INTRODUCTION

   We are finally half way through the summer and i can't really say I’ll be missing it, not when temperatures here reach up to 43 degrees Celsius. Certainly each season offers different things and although i love the sea i have to admit that I’m more of a winter person myself as are most people i know (especially the ones who do the same job). However since we are still in the summer period i can't think of a more suitable review than a review surrounding one of the latest CPU Coolers to hit the market and more specifically the SB-E (Sandy bridge-E) compatible version of the award winning Archon by Thermalright.

   Thermalright is an elite design house that manufactures cooling products for computer components for the best quality and performance your money can buy. In 2002, AMD released its first generation Thunderbird CPU and since then we have been there every step of the way to counter high voltage and high heat with innovative design and highly acclaimed cooling solutions not only for AMD but for Intel as well. One of early well known solutions was the SK-6. With many positive and rave reviews under its belt Thermalright bolted to the top as the heat sink manufacturer mostly preferred by Overclockers and enthusiasts around the World. To this day, innovation never left our vocabulary as we keep coming up with leading edge designs staying ahead of the competition.

   Although at first glance the previous Archon Rev.A unit is identical with the SB-E version Thermalright has performed one single improvement specs-wise so compared to the previous Archon Rev.A version the new Archon SB-E comes with a grand total of eight 6mm nickel plated copper heatpipes instead of the 6 of in the Rev.A so the additional 2 heatpipes should increase the units cooling efficiency quite a bit, especially at high loads. Improvements aside however the cooler comes bundled with the same low-noise 150mm 1100RPM PWM fan (TY150) as its predecessor so i don't really expect them to be worlds apart in terms of performance. So let's move forward and see just how well the new Archon SB-E compares with its immediate competition.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As usual Thermalright packs the Archon SB-E inside a plain brown cardboard box with just their logo on the front.

The name/version of the cooler is present on both sides.

The heatsink, 150mm fan and the bundle are all enveloped inside several Styrofoam pieces.

Aside the Archon SB-E heatsink you are also getting the TR-TY150 150mm PWM fan, installation manual, Thermalright sticker (slightly different than the ones we've seen to date), 4 wire fan clips, CF III thermal compound tube, two sets of rubber and silicone shock-absorbing pads and mounting hardware for Intel LGA775/1155/1156/1366/2011 and AMD 939/AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1 compatible mainboards.

THE ARCHON SB-E

Just like the Archon Rev.A the SB-E version measures 170mm in Height, 155mm in Width and just 53mm in depth while weighing a total of 760g without any fans installed.

The SB-E heatsink is made by 50 aluminum fins, each 0.5mm thick.

The aluminum fins have a gap of 2mm between them adding to a total surface of 9000cm2.

Both the arrow fin design and the long hole in the middle of the heatsink are in place to reduce air-resistance and thus increase airflow levels.

You can use up to two 150/140/120mm fans with the Archon SB-E in push and pull (just like the previous versions).

A grand total of eight 6mm nickel plated copper heatpipes leave the base of the unit and pass through its entire body. As you can see the heatpipes are spaced evenly from each other which should ensure even distribution of heat on the aluminum fins.

As usual for a Thermalright product the base of the cooler is not exactly even/flat from side to side (although it comes really close) and features an mirror like finish.

The 150mm PWM fan (TY150) can reach speeds of 1100RPM and produce airflow of 84CFM at 23dBA.

Prior to mounting the fan you first need to install the 4 silicon pads as seen above (Thermalright bundles 4 more if you plan on mounting a second fan at the rear).

The bundled fan mounting clips are not the easiest to use but combined with the silicon pads they are very sturdy.

After mounting the 150mm fan the Archon SB-E now measures 175mm in Height, 170mm in Length and 79.5mm in depth while weighing a total of 940g.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     I 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 so 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 i plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end users who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database will be tested with its bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at 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 we will not be measuring their dBA levels. For the dBA test 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 or 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 CPU, the Intel Core i7-3930k 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 takes a lot more time 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

   Well i can't say that i was surprised with the results since the new Archon SB-E performed roughly the same as its predecessor (included in my old LGA1366 database). The two additional 6mm heatpipes seem to have helped a little but really nothing to get excited over and so compared to some of the really high end CPU Coolers we've tested so far the Archon SB-E may fall back a bit but remember that performance numbers vary with different setups so although in our LanBoy Air all the units tested are getting a remarkable amount of air (not only because the entire case is perforated but also because of the 8 installed case fans) in other towers they may not so there some CPU Coolers may perform even better or worse. What really shines however is the low-noise TR-TY150 fan which never crossed the 46dBA mark making the Archon SB-E the quietest cooler in our database, at least up until now.

   With a price tag currently set at around USD80 inside the USA and 60Euros inside the EU the Archon SB-E CPU Cooler does not come cheap but since it features the top notch build quality Thermalright has gotten us used to over the years, offers zero clearance issues with memory modules (unless it can't fit in your tower due to its height), performs right up there with some of the best CPU Coolers in the market and outputs extremely low noise levels you can't really call it expensive. However i would like to see an Archon Extreme version with 2 very fast fans (perhaps with the same TR-TY143 set that comes with the Silver Arrow Extreme) aimed at enthusiasts and overclockers. Overall the new Archon SB-E is a very good CPU Cooler and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Performance
- Size (Thickness)
- 150mm PWM Bundled Fan
- Low Noise Levels
- Universal Compatibility 

CONS

- Height (For Some)
- Price (For Some)