INTRODUCTION

   Just how important is RGB lighting for you? This is actually a conversation i tend to have more than I’d like with people and what i always say is that it depends on the person. Personally, although i wasn't very interested in RGB lighting at first now i use many peripherals and hardware components that have it and even though i know they offer nothing other than looking nice i don't see why not. There are of course cases where a product costs more because it has RGB lighting and offers less compared to a product without it so that obviously matter to many people (myself included since I’d choose performance over looks any day of the week). With their brand new Cool Storm T404B Hurricane Dual CPU Cooler ABKONCORE aims at both performance and looks and that's what today's review is all about.

   ABKONCORE is a Korean provider of high performance PC components and gaming peripherals. Many years of professional production experience and strong background of gaming PC components and peripherals which are tested by Korean game enthusiasts and PC cafe users, ABKONCORE is proudly introducing the gaming gears and PC peripherals. In a rather short time of years, ABKONCORE has extended its reach to the global market, having distributors and retailers. There are three different offices: HQ in Seoul, South Korea, Branch Office in Guangzhou, China and European Sales & Logistics Office in the Netherlands.

   The Cool Storm T404B Hurricane Dual by ABKONCORE is a rather compact tower heatsink model with a TDP (thermal design power) of 170W which as clearly stated by its name comes ready with two hydro-bearing fans in push & pull configuration for improved cooling efficiency. These fans are modified HR120 Spectrum Sync models (compatible with 5V ARGB motherboard headers) which are attached onto the main heatsink via plastic brackets and can reach speeds of up to 1800RPM to produce up to 50.2CFM of airflow with just 33dBA of noise. As for the tower heatsink it's made out of 48 aluminum fins and features a black matte paint, four 6mm nickel plated heatpipes and an H.D.T (heatpipe direct touch) base.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture is located at the front of the box right over the motherboard compatibility list and beneath the company logo.

The specifications table is printed on the left side of the box right over three stickers with barcodes.

At the rear ABKONCORE has printed the main product features in 8 languages.

Along with the heatsink and the two HR120 Spectrum Sync fans the box also contains a fan y-splitter, small thermal paste pouch, motherboard backplate, warranty information paper, installation manual and all the necessary bits and pieces to install the cooler onto Intel LGA 775/1150/1151/1152/1155/1156/1200/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2 motherboards.

THE COOL STORM T404B HURRICANE DUAL

The main heatsink of the T404B features a nice black matte color, weighs 454g and measures 157mm in height, 121mm in width and 49mm in length.

As mentioned before the heatsink is made with a total of 48 aluminum fins.

Unlike other models the T404B doesn't need to have its fins bend on the sides because of the plastic fan mounts.

All four 6mm nickel plated heatpipes feature the same black matte color.

The heatpipe direct touch base is even and without any machine marks.

Both HR120 Spectrum Sync fans feature rubber pads on all four corners and are mounted on brackets which make it very easy to put them on the heatsink.

With both fans mounted the T404B is now 819g heavy and its size increases to 128mm in width and 107mm in length.

Here you can also take a look at some of the ARGB colors and effects available.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan, we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally, it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure is more time consuming than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Because of its compact size the heatsink of the Cool Storm T404B Hurricane Dual certainly can’t compete with larger models, that’s why ABKONCORE not only outfitted it with a total of 48 aluminum fins (for increased heat dissipation) but also paired it with two high-speed modified HR120 Spectrum Sync fans in push & pull configuration. Certainly, in order to make up for the rather small size of the heatsink the two fans used are quite fast (spin up to 1800RPM) thus producing high noise levels at load which is also the sole drawback of this cooler.

   Currently the Cool Storm T404B Hurricane Dual by ABKONCORE retails for just 39.95Euros inside the EU (X2Products) a price tag which is way too affordable for what this model offers (no wonder it’s out of stock currently). Unfortunately I was unable to locate it anywhere in the USA so hopefully ABKONCORE will come up with a solution for that (an USA based distributor would be nice). All said and done even though the T404B may not offer the best cooling efficiency possible it’s good performance with its impressive looks and good build quality are more than enough for us to give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Performance
- Build Quality
- ARGB Lighting
- Black Matte Colour
- Dual Fan Solution
- Easy Installation
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Current Availability