Testing Results:
The chart below summarizes the head-to-head results recorded while the ambient temperature was maintained at 25 degrees Celsius. With the nearly silent Cooler Master fan, the Thermalright Ultra-120 was able to beat either other cooler by a comfortable margin. Switching to the louder Delta fan drops the temperatures another four degrees at full load, but unfortunately it did come at the expense of the silence.
I would be satisfied enough with the lower speed performance, especially due to the minimal noise output, and would recommend that people proceed that way. But, if you have a fan speed controller, get yourself a fast fan and ramp it up to full speed only when you need the absolute best cooling possible. Coupled with the right fan, this is about the best cooler going, and could be the ideal choice for serious overclockers.
As a second phase of testing, the load temperature rise over ambient from the head-to-head testing conducted for this review were compared to other temperatures recorded recently on the same system. All of the hardware was the same, as was the testing methodology, with the only significant variable being the ambient temperature. Some may dismiss the lack of 100% scientific control in this next set of results, but the results are interesting none the less.
The table below shows a variety of coolers tested. The results in red were recorded for this review (ambient 25C), the results in blue were recorded at other times (ambient 20C). You can see the Scythe Mine's rise over ambient was the same regardless of ambient temperature, while the stock Intel cooler actually provided a smaller rise over ambient when the ambient temperature was higher. The Scythe Mine's matching results validate the results, while the Intel cooler's improved performance is a bit hard to explain.
The chart shows that only the Tuniq Tower 120 can beat the Thermalright Ultra-120, and that is pretty impressive considering some of the competition on the list. The Tuniq Tower 120 actually operates more quietly while doing so, and it includes a fan and a fan controller, so it is an appealing rival. That said, the Thermalright Ultra-120 coupled with an even better fan might be able to do even more.
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