Battle of the CPU Coolers

Review Pages

1. Intro - AC Freezer 7 Pro
2. Akasa AK-965
3. Akasa AK-925 Revo
4. Asus Silent Knight II
5. Asus Triton 75
6. GlacialTech Igloo 5160
7. Noctua NH-U12F
8. OCZ Vendetta
9. Scythe Andy Samurai Master
10. Scythe Kama Cross
11. Scythe Infinity (Mugen)
12. Scythe Ninja Mini
13. SunbeamTech.com Silent Whisper
14. Titan Amanda Tec
15. Titan TTC-NK34TZ
16. Titan Vanessa L-Type
17. Tuniq Tower 120
18. Zalman CNPS8700NT
19. Zalman CNPS9700LED
20. Zaward VIVO
21. Test methodology
22. Results - Idle
23. Results - Load
24. Results - Noise
25. Summary

Manufacturer	Asus
Model	Silent Knight II
Price	$66
Category	Overclockers

Asus recently decided to enter the CPU cooler market with several products. We can definitively say that the Silent Knight II is a good example of design and at the same time performance. The Asus Silent Knight II is made out of 100% copper materials with six copper heat pipes that ensure excellent heat dissipation for maximum cooling performance. Due to its design, the Silent Knight II supports the Intel Core2 Extreme/ Core2 Quad (Quad-Core) CPU, Intel Pentium 4 LGA775 & AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core CPU, AMD Athlon 64(-FX) (939/940/AM2). The PWM function automatically adjusts rotation speed according to CPU temperature and delivers a quiet cooling at a mere 25dBA. Lastly, the fan is positioned inside the frame and VRM shield guides cool air to critical components around the CPU for stable operation.

- Full specifications

CPU Support	Intel� Core™2 Extreme/ Core™2 Quad (Quad-Core) Intel� Core™2 Duo/ Pentium� Dual Core/ Pentium� D (Dual-Core) Intel� Pentium� 4 HT/Celeron� D AMD Athlon™ 64 FX AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 AMD Athlon™ 64 AMD Sempron™
CPU Socket	Intel LGA 775 AMD 754/939/940 AMD AM2
Dimensions (L x W x H)	115 (L) x 140 (W) x 110 (H) mm
Net Weight (g)	610 g
Heatsink Material	Cu. Base + Cu. Fins + 6 Heat Pipes
Fan	Dimension (mm) 92 x 92 x 25 Bearing Type Sleeve Connector 4 Pin with PWM Control Speed 2300 rpm � 10% Max. Airflow 45.6 CFM Max. Air Pressure 2.325 mm-H2O

- Retail package

The retail package of Asus Silent Knight II is semi-transparent in front to show up the design and its features.

The package is full, this means that it includes all the needed items for installing it either with an AMD or an Intel processor.

The Asus Silent Knight II is fully made of copper. There are six heatpipes that absorb heat from the processor and via the centered 92mm fan, heat is released to the nearby area. For sure this cooler looks impressive.

What we didn't liked is the fact that the power fan cable is too short and can easily be messed up with the fan. Just make sure to push it away from fan during the installation procedure. At night the fan will light up in an electric blue color adding a special mood to your case.

The bottom is very impressive without a mirror finish and no manufacturing defects or scratches:

- Installation

The Asus Silent Knight II needs some extra time to install it. First of all you need to add the backplate stabilizer, add four screws to the black base and mount the whole structure to the motherboard. Then you need to pass through the bottom of the cooler another metal plate and push it down so the cooler stays stable at the motherboard. The procedure does sound complicated, but Asus has included well written instructions.

With Asus Blitz Extreme we had some problems fitting the left bottom screw, since the black metal case was touching the copper heatsink. With some extra force this problem was overcomed. We could have simply rotated the whole base instead...