Testing
The following system was used in testing:
Case: NZXT Tempest
Motherboard: XFX 680i LT SLI
CPU: Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz
Memory: 2x2GB OCZ SLI Ready DDR2 800 MHz
CPU cooling:
– Masscool 8W553
– SilenX iXtrema IXC-120HA2
– Thermaltake DuOrb
– Titan Cool Idol
– Cooler Master GeminII S
– Cooler Master Sphere
– Cooler Master Hyper 212
– Zalman CNPS9300 AT
– Vantec AeroFlow FX 92
– Vantec AeroFlow FX 120
– Xilence Xilent Blade Pro
– Thermaltake MaxOrb EX
– Thermaltake Spinq
– Noctua NH-C12P
– Thermaltake BigType 14 Pro
– Cooler Master V8
– Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ
– Thermaltake TMG IA1
– Cooler Master V10
– Thermaltake ISGC-100
– Thermaltake ISGC-200
– Thermaltake ISGC-300
– GlacialTech Igloo 5610 Plus Silent
– Thermaltake ISGC-400
Video Card: XFX 9800 GTX Black Edition
Tests were conducted under idle and load states. The computer was left to sit after 30 minutes after being turned on to check the idle temperature. The load temperature was found by running the latest version of Prime95 which supports multi-core CPUs by default. Temperatures were obtained through SpeedFan.
The ISGC-400 achieved 44C under idle conditions and 58C under loads while on low fan speeds and 42C under idle and 55C under load conditions on high speeds. While this wasn’t the best of the ISGC series, we could still see this as an above average cooler. The reason why the ISGC-300 outperforms the ISGC-400 is probably because of the setup of the heatsink. The ISGC-300 has a vertical design while the ISGC-400 has a horizontal design. The vertical design allowed the airflow to flow more smoothly with the current setup in the test system.
Conclusion
The Thermaltake ISGC-400 being the last of the four ISGC CPU Coolers we had to review here at Think Computers wasn’t exactly the best out of the bunch. Personally I would think the 400 would outperform a 300, but this wasn’t exactly the case. While it wasn’t the best out of the ISGC series it still performed above average comparison to all of the CPU coolers we’ve tested. The ISGC-400 has a retail price of $59.99, but can be found online for about $45-$55. Overall ThinkComputers awards the Thermaltake ISGC-400 CPU Cooler an 8 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Supports all the latest CPU Sockets
– Secure installation
– Low profile design
– Decent cooling
Cons:
– Fan installation can be annoying
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