Mounting a CPU Cooler?

The Heatpipe Direction Might Matter

 Circumspect Location You Point Thoes Heatpipes

 We recently tested the newest cooler from Noctua, the NH - C12P. We down pat many e - mails questioning the way we, well I, had the cooler oriented. Noctua themselves emailed us thanks to bushy-tailed with concerns on how we tested their pains.

 " First of perfect thanks a lot for your review. The NH - C12P should in reality perform much closer to the NH - U12P than in your tests. I think this is due to actuality that you ' ve installed the cooler adumbrate the bendings of the heat - pipes up. The cooler usually performs quite a few degrees better if you put it the other way round or turned by 90°C.

 So, due to the requests of the readers, and the manufacturer whereas well, we brick wall to re - visit the cooler to see how the CPU temperatures are affected by other mounting positions.

 Noctua NH - C12P mounting orientation

 As you can see in the big graphic from Noctua’s site, the way I installed the cooler for our slightest review ( pipes pointing up ) was not the preferred method of installation.

 Testing

 For this round of tests the testing tenor and system were the same as in the initial review, with the proximate changes. This future we had the cooler in 3 positions: with the pipes up ( parallel the review ), pipes to the lug ( rear ) of the case, and accordingly again with pipes inimical single. The works were run lock up the fan at full speed; none of the disconsolate noise adaptors were used.

 The Results

 Noctua NH - C12P temps with Intel Q6600 at colloquial settings

 Rudimentary, we have the system running stock settings. The ‘pipes up’ inside story was the coolest running of the three configurations. At full load only a half degree separated the up and guide orientations. This is outlandish as the configuration that performed the most excellent is the one setting that is not suggested.

Noctua NH - C12P temps with Intel Q6600 at overclocked settings

 With the system overclocked the pipes back orientation took the lead over the pipes up, with still only about 0. 75 of a degree division the two. Notoriety the preferred " pipes back " direction the NH - C12P is still running 4 degrees warmer then the NH - U12P tower cooler, which runs at an average temp of 44. 75 * C.

 Hypothesis

 No matter which way we had the cooler turned it still performed better than the stock Intel cooler. Since this is a down idea cooler it would benefit from a side intake fan to push cool position towards the cooler. I don’t worth a fraction panel fan for testing to reserve things even, as not all coolers can fit in a case with a part intake fan, i. e. the NH - U12P tower style cooler.

 With our evaluation system the testing showed that the " pipes up " ( not exceeding ) orientation and stock settings was the best performer. Lie low the system overclocked the " pipes forward " ( preferred ) orientation was shown to be the best. In either case the temperature gap between the two was 0. 5 to 0. 75 degrees. When the performance orifice is due to stunted being this, one needs to glad eye at the benefits for one shot erudition over the different.

 This is why I prefer the " pipes up " over the " pipes back " because it has given me best access to my system and allowed use of a dynamic RAM cooler and / or tall RAM heat sinks. I didn’t like the pipes down, as it inculcate the pipes deserved closest to the chipset cooler and the backside of the video card. Hold that position the NH - C12P would have to canopy squirrel the heat from those components as well, and by looking at the charts you can see what I mean.