Alpenföhn Brocken 3 Revisited – worth a buy today?

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. The Installation Process4. Testing Methodology5. Performance and Comparisons6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Overall, the Alpenföhn Brocken 3 is actually a pretty interesting piece of kit, for a couple of different reasons. For starters, it’s pretty unique in its appearance as it features this asymmetric design. This does make quite a bit of sense, saving you from the trouble of worrying about RAM clearance, while it also moves the cooler a little closer to the rear of the case, which will likely help your rear case fan exhaust the hotter air straight from the cooler.

In terms of installation, this also helps make the process a little easier as really there’s only one slightly inaccessible mounting screw, and even then there is a pass-through hole running centrally down the cooler which is designed for use with the included screwdriver.

In testing, it also became apparent that although quite a large cooler, Alpenföhn has intended the Brocken 3 to offer quieter operation over performance. Temperatures didn’t strike me as being crazy hot, but it’s clear that the cooler runs a little hotter than some of its competitors. This being said, considering the significant reduction in audible noise, it seems like a pretty fair trade-off if you value silence.

 

So while it doesn't offer the best raw thermals performance, the low noise levels – bettered only by the pricier Dark Rock Pro 4 – do make this cooler worth buying if you value silence.

The Alpenföhn Brocken 3 is currently available from Overclockers UK for £42.95 inc. VAT HERE.

Pros

• The asymmetric design allows 100% RAM compatibility even with higher profile memory.
• Very quiet in operation, even when overclocking.
• Out of the box potential to add a second fan thanks to extra fan brackets and a 4 pin PWM splitter.

Cons

• Thermal performance isn't the best.
• The pearlescent top plate may not be to everyone's taste.

KitGuru says: It's by no means the best cooler we have ever tested if you are just interested in thermal performance, but the impressively low noise levels means the Brocken 3 will appeal if you want to build a quiet PC.

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