13 Intel Core i7 LGA 1366 CPU Coolers Compared

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

With the addition of the new coolers to the roundup it made some changes to the lineup. The long standing Noctua NH-U12P has finally moved off first place and replaced by the newcomer (to LR anyway) the Titan Fenrir, and it was only beat out by the Cooler Master V10 when the Core i7-920 was overclocked. The $53.55 Titan Fenrir also wins the price versus performance crown since it costs less than half of the $122 Cooler Master V10 CPU Cooler is going for on the retail market.

All of the new coolers we very quiet to almost silent. I was happy to see more companies starting to move to near silent fans. The new Thermaltake ISGC 12 fans are going to be very popular. They are not as uber quiet as the Noctua NF-12P fans, but very very close and they dont have the funky color scheme. The price also seems right on the Thermaltake ISGC 12 fans as they run $21.99 shipped per 120mm fan.

The top cooler over all is the Cooler Master V10, but at 1.2kg it is just a behemoth of a cooler and at $122 definitely not in most users’ budgets or needs. Its sheer size will definitely limit the cases you can put it in that is for sure. At half the price (or less) and almost as good of performance, any of the other top 5 air coolers will suit most enthusiasts needs.

At first I had mixed feelings the new top air cooler, the Titan Fenrir. With never having used or seen a review for a Titan cooler before I didnt know what to expect. When I picked up the Fenrir it didnt have the feel of a solid cooler like the NH-U12P or the Ultra 120. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the numbers come up, and Im looking forward to see more offerings from Titan.

The biggest, and only, drawback to the Fenrir is its availability. It’s nonexistent in the US, this is mainly due to the lack of distribution. If you can go by what it goes for across the pond at 30, or roughly $47, it’s one hella good price for a very good cooler. It has just as good performance as the Noctua and $30 cheaper. With the economy the way it is, that savings is a good one. The Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ CPU Cooler is more than deserving of our Editor’s Choice award now that it tops the performance charts!

Legit Bottom Line: We have a new winner, the Titan Fenrir. It’s got big bang for the buck… if you can find it.