SilentiumPC Air Cooler Challenge – 6 Way Round-up

1. Introduction2. Testing Methodology3. Spartan 3 LT4. Spartan 3 Pro5. Fera 36. Fortis 37. Fortis 3 Malik Customs Edition8. Grandis9. Big Picture Overview10. Closing Thoughts11. View All Pages

Finally, we come to the biggest of the coolers – the dual-fan Grandis, which has an MSRP of £37.90.

SilentiumPC say ‘the Grandis XE1236 is the pinnacle of SilentiumPC CPU cooler lineup. This dual-radiator monster offers stellar cooling potential for the hottest processors on the market.' It is not surprising, too, considering its 250W TDP.

Specifications

• Overall dimensions: 130 x 105 x 158 mm
• Overall weight: 1.16kg
• Cooling fan type: 2 x GF12025
• Size: 120 x 120 x 25mm
• Bearing type: Hydraulic
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Rated Current: 0.2A
• Air Flow: max. 55.00 CFM
• Noise level: max. 21 dBA
• Fan Speed: 500 ~ 1500 +/-10%
• MTBF: 50 000 hours
• Connector: 4Pin PWM
• TDP: max 250 W

The Grandis is certainly a big cooler, to say the least. Weighing in at over 1.1KG, it uses two 120mm fans to keep even the hottest CPUs cool.

Installation is the same as with the Fera 3 and the Fortis 3 coolers. However, there is one significant drawback to the Grandis – RAM clearance. With one fan in the middle of the two heatsinks, and another at the front (furthest away from the motherboard I/O, as in the pictures) there is no room for anything other than the lowest-profile RAM kits. Of course, you could install the fan on the other side of the heatsink, pulling air out of the cooler – but I would imagine pushing it through the front would be more effective.

Testing

While the Grandis does very well with the overclocked CPU, I was honestly most impressed by it at stock speeds. When idling it was truly inaudible – I had to press my ear almost against the heatsink to detect the tell-tale whirr of the fans. Even under load, the fans were barely spinning – which is clearly the obvious benefit of having the dual-heatsink design, as there is more physical space for the heat to dissipate enabling the fans to do less of the work.

Its cooling performance when dealing with the overclocked CPU, too, does suggest it would be perfect for anyone who wants to overclock their CPU to limit without going down the watercooling route.

This holds true for noise levels as well, though I would have preferred to see 140mm fans on the Grandis – but of course this does mean it would have to be even bigger. The 120mm fans are by no means loud, but when they ramp up to deal with the overclocked Core i7, you are aware of them both spinning. After the success of the 140mm fans included with both Fortis models, perhaps my expectations were too high – but under extreme, overclocked load the Grandis is more audible.

• MSRP: £37.90
• Product code: SPC099
• EAN Code: 5900308750131

KitGuru says: Perfect for overclocking enthusiasts, the Grandis wins our Worth Buying award due to its monstrous, dual-fan design which can dissipate a lot of heat.

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