For our tests with the LGA 1366 CPU coolers we used an open air test bed with the following configuration:

• CPU: Intel Core7-920 Retail
• Case: open air test bed
• Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe Bios 1003 & Foxconn Renaissance Bios P07
• Memory: 3x1GB Crucial PC3-1066
• PSU: OCZ 720W
• HDD: WD 80JB
• Operating system Windows XP with all the latest updates installed
• Software: OCCT v2.0.1 & CoreTemp 0.99.3
• Thermal Paste: Tuniq TX-2
• Idle time: ~30min
• Load time: ~30min
• RPM speed controllable via SmartFan BIOS or via external hardware controller

In order to produce the highest possible temperature inside the PC case, we used OCCT v2.0.1 software with a custom 30mins (mixed) operation.

We left both cores running at full load for ~30 minutes. All temperatures were logged using the CoreTemp 0.99.3 and the software itself.

We followed two overclocking scenarios:

• Intel Core i7-920 @ 2.66GHz
• Vcore: 1.1000V
• Other BIOS values: Auto

• Intel Core i7-920 @ 3.60GHz
• Vcore: 1.26250V
• DDR3 Voltage: 1.64V
• Other BIOS values: Auto

We also measured the produced noise from all the coolers using the Precision Gold N09AQ Environment Meter. All measurements were taken at a distance of 30cm from the cpu cooler running at full speed. For all the coolers we used the same thermal compound from Tuniq, the TX-2. All in all we tried to have the exactly same environment conditions in all the tested coolers.