Thermalright Silver Arrow is now #1 Air Cooler

[RussianSensation]

Review:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermalright-silver-arrow_5.html#sect0
- Quieter than the Noctua NH-D14
- Slightly better performance than the NH-D14
- $79.99 MSRP, comes with 2x140 mm fans - http://www.svc.com/silverarrow.html

For anyone curious, the Silver Arrow is basically a CoGage Arrow with different fans.

This is hardly a surprise, considering IFX-14 and CoGage Arrow were among the best air coolers ever made, and SA only improved on that with dual 140mm fans included:

IFX-14 performance: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/core-i7-coolers-roundup_19.html#sect0
CoGage Arrow performance: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermalright-cogage-zalman_6.html#sect0

 

[alfa147x]

I think right now the market needs more competition in the $30(sale) - $50 (MSRP) range. It's starting to seem as thought the $60+ range is getting largely saturated with more and more coolers.

Though competition is never a bad thing for us consumers.

 

[aigomorla]

I think right now the market needs more competition in the $30(sale) - $50 (MSRP) range. It's starting to seem as thought the $60+ range is getting largely saturated with more and more coolers.

Though competition is never a bad thing for us consumers.

right now we need cpu's which can generate less heat then what we are dealing with right now @ the same overclocks.

Then possibly we can get back into 30 dollar coolers.

But these current coolers use a lot of marierals in cost alone.

 

[alfa147x]

right now we need cpu's which can generate less heat then what we are dealing with right now @ the same overclocks.

Then possibly we can get back into 30 dollar coolers.

But these current coolers use a lot of marierals in cost alone.

I'v been out of the loop since the C2D days. I was able to OC my E8400 to 3.7 on a LGA775 P4 cooler.
I remember that the C2D were a lot cooler than the Prescott P4. Have the i7s gone back to P4 temps?

 

[RussianSensation]

I think right now the market needs more competition in the $30(sale) - $50 (MSRP) range. It's starting to seem as thought the $60+ range is getting largely saturated with more and more coolers.

Though competition is never a bad thing for us consumers.

True, although we have several great options in the $30-50 price range already:

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212+
2. Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 original edition + fan
3. CoGage True Spirit
4. Scythe Mugen 2
5. Titan Fenrir
6. Zalman CNPS10x Performa
7. Zalman CNPS10 Flex
8. Zalman CNPS10x Quiet

Those 8 are good enough for Core i7 3.8-4.0ghz already.

 

[aigomorla]

I'v been out of the loop since the C2D days. I was able to OC my E8400 to 3.7 on a LGA775 P4 cooler.
I remember that the C2D were a lot cooler than the Prescott P4. Have the i7s gone back to P4 temps?

lol u dont see everyone complain about it when HT is on?

 

[alfa147x]

lol u dont see everyone complain about it when HT is on?

HT = Turbo? ah

 

[fluffmonster]

no, HT != turbo. Turbo is a bump in the cpu multi. HT = hyperthreading = turning a physical core into 2 virtual cores. HT generates larger heat bump than turbo, at least on 1366 cpus.

 

[DrMrLordX]

If the Silver Arrow is just the Arrow with different fans, then the nh-d14 will beat it when using high-speed fans that produce good static pressure (2x San Ace, for example). I can easily see the Silver Arrow doing in the nh-d14 with better stock fans though. The nh-d14 fans barely move any air.

edit: the other nice thing about this is that Thermalright has moved the cooler over to 2x140mm fans by default. Hopefully we'll see a total migration to 140mm fans for use with top-tier HSFs along with a slew of enthusiast-class 140mm fans to go with it. I'd love to see 140x38 fans with 100-110+ cfm/~.3+ inH2O being commonplace, especially if they can get the noise output from fans like that below the 38-39 dBA level where San Ace 120mm fans sit right now.

Sadly my case only has a 120mm exhaust port, but if I had a larger one, I'd much rather have a 140x38 version of my NMB-Mat fan in the "pull" position with the same (or better) airflow + static pressure and less noise. Yes, I use my HSF for exhaust, so sue me.

 

[RussianSensation]

DrMrLordX, one thing is certain though, if you can fit the Noctua NH-D14 or the Silver Arrow, then something like the Megahalems or Venomous X for $60 without any fans becomes questionable. A good fan will run about $10-15 for these air coolers. In that case, might as well grab the Silver Arrow. Plus, eventually I am sure we'll see occasional price drops. I'd be so in for a $60 top 2 air cooler with dual 140mm fans

 

[DrMrLordX]

Oh, I don't doubt it, though if you're going to buy aftermarket fans and want to save some money, currently the best buy is to get the base CoGage Arrow and stick two good fans on it like 2x NMB-Mat/Panaflo H1BX (or U1BX depending on how much noise you can tolerate). You can also look at ehume's awesome fan testing thread and find better fans than the H1BX in there, it's just really easy to find the H1BX at a decent price with the tails you want. Or hell just stick a pair of GTs on there, that'll get the job done without making your ears bleed.

Sadly, even after looking over ehume's thread, it still seems that there is a dearth of good enthusiast-class 140mm fans out there on the high-performance end. There's stuff like the Kaze Maru 2, but the static pressure is meh.

I look at the Silver Arrow as a good alternative to the nh-d14 if you aren't going to get aftermarket fans . . . if you are, the base Arrow is probably the better buy. If you still want peak performance + add-on fans, it's the nh-d14, by a nose.

 

[Rubycon]

right now we need cpu's which can generate less heat then what we are dealing with right now @ the same overclocks.

Then possibly we can get back into 30 dollar coolers.

But these current coolers use a lot of marierals in cost alone.

You're doing it wrong - seriously wrong! You want to start with distilled water...

:biggrin:

Seriously though we need lighter coolers. That noctua one is like attaching a boat anchor to your board. Even bolted through a hard jolt can actually bend the heat pipes. I had that happen to a Tuniq Tower and that is considered light these days!

 

[Corporate Thug]

True, although we have several great options in the $30-50 price range already:

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212+
2. Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 original edition + fan
3. CoGage True Spirit
4. Scythe Mugen 2
5. Titan Fenrir
6. Zalman CNPS10x Performa
7. Zalman CNPS10 Flex
8. Zalman CNPS10x Quiet

Those 8 are good enough for Core i7 3.8-4.0ghz already.

Xiamatek S1283 is also a good option on the cheap

 

[DrMrLordX]

Seriously though we need lighter coolers. That noctua one is like attaching a boat anchor to your board. Even bolted through a hard jolt can actually bend the heat pipes. I had that happen to a Tuniq Tower and that is considered light these days!

Blasphemy. In the future, we'll end-run water cooling entirely by strapping entire 3x120 rads to the damn CPU socket. It'll have like . . . twenty heatpipes. With push pins!

And we'll like it!

Well, okay, maybe not the push pins.

Seriously, I have not had any issues with my nh-d14. It's a whole lot of metal, but if I could get it to fit in the case, I wouldn't be above putting something larger in there, so long as it could buy me some lower thermal resistance to go along with the greater capacity for dissipating heat. And yes, if I could swing it, that would mean tacking an entire damn rad onto the CPU. That would be AWESOME. And stupid. But awesome!

 

[Rubycon]

Well if your case stays in one place and never moves or gets knocked about I agree it's an awesome cooler.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Well if your case stays in one place and never moves or gets knocked about I agree it's an awesome cooler.

Haven't people used lanyards or something similar to secure oversized coolers in the past?

 

[Rubycon]

Haven't people used lanyards or something similar to secure oversized coolers in the past?

I don't see where that would help. At the very least a rigid wire or tubular bracket. For strain relief to work it must be as rigid as possible. A wire may work as a safety in case it would actually fall on a graphics card. I find that in extreme cases where the heatsink comes completely off there is so much thrashing that the entire inside of the case is trashed completely.

 

[gorobei]

i'm using cable zip ties to add support to my noctua nh-u12. I have them looped through the overhead fan grating and the cooler fin array to try to keep some of the weight off of the motherboard.

Coolers are getting way to heavy nowadays, anything past 700grams and I start worrying about about bending the motherboard with all the pressure the mounting clamps are applying just to keep all that weight secure. The only other option is to go for an AT desktop or mini cube case where the board lies horizontally/flat.

It's probably going to get worse when APU start going for the performance market. All that heat from cpu/gpu in one chip means coolers will have to get bigger or find a new paradigm.

 

[Rubycon]

Yes that helps to take the constant downward force...

In my case where there is motion it does not help nearly as much.

Perhaps if chassis manufacturers started adding adjustable side cover pieces that could help as they did with the "P4 blowholes" for Prescott processors!

For it to work right a custom solution prevails. I was working on one for my Stacker 830s when my Tuniq Tower got damaged.

The TRUE and Megahalems are pretty strong though. The problem with the Tuniq is lots of mass and only three heatpipes to hold it.

 

[Anubis]

we just need to go back to horizontal comp cases ruby

 

[Rubycon]

we just need to go back to horizontal comp cases ruby

LOL I've been doing that! :biggrin:

 

[Boyo]

I don't know, but i'm in on the H70. I can't deal with manhandling this mass of metal onto my mobo and see it dominate the inside of my case. I like the clean look and easy install of the H70. Low temps, dump the fans for quieter ones and you're good to go.

 

[Massive Overkill]

we just need to go back to horizontal comp cases ruby

I agree:

 

[ehume]

I suspended my Megahalems with picture wire because it sagged. I pulled it up to level. With the D14 i have never seen a bit of sag, and I use a pocket level to check it (with my top fan grills cut away, I have access to the top of whatever cooler I have mounted).

 

[Rubycon]

I don't know, but i'm in on the H70. I can't deal with manhandling this mass of metal onto my mobo and see it dominate the inside of my case. I like the clean look and easy install of the H70. Low temps, dump the fans for quieter ones and you're good to go.

The H70 is beating the Venomous-X and Megahalems in my personal configuration! The H50 was not even close. Definitely a big gun! I don't think the test sites are stressing it enough to show how it pulls away. A heavily loaded six core CPU demonstrates this nicely.