The name ARCTIC is synonymous to air cooling especially when it comes to cooling your CPUs. Today we'll be looking at ARCTIC's latest enthusiast-grade CPU cooler for Intel's socket 2011 as well as 1155 and 1156 platform. It features Direct-Touch heatpipes, fan vibration absorptions, and a brand new mounting system. We took note of the 'enthusiast-grade' label as soon as we received the box all the way from across the globe. Let's check it out if it's really for enthusiast.

System

• Case: Corsair 800D
• Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme (Socket LGA 2011)
• Processor: Intel Core i7 3960X C2 (Socket LGA 2011)
• Thermal Compound: ARCTIC MX-4
• Memory: Corsair Dominator GT 16 GB 1866Mhz (9-11-10-27-160-2T XMP)
• Video Card: ASUS DirectCU II Top 7970 (CrossFireX)
• Solid State Drive: Corsair Force GT 240 GB
• Hard Disk Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB 7200RPM 64 MB Cache
• Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Titanium
• Power Supply: Corsair Gold AX1200 Professional Series

Technical Specifications

• Maximum Cooling Capacity: 320 watts
• Heatpipe: Direct-Touch 8 mm x 4 (double-sided)
• Heatsink Material: Aluminum fins x 48 (0.5 mm Thickness)
• Fan: ARCTIC F12 PWM (120mm, 400 - 1,350 RPM)
• Airflow: 74 CFM
• Bearing: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
• Noise Level 0.3 Sone (1,350 RPM)
• Current/Voltage: 0.22A/3.5 - 12V
• Cooler Dimensions: 100 (L) x 139 (W) x 161 (H) mm
• Packaging Dimensions: 123 (L) x 161 (W) x 187 (H) mm
• Net Weight: 0.9 Kilograms
• Limited Warranty: 6 years
• Gross Weight: 1.4 Kilograms
• Item Number: UCACO-FI30001-GB
• UPC: 0872767005051

Compatibility

• Socket 2011
• Socket 1156
• Socket 1155

Testing Methodology

We'll be using the latest version of AgenGOD's IntelBurnTest (version 2.53 for this test) to stress test our system using the Standard stress level and running it twenty times. Not only do we generate the most heat but we can also check for any instability the cooler may bring. Please take note that we are also using Corsair's 800D case which has three 140 mm case fans and to top all of that we have two ASUS DirectCU II Top 7970s in CrossFireX. We do however set every single one of their fan profiles to maximum during temperature testing. When we test for sound levels we do exactly the opposite setting every single one of their fan profiles to silent. For the decibel readings, we'll be measuring the sound level 3 feet away from the system with the motherboard facing us and the case being closed on both sides. We'll also be leaving Intel's SpeedStep enabled when we check for idle temperatures.

Installation

Installing the i30 was an easy task until we got to the part where we have to add the spacers. Not all the metal spacers fit so we have to force two of them down. We'll later regret this as removing the metal spacers proved to be a difficult task. We're still able to remove them but the metal spacers now show signs of forced removal. Not exactly pretty to look at but hey, they're just spacers. We usually test with everything we have and that includes using 32 GB of Corsair's Dominator GT DDR3 memory. However due to the Freezer i30's dimensions, we were only able to use 16 GB of ram. This will definitely be a deal breake for those of you with high-profile memories.

Results

Final Thoughts

If you look at our overclocking temperature results, the Freezer i30 can not keep up with the overclock. No matter how many times we reseat the heatsink, the results stay the same. At 4.6 GHz with 1.400 volts, the ARCTIC Freezer i30 will fail to do its job. The only time that our test system didn't lock up was when it was set back to stock settings. Not exactly what you'll call enthusiast if you're just going to run youe 3960X at stock speeds. Even then, the Freezer i30 was having a hard time cooling the CPU. At maximum of 91 degrees, I wouldn't be using the Freezer i30 for CPU-intensive applications.

The only place where the Freezer i30 wins is during our sound level test. With an ambient of 23 dB, the Freezer i30 gave us an astounding 30 dB. You won't even know that it's running especially with a closed case.

Some of you might say that IntelBurnTest doesn't really represent real world applications so we used Cinebench 11.5 just to see how big of a difference the temperatures will be. Although we didn't include the Cinebench results in our graphs, the Freezer i30 was able to cool the CPU at a nice 70 degrees at full load. If Cinebench was our default stress testing application for testing CPU coolers then we'd probably be giving the Freezer i30 flying colours. Too bad it's not our default stress testing application...it's IntelBurnTest and per our test results, the Freezer i30 fails.

Ratings

Ease Of Use - Easy to install. Just make sure that your spacers fit properly. If not, we suggest calling ARCTIC for a replacement.

Noise - I wouldn't turn on the dial to maximum if I'm going to listen to music or play games that require you to actually listen to what's going on within the game. With everything set to low you can still hear the low hum of the pump. It's not that distracting, infact it'll only irritate you if you actually listen to it all the time.

Price And Performance - The Freezer i30 can be had for less than $50 brand new but with the way the Freezer i30 performed on our temperature test, we can not recommend it to enthusiasts who have hexa cores.