Noctua NH-U12S and NH-U14S review

Cooling 189 Page 10 of 12 Published by

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Core i7 3770K OC at 4600 MHz 1.2 Volts

Overclock Sessions At 4600 MHz 1.2 Volts

We had a peek at a selection of stages in overclocking and their respective temperatures, have a look at the following results please.

  • We enforce 4600 MHz onto the processor clock frequency by changing the multiplier
  • We give the processor 1.20 Volts and then (next page) later on 1.30 Volts
The problem with a Core i7 3770 @ 1.3 Volts however is that it will run up towards 90~95 Degrees C on your average heatpipe cooling. Anything under 90 Degrees C (with 100% CPU load) is a win here as it shows cooling capacity. It's the nature of the beast.
 
Let me clearly state that at 4600 MHz, we do not need 1.3 Volts for a stable overclock. We are merely stressing the cooler to see how it behaves. Realistically, with the TUF Sabertooth Z77 motherboard we are using 1.20V is enough for 4600 MHz. So again, we have increased CPU voltage beyond what we actually need. Okay, with that explained let's have a peek:

Core i7 3770K OC At 4600 MHz 1.2 Volts - IDLE 

So first up some IDLE results with the Core i7 clocked at 3770K @ 4600 GHz with 1.2 volts on the CPU. Again, the results are the IDLE temperatures thus you are in your desktop doing nothing. 

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Core i7 3770K OC At 4600 MHz 1.2 Volts - LOAD

Now we'll be testing the temperatures under stress. If we set the overclock at 4600 MHz and configure CPU Voltage at 1.2V, these will be the results.  

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As you can see, the temperatures are bumped up higher quickly once you apply a Voltage tweak. Overclocked with 1.2 Volts we see some heatpipe coolers already run into problems. That Core i7 3770K simply is a nasty product when v-tweaked.

My rule of thumb is simple:

  • If the processor can stay under or at 75 Degrees for a long period of time, you will be okay
  • Good would be under 70 Degrees C
  • Excellent cooling can keep it under 65 Degrees C

We notice that the NH-U12S is doing well, but already running a little short. That cooler as such is good enough for normal usage and a small tweak. The NH-U14S however is much more impressive. With two fans 66 Degrees C and 68 Degrees C with the one fan. 

Let's go nasty though and fire off 1.3 Volts and a 4600 Mhz clock frequency to see how these heatpipe coolers will panic :)

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