The SilverStone Permafrost PF120, PF240, and PF360 ARGB AIO Coolers Review
by E. Fylladitakis on June 17, 2020 10:00 AM ESTTesting Results, Low Fan Speed
Using a PWM voltage regulator, we reduced the speed of the fans manually down to half their rated speed, which is 1080-1100 RPM. The pump was also connected on the same power source, functioning properly at this low speed setting.
| Core Temperature, Constant Thermal Load (Low Fan Speed) |
All three of SilverStone’s Permafrost coolers perform very well in this test but it is the PF 360 that really stands out, as it managed to outperform virtually every other cooler that we have ever tested. Despite the massive airflow drop, the thermal permittance of the PF 360 rose only up to 0.0821 °C/W. This is especially interesting because of the low noise output that, in combination with the high thermal performance, makes the PF 360 one of the most efficient coolers that we have ever tested.
The Permafrost 120 and 240 also do well in this test, although they can win no medals. Their thermal performance figures are comparable to competitive products, some of which were released many months before the Permafrost series hit the store shelves. The acoustic performance of the new Permafrost coolers is a little better than that of many older coolers, making them a little more comfortable to use. This difference, however, is relatively small and most users will definitely neglect it if other factors, such as availability and retail price, come into play.
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drexnx - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
wish we'd get a teardown of the pumpblock, seems like after many years of asetek stagnation we're finally seeing performance move forward again in AIOswarrenk81 - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
page 2 typo: "The bottom of the main block assembly reveals a sizable, square cooper block."eastcoast_pete - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
Maybe my information is outdated, but isn't there a small, but significant difference in the overall shape (slightly concave vs. slightly convex) of AMD's vs. Intel's heat spreaders that can really affect cooling performance? I may have missed it, but are the copper blocks "fitted" to the respective CPU type? If not, some of that cooling potential is likely being wasted.Also, with current "enthusiast" kind Intel CPUs reaching over 250 W TDP at peak use, any chance of showing results with a steady 250 or 200 W load?
PeachNCream - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
I'm seeing a drop down menu option to select various wattage from 60W up 340W including the 200W and 250W options you would like.eastcoast_pete - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
Yeah, I should have been clearer; that comment/request was in regard to the last graph, which doesn't have the drop-down selection, and is for 100W only.Interestingly, no response by anyone yet on the question about the shape of the copper block; I didn't think it'd matter, until I read some tests that showed a pretty significant difference depending on how true the heatsink matches the heat spreader's shape
p1esk - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
"the contact plate is not large enough to cover Ryzen Threadripper processors"OK thanks
Arbie - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
For those interested, the Noctua NH-D15 is close to the Fractal Design S36 here, except that there's no data on Noctua above 38 dBA:https://www.anandtech.com/show/14621/the-noctua-nh...
Beaver M. - Saturday, June 20, 2020 - link
And thats with 2 fans.Plus you always have the option to sound-insulate your case, which helps a lot on air coolers, while the pumps of AIOs are pretty impossible to get silent due to their vibration.
edwardav54 - Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - link
No RGB please.AdditionalPylons - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - link
If my colleague working with permafrost research would be into stationary PCs I'd buy this for him at once. =)That said, I may consider this in a mITX build for myself at some point.
(I've only had one AIO - an Asetek for LGA775, years ago. Wasn't bothered with the relatively minor pump noise. Have since used Noctua air coolers and been happy with that.)