Testing
The test rig consists of the following parts:
Processor: Intel Core i5 2500K
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 EVO
Video Card: SPARKLE Calibre Series X480 GeForce GTX 480
Memory: Corsair Vengence 8 GB @ 1600mhz
Power Supply: High Power Astro PT 700w
Storage: 250 GB SATA II Drive
Cooling: Cooler Master TPC 812
Case: Antec 900
Testing was done using Intel Burn Test (IBT) with the AVX instruction set. The reason to use this instead of Prime95 with this setup is that it pushes an i5 2500K a whole lot harder giving us a better sense of load temps. All of the testing was done at the high memory setting for a single pass. While this in no way would qualify the chip as stable when overclocking, it gives us a realistic idea of what temps it will be hitting.
First though I did some testing with the stock Intel cooler, at the stock motherboard settings, in the test rig with results as follows:
Ambient temps: 18.89C/66F
Idle temps: 27.25C/81.05F core average
IBT temps: 69.25C/156.65F core average
Next I ran the TPC 812 through the same test at the same motherboard settings:
Ambient temps: 20C/68F
Idle temps: 28.5C/83.3F core average
IBT temps: 47.25C/117.05 core average
These are very similar temperatures with stock setting being used to other coolers we’ve tested. And it’s worth noting that they are much better than the stock cooler temps.
Now to take the CPU on a little overclocking voyage to put the cooler through it’s paces. This is after all what Cooler Master claims it is designed for.
Ambient temps: 20C/68F
Max overclock: 4.7 ghz/1.464V vCore
IBT temps: 77C/170.6F core average (This average included 81C on a core as well as 80C on another which put a quick end to the session.)
I have to say this was very disappointing. For a cooler that claims to be the cream of the crop for overclocking, the TPC 812 fell short. When attempting to match the 4.8ghz that I would consider a good overclock it was pushing over 85C while running IBT. That is simply unacceptable and I had to bump it back down.
Your cooling reviews are terribly inconsistent.
It is voltage that increases heat not clock speed. You’re running 1.48v, of course its going to run very hot. In other reviews you only go to 1.43v maximum.
This cooler seems on par with others you’ve claimed are very good but this one is very disappointing?
JohnW,
First, thanks for taking reading my review.
I’m sure you are aware that overclocking is not an exact science. Aside from locking in a set of parameters and simply swapping out the cooler for every review, (which is not possible since I have other aspects of each coolers performance to test) I simply can not make everything perfectly the same. I do use as many of the same settings as I can (saved in bios profiles), but ultimately still have to play with voltages to get a stable overclock.
While I admit this is not laboratory perfect I do feel it is a very strong representation of real life.
Specifically to this cooler it actually took 1.464v under load to achieve the overclock. Performance and other factors combined, this cooler was not up to par with many others that I’ve tested.
Thank you for your interest!