Silenx Ixtrema Review

Testing:  

To properly test the Slinex Ixtrema, I will need to record temperatures during both idle time (little to no CPU usage), as well as during full load (100% CPU usage). I will be using SpeedFan 4.33 to gather the temperatures of the CPU cores. I will be using OCCT:PK to simulate the full load testing, and run it for thirty minutes. I will let the computer sit and cool down for thirty minutes before gathering the idle temperatures. I will be testing the processor at both stock speeds with stock voltage settings, as well as overclocked speeds of 3.60GHz, with the voltage increased to 1.46 volts. All of the temperatures are measured in degrees Celsius.  

Testing Setup:

• Processor: Intel E6600 (stock & 3.6GHz)
• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6
• Memory: Mushkin Redline XP2 8000 2 x 2 GB 5-5-5-12
• Video Card: Sapphire HD3850
• Power Supply: Mushkin 800watt Modular Power supply
• Hard Drive: Western Digital 320GB 16MB Cache SATA
• Optical Drive(s): Lite-on DVD-RW
• Case: Cooler Master Cosmos 1000
• O/S: Windows Vista Ultimate
• Ambient Temperature: 23.3 degrees Celsius

Comparison Heatsinks:

• Heatsink: Silenx Ixtrema CPU Cooler 1x120mm Fan
• Heatsink: Silenx Ixtrema CPU Cooler 2Sx120mm Fan
• Heatsink: ASUS Triton 85 CPU Cooler
• Heatsink: ZEROtherm Zen CPU Cooler FZ120
• Heatsink: Scythe Shruiken Low Profile CPU Cooler
• Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper Z600
• Heatsink: Thermolab Micro Silencer
• Heatsink: Thermolab Nano Silencer
• Heatsink: Stock Intel C2D 65nm HSF

As you can see in the graphs above, the Silenx Ixtrema was beaten by a few of the coolers that were tested, the second fan that was installed on the cooler did help with the overall temperatures, however not by as much as I would have expected.