KitGuru Annual Awards 2013

We didn't have this category when we started typing, but some simply stunning KitGuru Labs results came through as we were finishing off – and it meant us adding a category in special recognition of something very special.

The AMD reference GPU cooler is like a master class in how not to keep a CPU cool. And the design has hardly changed over the years.

Sure, you can understand that the GPU cooler is one of the keys to how individual AIBs (Add In Board partners) will differentiate their products in the market, but we're not sure if the basic design has to be so, well, basic.

So that brings the question: Which GPU cooler are we talking about?

With the launch of the GTX Titan at the start of 2013, nVidia set the bar at a very serious level. Sure, we can all laugh at the original price point, because very few people will ever spend £800 on a graphic card, but it achieved instant cult-appeal. The simple, yet dramatic name also appealed to many people.

When AMD unloaded the Radeon R9 290X, everyone was looking for a GTX Titan killer, but – at launch with the reference cooler – a clear victory was not on the cards. Even when you switched to Uber-Mode the GPU still held at 95c under load. I discussed this in great detail, over here.

Then nVidia moved the GTX 780 Ti into the market, Palit launched the GTX780 Ti Jet Stream  – and everything else looked mundane. If, of course you had the necessary funds available in your bank account to get hold of one.

At this point, AMD needs to line up a team of trumpeters to form a guard of honour as Sapphire's crack engineering team wheels in the Sapphire R9 290X TriX OC card.

The KILLER here is the Thermal Dynamics section of KitGuru Labs testing.

With the AMD reference cooler, the core of the 290X GPU will touch around 95 degrees.

Using a combination of 10mm heat pipes, the unique physical configuration of the Tri-X cooling fins and a bespoke shroud, the temperature while gaming drops a whopping 27c, from 95 degrees down to just 68 degrees.

Additionally it does that while dropping the noise levels by more than 3dBA. The decibel scale is not linear, so a drop of 3dBA is significant to the human ear –  i.e. The graphic card cooler that comes in at 3dBA lower, will be much more pleasant to live with.

KitGuru's choice for Best GPU Cooler of 2013 goes to the Tri-X technology created by Sapphire.

This cooler has featured on the Sapphire R9 280X Toxic Edition, the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X OC Edition. and Sapphire R9 290X Tri-X OC Editions. Not only is the Tri-X noticeably quieter than the reference cooler, but it also offers a massive 27 degree drop in running temperatures while gaming.

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