetta. It's close to the TRUE until you really start pushing the VCORE on a hot quad though. The mounting ring is kind of a PIA as once it's in place you cannot lift the retainer on the LGA socket.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I assume the mounting ring can be removed easily enough, though. Do you have to take the motherboard out to get the thing off?

It seems like the TRUE with a good fan still wins most tests on overclocked quads. I'm using a dual core personally, so it's no issue for me.

 

[Rubycon]

The ring can be removed easily. It has expanding pins similar to push pin retention brackets and sometimes they can catch on the back of the pcb requiring a small jeweler's screwdriver to be inserted in the bore once the push pin is withdrawn. Otherwise the board has to be pulled. 🙁

 

[CurseTheSky]

As long as it's sturdier than normal push pins, I'll be happy. Most of the reviews I read said it is, but still carries the "do not have to remove the motherboard" convenience. Too bad I prefer mounting systems with a back plate, removing the motherboard or not...

 

[SolMiester]

How cool do you need the Dual Core?....I have the Freezer keeping my Quad @ around 48-50 100% loaded @ 334x9......I'm not sure you will really see much difference unless you are pulling some exotic clocks......I replaced the push pins on mine for the bolt thru kit BTW.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The push pins are probably my limiting factor (which bolt-through kit works?), but my case is HOT anyway. The P182s are great, but it's certainly harder to keep cool than a more open design like the Nine Hundred.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The Sunbeam Core Contact got a stellar top rating in a comparison review -- can't remember what tech-review web-site it was -- but you can find it. Unfortunately, the review methodology was terribly flawed, in that it used different fans on various coolers, running at different and inconsistent speeds. since the review rated the original TR Ultra 120 as performing "better" than a TR Ultra-120 Extreme, I gave the review a thumbs down and backed off purchasing the cooler until there was more reliable information. I know better how the rank-order should shake out, especially between those two TR coolers. When I tested them, I had one-hour samples of temperatures taken every 8 seconds, and I put the data into an Excel spread-sheet so I could use the stat functions and even do some statistical testing.

But I can put it another way. Sunbeam made the Tuniq Tower -- a close second in performance according to the highly reliable and consistent Anandtech comparison done last year. If they could do that, the Core Contact has a good chance of being a top performer. Now, looking at your post more carefully, I can see that you read that Frosty-Tech review that I couldn't remember [in my "senior-moment."]

You're probably making a sound choice with it, even so.

On the "mounting bracket" angle, as much as friends and even those here at Anandtech have been dismayed at the use of these brackets, I believe the design -- for whatever cooler that employs the under-the-mobo bracket assembly -- is both sound and superior. I'm guessing that it may even reduce motherboard warpage.

Another observation about TR bracket assemblies: if the mobo standoffs are of the quarter-inch variety, the bracket is held in place even if you remove the cooler. So once installed the first time, you can remove and replace, remove and replace to your your heart's content without removing the motherboard or unplugging any of the cables from it.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I finally got it installed, so here's a quick and dirty, unprofessional, and unbiased review:

In all of these tests, idle temperatures were measured after a fresh restart, approximately 2 minutes after opening RealTemp 2.70. Load temperatures were measured using Prime95 Small FFTs, just as the first test ended and the second test started. Returning idle temperatures after Prime95 were measured approximately 30 seconds after stopping Prime95. The system specs are in my signature; through all the tests, the processor was at the stock 3.0GHz with 1.200v vcore measured in CPU-Z at idle.

First, as I said before, my P182 is just plain hot. It's not a very open design, and the warm air seems to stagnate in the middle of the case, right around the graphics card. Luckily there's a spot for a second intake fan right in line with the graphics card. I used a Scythe Slipstream SY1225SL12M, which moved a significant amount of air up close, but could barely be noticed over by the graphics card. Regardless, the temperature drop was much more than I expected:

Freezer 7 Pro - Without Scythe Fan
Idle: 42C / 42C
Load: 55C / 54C
Returning Idle: 44C / 43C

Freezer 7 Pro - With Scythe Fan
Idle: 40C / 40C
Load: 54C / 54C
Returning Idle: 42C / 42C

That's a pretty significant drop for a fan that's so far away from the processor itself. For the rest of the tests, I left the Scythe fan in place.

Next, I installed the Core Contact Freezer. The plastic mounting bracket made the push pins very simple. Sunbeam suggested using about twice the amount of thermal paste as other coolers "due to the unique surface design," so I went nuts using the supplied TX-2 (I just so happened to use TX-2 with the Freezer 7 Pro when I installed it months ago anyway, so that's not a factor). Getting the metal clips on the bracket's plastic tabs was actually a challenge - it took me three tries and almost 20 minutes of swearing before I realized you have to hold the metal tabs steady when lowering the heatsink onto the processor (otherwise they get stuck against the plastic bracket). Working inside a cramped area with the MOSFET heatsink and memory to dodge, it wasn't easy - a bit harder than push pins, but FAR more secure. I was decently pleased to see the difference in temperatures:

Core Contact Freezer - 100% Fan Speed
Idle: 36C / 36C
Load: 46C / 46C
Returning Idle: 37C / 37C

Considering the size of the heatsink compared to the Freezer 7 Pro and the speed of the supplied fan, I was pretty much expecting the 4C idle / 8C load decrease. Unfortunately, the fan that comes with it is EXTREMELY noisy (and seemingly high CFM). They supplied a rheobus on an expansion slot bracket to control the fan speed which I used in desperation just to kill the noise so I could sleep tonight. I set the knob at about 40%, which was as high as I could go before I started hearing the whine from the fan.

Core Contact Freezer - ~40% Fan Speed
Idle: 36C / 36C
Load: 47C / 47C
Returning Idle: 37C / 37C

Overall, I'm pleased. It's not a night-and-day difference, but it's certainly an improvement. I'd be curious to see if a bolt-through kit would help the Freezer 7 Pro, or if the heatpipe direct touch / larger surface area on the Core Contact Freezer is what makes the big difference.

 

[Mloot]

I use the Sunbeam to cool my Phenom quad, and even while doing video encoding I have yet to see a load temp higher than 40C. Of course, I'm using a 9650 and not the much hotter 9850 or 9950. Still, though, it is an impressive cooler.