The Enermax ETS-T40 Black Twister does much to distinguish itself. It offers solid performance for the price as it proves its worth against many coolers in its price range, like the Noctua NH-U12S and Scythe Ashura. With good cooling performance in all tests while being fairly quiet, I find Enermax's offering to be quite solid all around, especially when you consider its attractive design. Unlike many competing products, the ETS-T40 Black Twister stands out visually with its solid black heatsink and blue circular LED fan. The extra fan clips and vibrations pads make a dual-fan configuration an attractive option for that extra bit of performance and flair, and even the package is good as it offers better than average protection.

A few things keep the ETS-T40 Black Twister from distancing itself from the competition. Simply put, memory clearance is lacking compared to the competition. Coolers like the SilentiumPC Fera 2 HE1224 and Scythe Ashura come to mind, and Scythe's cooler is also very competitive in nearly every way. Another issue is the fact that this cooler blocks the first expansion slot on the motherboard, which was a surprise since it is a single-tower design with a 120 mm fan. Usually only coolers with 140 mm fans encounter this issue. Finally, while I like the translucent blue fan blades and LEDs, not everyone will, which limits its appeal. However, Enermax does offer other versions of the ETS-T40 that users may find more appealing.

Overall, I am impressed by Enermax's effort and attention to detail with the ETS-T40 Black Twister. With a bit more refinement, it could very well become the go-to cooler in its market segment. The ability to add a second fan is appealing if one likes bright LEDs. The idea of paring another matching fan up with the one Enermax has included actually makes me wish a second one had been provided; that extra visual bling is fun every once in awhile. That said, while I am impressed by what this Enermax CPU cooler offers, I cannot help but favor the Scythe Ashura when it comes to coolers in this price range, but that's just my opinion.

The ETS-T40 Black Twister by Enermax ultimately hits a lot of the right notes with its visual appeal and solid performance.