GELID Solutions is like a hermit in the PC cooling scene and isn’t much aggressive in pushing their products over the years, but for those who have tried their product will know the real deal. Not known to the majority of the local builders who have just getting started to join the scene, GELID Solutions is pretty much known only by those who have been in the scene for years.
Priced at 77.99 US Dollar at NewEgg along with a twin tower design, is the ace of GELID Solutions really something worth investing for if you’re still into the air cooling league?
Features
Air Flow (CFM/CMH): | Slim 12 PWM: 52.4 / 89.1 max. / Silent 12 PWM: 58 / 98.6 max |
Bearing: | Hydro Dynamic Bearing |
Cable Length (mm): | 350 |
Current (A): | Slim 12 PWM: 0.2 max. / Silent 12 PWM: 0.18 max. |
DC Voltage (V): | 12 |
Fan Dimensions (mm) | Slim 12 PWM: 120(l) x 120(w) x 15.8(h) / Silent 12 PWM: 120(l) x 120(w) x 25(h) |
Fan Life Time MTTF at 40C (h): | 50’000 |
Fan Speed (+/- 10% ) (RPM): | Slim 12 PWM: 750 – 1600 / Silent 12 PWM: 750 – 1500 |
Heat Sink Dimensions (mm): | 109(l) x 126(w) x 160(h) (incl. Fans) |
Noise Level (dBA): | Slim 12 PWM: 25.4 max. / Silent 12 PWM: 25.5 max. |
Static Pressure (mmAq): | Slim 12 PWM: 1.35 / Silent 12 PWM: 1.6 |
Warranty (years): | 5 years from GELID Solutions |
Weight (g): | 990 (Heatsink & Fans) |
Overview
Now with the accessories included: installation kit for AMD/Intel CPU, mounting screws, spacers that work as an insulator, fan splitter, GC Extreme thermal compound and the fan clips for additional fan installation.
The thicker PWM fan seems like a pretty normal fan but the slim type fans is really something we’d say, one of a kind.
The fan is held firmly on the heatsink by the fan clip included. Installation might be a little tricky for those who never in their entirely dealing with fan clips though.
The screws are then secured using these thumb nuts included with the packaging.
Testing Method
Our testing methodology will be the usual CPU stress test with Pime95, conducted under ambient room temperature of 30ºC with the following setup:
Test Rig Configuration | |
CPU | i7 4770K overclocked to 4.2GHz |
Motherboard | Asus Sabertooth Z87 |
Memory | Corsair Vengeance Pro 1600 MHz 4GB x 2 |
Graphics | Asus GTX680 DirectCU II OC – stock speed |
Power Supply | Silverstone ST60F-P 600W 80+ Bronze |
Drives | Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB |
Chassis | Jonsbo QT01 |
In this test, we have 2 different scenarios:
1. side panel of the chassis is closed
2. side panel of the chassis is opened
Both tests use the maximum heat stress test on Prime95 to test the efficiency of the Black Edition. The duration of the test is 30 minutes for each and the result is shown in the graph below.
The result is rather pleasing, the i7 4770K we have here is pretty much a let down as it produces a massive amount of heat – much more than its predecessor. The Black Edition along with the GC-Extreme thermal compound did a fine job in keeping this sizzling hot chip at a fine temperature.
The fans, however, is rather noisy compared to some of the competitors especially Noctua. We believe that the Black Edition can do a whole lot better in both acoustic and thermal performance if you’re willing to invest more in some seriously good fans but as far as it goes, it is still a pretty good performance you’ll get out of the box.
Final Thoughts
After going through the Black Edition, we have to say that it is a solid performer that is able to perform as good as some highly-rated air coolers but at the same time, there’s some drawback you might want to take note:
Pros
– Solid fins which are less prone to accidental bending
– Dense fins and sealed side for a much-focused airflow
– Large heat pipes for best heat transfer
– The included GC-Extreme is a heaven’s gift, the most manufacturer will give you thermal compound which we consider as not-so-useful.
– Tool-free installation, you can basically secure all the included nuts and screws without using any tools
Cons
– Fans are rather noisy at full load
– RAM clearance issue, bad news for performance RAM with a monstrous heatsink
The drawbacks won’t be much of a concern if you fit the criteria of not having picky ears, uses low profile RAM or install dual-channel RAM on the B channel.
Making a decision isn’t a tough job for us as we do have picky ears, basically, the cons are our concern is building a system. Without any hesitation, the Black Edition deserves a Silver Award and Recommended Award for the great features and great value.