SilentiumPC Fera 3 RGB

[crazyeyesreaper]

SilentiumPC offers incredible value with their entry-level Fera 3 RGB cooler. It embodies what a killer entry-level cooler should be. Combining performance, noise, and looks into an attractive package. You cannot ignore it as it delivers the best performance per dollar we have seen thus far.

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[bug]

May I suggest throwing a reference cooler in there? Sometimes coolers may not perform as well compared to others, yet still give you lower temps than whatever happens to come boxed with the CPU. And yes, I know there's the problem of higher end CPUs not bundling a heat sink anymore, but maybe one from the lower models will do? At least for the non-OC tests.

And a little more on topic, this cooler right here is what I usually go for: not that expensive, not that heavy, but with a larger fan is quieter than any stock cooler. It if lower the temps a bit, that's just a bonus for me, since my overclocking days are behind me now.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

The Hyper 212X which is a revised 212 EVO basically fills that role. The performance between the two across multiple test benches has shown performance delta of 2'C.

I have had a Hyper cooler in my test results going back to 2013 so 5 years. Considering Cooler Master Hyper serious is still one of the best selling heatsinks thats as good as it gets.

A stock cooler will run the CPU at stock, however it gets hot enough that in a temp controlled environment. It can still thermal throttle under intense load depending on the set ambient temp.

Essentially this cooler is roughly on par with a CM 212 EVO / Hyper 212X but with RGB elements for the same price.

 

[Mistral]

I'm looking at those graphs and all I can say it, damn, the Scythe Ninja 5 looks good. We need more Scythe cooler reviews.

 

[wolar]

I have a question, why the thermalright macho is not on the graphs anymore? Wasnt it the best of aircoolers ?

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

I have a question, why the thermalright macho is not on the graphs anymore? Wasnt it the best of aircoolers ?

Availability and time constraints, You do realize the test system is upgraded to stay up to date. I pick 10 or so coolers at the time. While thats going on I also handle laptops / desktops / mini-pcs and news coverage on top of regular work.

As such i pick a subset of coolers on price / size / market segment rebench and move on. If I keep every cooler I get asked about the charts would be 40+ coolers long and I would never be able to keep the test system up to date. I get asked regularly why X cooler isn't in the lineup the response will be the same. I organize a list I rebench I move on.

 

[wolar]

Availability and time constraints, You do realize the test system is upgraded to stay up to date. I pick 10 or so coolers at the time. While thats going on I also handle laptops / desktops / mini-pcs and news coverage on top of regular work.

As such i pick a subset of coolers on price / size / market segment rebench and move on. If I keep every cooler I get asked about the charts would be 40+ coolers long and I would never be able to keep the test system up to date. I get asked regularly why X cooler isn't in the lineup the response will be the same. I organize a list I rebench I move on.

I understand that you cannot keep every single one.
But if it was the best, shouldn't that be enough to keep it in the charts until something better comes along?

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

Best is a bit of a misnomer, The Macho RT is in the top echelons, with the D15, D15S, R1 Universal and is indeed a bit quieter but performance is essentially on par with the rest of the top tier coolers.

If i don't keep the D15 people bitch, If i don't keep the R1 people bitch, If i don't have a Corsair AIO people bitch. Heres the thing. I review hardware, I cover content in depth and test the maximum possible performance these coolers are capable of.

I am not here to please everyone. Simple fact is Thermalright is not as popular as Cryorig or Noctua, and if my test bench only has high end products on it then its a worthless comparison. Considering each cooler takes 4-6 hours to rebench to get a base line setup and I have to test and restest the majority of coolers when dialing in overclocks. To make sure that I hit a realistic daily OC that stresses the coolers but isn't so absurd that nothing can pass the test. This means each new system requires a rebench that takes about 100 hours of my time.

Sure I could be a dick just half-ass the results but I choose to deliver what I actually find. Considering I also have to Could I do more? sure but I start with ten while most reviews use 2-3 or compare only to stock. So again I tend to pick a few coolers. Example Latest test bench started with 10 rebenched coolers, Including:

2x 360 mm AIOs (EK-MLC and Corsair h150i pro)
2x 240 mm AIOs (Aerocool P7 and Fracal Celsius S24)
3x High end Air (NH-D15 / NH-D15S / R1 Universal)
2x Mid range (NH-U12S / Thermalright True Spirit 140D)
2x Entry (Cryorig H7 / Cooler Master Hyper 212X)

That was in March of 2018, with the rebench being 10 coolers + 1 that was reviewed. since then thats been expanded to 27 coolers.

So you tell me when i constantly get shit for not including someones favorite cooler where do I draw the line? When it comes to running useless tests (idle temps) where do I draw the line? Can you test all coolers with the same fans? Can you rebench it with X fans? Can you test it with a different orientation?, Can you test it with a lower voltage? Can you test it with PWM only?

If people want more coolers in the charts at a rebench fine but they need to give up other things to keep time constraints down so no more installation coverage, no more time wasted on idle temps etc (idle temps alone waste 45 mins of my time per cooler review)

I will leave this bit of sage wisdom don't take it personally but:

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

 

[bug]

@crazyeyesreaper It's pretty obvious each review can't include all the coolers. But could you rotate coolers between reviews? Like, if you're including 10, keep 7 from the last review and replace 3 others. This way, if someone is interested, they can open up 2-3 reviews and hopefully find the comparison they're looking for.

 

[wolar]

Well, thermalright isnt as popular, i get that. Not including it in the tests while its being better than the competition, doesnt help at all though.
Its your hours and your reviews, you do what you want. I just asked for the reason.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

@crazyeyesreaper It's pretty obvious each review can't include all the coolers. But could you rotate coolers between reviews? Like, if you're including 10, keep 7 from the last review and replace 3 others. This way, if someone is interested, they can open up 2-3 reviews and hopefully find the comparison they're looking for.

When i switch to a new test bench I bring 10 coolers over after that until when the test bench switches all coolers remain in the charts. As of right now with this review there are 26 entries.

It will likely push past 35-40 before the next test bench update.

Well, thermalright isnt as popular, i get that. Not including it in the tests while its being better than the competition, doesnt help at all though.
Its your hours and your reviews, you do what you want. I just asked for the reason.

Its the best in theory, Other coolers rival it just the same. Just for posterity should I keep the D14, Phanteks TC14PE, R1 Ultimate along side the R1 Universal, Frio Extreme etc? Again where do I draw the line.

Back when i switched over to the new system the Macho wasn't available hardly anywhere the places it was available had jacked up prices so i removed it from the charts.
Not as popular
lack of availability
To many high end coolers already in the lineup.
That said looking at the other high end air coolers its not like its that difficult to figure out where the Macho RT would fall. If I start making exceptions for every cooler i have to start trying to please everyone thats just not gonna happen.

 

[bug]

When i switch to a new test bench I bring 10 coolers over after that until when the test bench switches all coolers remain in the charts. As of right now with this review there are 26 entries.

It will likely push past 35-40 before the next test bench update.

Fair enough. I was just throwing ideas around.