Zerotherm Nirvana 120 Premium

[t_ski]

[page=Introduction]
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/logo.jpg
I would like to thank Zerotherm (http://www.zerotherm.co.kr/) for supplying the review sample.

Features:
Easy Install
Killer performance
Fan speed control
Efficient heat pipe design
Honeycomb Structure optimized design
Two blue LED fan


Compatibility:
Intel Socket 775: Pentium 4, Pentium 4D, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme
AMD Socket 939/940/AM2: Opteron, Sempron, Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2 Athlon 64 FX

Specifications:
<blockquote><table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="450">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Dimension:</th>
<td scope="row">128 x 95 x 150 mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Heatsink Material:</th>
<td scope="row">Copper Base and Heat Pipe, Aluminum fin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Heat Dissipation Area:</th>
<td scope="row">6748 square cm (1046 square in)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Cooling Capacity:</th>
<td scope="row">Over 150W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Fan Size:</th>
<td scope="row">120 x 25 mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Fan Speed:</th>
<td scope="row">700 ~ 2600 RPM +/- 10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Acoustic Noise:</th>
<td scope="row">Under 39 dB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Connector:</th>
<td scope="row">3-pin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Operating Voltage:</th>
<td scope="row">5 - 13.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Operating Power:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">Max 5.0W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Airflow:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">Max 84.7 CFM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Weight:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">628g (without optional components)</td>
</tr>
</table></blockquote>

About Zerotherm
From the Zerotherm website:
<blockquote>ZEROtherm is engineered for the objective of decreasing noise into the “ZERO” range while effectively addressing thermal issues. ZEROtherm products are optimized cooling solutions to reduce both noise and heat. Our core thermal packaging technology (including heat pipe technology and micro electro mechanical technology) is the basis for all ZEROtherm products.

We seek to exceed consumer expectations by developing, designing, and producing “best-of-breed” solutions from our extensive technological and engineering capabilities.
</blockquote>

[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging & Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p01sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p01.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p02sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p02.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p03sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p03.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p04sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p04.jpg)
The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium comes in a metallic silver box with a lot of color images and specifications on the outside. The box seems oversized for the heatsink, which can clearly be seen through a window on the front of the package.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p05sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p05.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p06sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p06.jpg)
Inside the box the heatsink and the accessories are stored in a plastic clamshell package. The mounting hardware consists of an AMD bracket, and Intel bracket and backplate, four screws and a small tube of thermal compound.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p07sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p07.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p08sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p08.jpg)
Also included with the Nirvana is a fan controller and a multi language installation instruction sheet.

[page=A Closer Look]
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p09sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p09.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p10sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p10.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p11sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p11.jpg)
The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium is a tower-type heatsink with a copper base and four U-shaped heatpipes, which lead up through 44 aluminum fins. The edges of the fins wrap around the front to protect the sides of the fan.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p12sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p12.jpg)
The entire heatsink is coated in a mirror finish that looks more dark gray than silver. On top of the heatsink the middle section dips down while the two sides bend up. All of the fins are the same way, which creates the Nirvana's honeycomb design.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p17sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p17.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p18sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p18.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p15sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p15.jpg)
The fan on the front is a transparent 120mm proprietary fan that attaches to the base with some metal clips. The fan is tilted upward to help elevate the dead spot behind the hub. At the end of the fan wire is a standard 3-pin connector.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p13sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p13.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p14sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p14.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p16sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p16.jpg)
The copper base has the same mirror plating on it as the rest of the heatsink. I did notice that there were two small spots on the base that looked as if some foreign material was caught in the plating, as seen in the red squares above. Although the base is very shiny, there are some mill marks still visible. The razor test shows the base is convex and only the very center touches the blade.

[page=Installation]
Installation
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p19sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p19.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p20sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p20.jpg)
The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium uses the same mounting system as the BTF92. For Intel systems, this means that the X-shaped bracket needs to be affixed to the base of the heatsink with the four small black screws.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p32sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p32.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p33sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p33.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p34sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p34.jpg)
To mount the heatsink on an Intel CPU the motherboard must be removed from the system. The backplate has a thin paper film on it which can be removed for installation ease and a more permanent mounting. Since many heatsinks are tested on this system, the paper was not removed to make it easier to take the backplate out of the system. (In this case the heatsink should be installed before placing the motherboard back in the system, or else the installation will be slightly more difficult.) With the backplate in place the motherboard was flipped over and the CPU was cleaned to remove all the previous thermal compound residue.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p21sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p21.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p22sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p22.jpg)
The CPU heatspreader was cleaned to remove all previous thermal compound and a thin line of paste was applied to the heatspreader. The Nirvana was placed over the CPU and the screws were tightened down in an "X" pattern a little at a time until all four screws were snug. I needed to use a Phillips screwdriver with a shaft at least six inches long in order to mount the cooler, because the fan is not removable and the screwdriver needs to fit between the heatsink and the fan.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p27sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p27.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p28sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p28.jpg)
After installation the heatsink was immediately removed to inspect the contact area for the thermal compound. The compound had spread nicely, but it was noticeable that the compound was slightly heavier toward the right edge.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p23sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p23.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p24sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p24.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p26sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p26.jpg)
With the heatsink cleaned and Arctic Silver 5 applied, the heatsink was reinstalled. Although the Nirvana is rather wide and hangs over the chipset heatsink on the motherboard, the Nirvana is tall enough to clear the chipset heatsink.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p29sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p29.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p30sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p30.jpg)
The 3-pin header for the fan can be plugged directly into the motherboard CPU fan header, or it can be plugged in to the fan controller provided with the Nirvana.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p25sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p25.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p31sm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/znirvana120p31.jpg)
As stated before, the Nirvana is a bit wide. In this installation with the fan blowing toward the back of the case, the Nirvana hangs over the top edge of the motherboard slightly. When the motherboard tray was placed back inside the case, one of the fan grills needed to be removed from the top mounted fans in the Lian Li PC-A10 case. With other cases that have the power supply located above the motherboard (or other cases with simply more room), this should not be a problem. Also, if the heatsink is mounted so the fan blows upward toward the top of the case, this is no longer an issue.

[page=Performance]
Performance
The system being used to test the heatsink is as follows:
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="450">
<tr>
<th width="100" scope="row">CPU:</th>
<td scope="row">Intel E6850 Core2 Duo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th width="100" scope="row">Clock speed:</th>
<td scope="row">9 x 333 MHz = 3.0 GHz, Memory at DDR2-667</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Motherboard:</th>
<td scope="row">Asus P5W DH Deluxe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Memory:</th>
<td scope="row">2 x 1GB G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Video Card:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">Sapphire HD 2900XT PCI-e</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Hard disk:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">4 x 250 GB Seagate 7200.10 in Matrix Raid 0/5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Power Supply:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">ThermalTake ToughPower 750W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Case:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">Lian Li PC-A10B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Software:</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row">Windows XP Pro SP2, Catalyst 7.10</td>
</tr>
</table>
Ambient temperature was kept to 22 degrees Celsius (+/- 1 degree) and was measured by a standard mercury thermometer.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/graph1.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/graph2.gif
At stock speeds the Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium performs extremely well. In fact, it is able to slightly edge out the performance of the ThermalTake Bigwater 760i, even at low speed.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/graph3.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/graph4.gif
When the CPU is overclocked and the voltage is increased, the Nirvana Premium is still holding its own against the top performers in the group. With the fan at full speed it ties the lowest temperature in the test group.

Fan Noise
To measure fan noise we used an IEC Type 2 sound level meter on the dbA setting. Measuring distance was 10 cm from the heatsink fan hub. The short distance of 10 cm is necessary to get proper readings with very silent fans. All fans were tested outside of the case at 12V supplied by a lab PSU. On fans that come with a fan controller or allow control of fan speed in any other way, "low" and "high" indicate the settings on the fan controller.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/images/fannoise.gif
At low speed the fan on the Nirvana Premium is very quiet, and it was not audible in the case with the system running and all the case fans set to low speed. At full speed the fan is much louder, but not as loud as some other fans in the test group.

[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium is available for about $42 to $50 USD after rebate.</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>

$42 USD after rebate is a great price
Great performance
Beautiful mirror plated finish over the entire heatsink
Cool blue LED fan
Four U-shaped heatpipes
Included fan controller
Fan is quiet at low speed

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>

Base imperfections
Proprietary fan
Fan is loud at full speed
May have clearance issues in tight cases under certain configurations

</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.0</th>
<td>
The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium is a great heatsink that can be had for as little as $42 after rebate, which is a great price for a solid performer. I just cannot get over how beautiful the finish is on the Nirvana, and that finish wraps the entire heatsink. The blue LEDs in the fan are a nice touch, and the fan controller allows the user to dial in exactly how much noise is acceptable. With a small margin of performance difference between high speed and low speed, I found setting the fan to just below half-way still kept it quieter than the stock cooler on my video card.<br />
<br />
The biggest fault I could find with the Nirvana Premium were the imperfections on the base. These blemishes probably have a negative impact on the performance of the heatsink as they reduce the contact area. However, anyone with the time and skill could lap the heatsink to solve this problem, and anyone who is serious about performance probably would anyway. The only other issues were with the proprietary fan being harder to replace if something went wrong with it, and how loud the fan can get at full speed. There is a possibility of clearance issues if the CPU socket is high up on the motherboard and the user installs the Nirvana Premium with the airflow directed toward the back, but this would be the same as with any other tower heatsink based on a 120mm fan.<br />
<br />
Overall I was extremely impressed with the Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a 120mm tower heatsink. Please follow the forum link where I will be listing a few places this heatsink can be purchased.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/editorschoice.gif</td></tr>
</table>

[t_ski]

For those interested in purchasing this cooler, here are some links for you:

ZipZoomFly
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10006946

Newegg
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835887011&Tpk=nv120

TigerDirect
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3273116&CatId=798

The first link for ZipZoomFly is the one that has it for $42 after rebate, and they also have free shipping on it. The free shipping only works in the continental US, and so does the rebate.

[TUngsten]

Excellent review, T-ski

One comment (something I notice about a lot of reviews)
It would be great if the initial sentence or header mentioned exactly what kind of product is being reviewed (i.e. cpu cooling fan, etc), so one needn't scroll down a few pages to learn exactly what a "Zerotherm Nirvana 120 Premium" is :toast:

[Kreij]

Great Review T-Ski.

We are going to have to get you a processor that generates some real heat.
That darn E6850 only has a TDP of 65W. ;)

Anyway, I ordered one to try on my QX6700. We'll see what it can do on a quad.

[WarEagleAU]

Excellent review as always. You seem to put a little of yourself in every review you do.

Im amazed by the cooling power of this air cooler. Its right up there with the Zalman and AC Pro. Very impressive. Im sure a nice lap job would lower the temps by another degree or two. Also, the price is nice and the noise isnt too bad.

[t_ski]

Thanks guys. I thought the performance to price ratio was great, especially considering $42 shipped after rebate. There aren't many tower style heatsinks that cost as little as this one, yet still perform as good as it does.

I must have some bad luck, though. I read the other Nirvana review linked on the front page of TPU and the sample they received had a perfect base. No imperfections, or mill marks. Oh, well.

[OnBoard]

That's one sexy cooler! :) Wouldn't fit my mobo, as I have Noctuas chipset tower cooler, Ultima only fits, because it's narrower in the middle. There is 1-2mm of space without lying and Zalman 9500 didn't have much more :P

ZEROtherm does some nice coolers with good value, If I hade a second computer or a media center, I'd definately buy one of them.

t_ski: noticed the thermalpastelineimage, was like "take that OnBoard" ;)

[Airbrushkid]

Why did they compare it against the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme??

[Kreij]

Interesting, the number of reviews on this coolers, by sites around the 'net, is high.
ZEROTherm must be passing them out like candy :)

It's also noteworthy that this thing is getting excellent reviews across the board.

[t_ski]

Why did they compare it against the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme??

Do you mean "Why didn't you compare it against the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme?"

Simply because I do not own one, and Thermalright has not responded to my request for a review sample.

[erocker]

Nice! An alternative to the girly "butterfly" design.

[Kreij]

Did anyone read the Overclockers New Zealand review?

This thing stood toe to toe with a Tuniq Tower on an OC'd quad.
Pretty darn impressive.

Note to UPS : Step on it, will ya? :D

[Kreij]

I got this thing installed on my Quad.

BIOS reports idle temp @ 28C
Cores are at 35, 35, 31, 33

That is a couple of degrees cooler than the Scythe Mine on my system.
No time to do load tests yet.

[t_ski]

Idle temp in Windows should be higher, due to no power-saving modes working in the BIOS. Post your results here for everyone else when you get them up.

[Kreij]

The core temps are from CoreTemp v. 0.94 in Windows.

[cyborg939]

How much noise would this make in an Antec 900 with fan speeds on low? Also w/ and OC'ed Q6600 G0 to 3.2GHz.

[t_ski]

Hi cyborg939 - welcome to TPU. :toast:

Honestly, I can't say for sure, since I don't have an Antec 900 nor do I have access to one. But seeing how when on low speed the fan is quieter than any I've tested so far, I would say at low speed you would not notice it over any other fans. However, at high speed it is significantly louder than a stock Intel cooler - probably as much as 3 or four times as loud.

Hope that helps.

[Kreij]

I shut of Q-Fan control in my bios so it runs at full speed all of the time.
The fan noise is noticablely louder than when it is in low speed mode, but still nothing compared to my pair of 1950s when they both kick into high :D

[trt740]

This is a super good heatsink not a Thermalright ultra extreme but a match for just about anyother cooler made and it looks a whole lot better in person than it does in a picture Wow!!!! nice device. In addition my rpm sensor on the fan went out no big deal but it went out.

[t_ski]

I think it's definitely one of the best looking heatsinks out there, and the performance is pretty darn good, too.

[Paulieg]

Great cooler!! Currently in my rig. Awesome temps along with MX-2.

[Kreij]

Did you see the recent review on Anandtech. This thing beats the TR U120E at idle temps and holds its own up to 3.9GHz. The TR wins with a higher stable OC though.

[trt740]

Did you see the recent review on Anandtech. This thing beats the TR U120E at idle temps and holds its own up to 3.9GHz. The TR wins with a higher stable OC though.

The TRUE I owned had a 63fc Scythe fan and Zero cooler with my 250 mm side case fan almost matches it . The difference is the TRUE 120 cost more and is near silent with that fan, and won't fit with my side fan. The Zero fits with my 250mm side fan on and it has a 90+cf fan but on high the fan is loud ,( Its strange thoe even when it's on high the sound is not bothersome it just sounds like a bunch of rushing air no fan noise). Also for some reason when you put it on the fan controller on high it sounds quieter.

[t_ski]

Usually most fan controllers will "steal" some of the voltage and reduce it some, thus creating a slower fan speed/lower noise level even when on high. I never got my DMM out on this one's controller, but I imagine it's the same.

[Kreij]

The TRUE I owned had a 63fc Scythe fan and Zero cooler with my 250 mm side case fan almost matches it . The difference is the TRUE 120 cost more and is near silent with that fan, and won't fit with my side fan. The Zero fits with my 250mm side fan on and it has a 90+cf fan but on high the fan is loud ,( Its strange thoe even when it's on high the sound is not bothersome it just sounds like a bunch of rushing air no fan noise). Also for some reason when you put it on the fan controller on high it sounds quieter.


I have the same case as you, TRT, and that is why I look for shorter units.
I don't use fan controller and have the BIOS set to run it at full blast all of the time.
Makes no difference as my 2 x 1950xtx's are much louder when under load.
My Nirvana came with a 120mm fan.
Did you put in the 90 yourself?

Never mind, I see you put cf not mm. DOH !

[Ketxxx]

Well, if theres one thing most 3rd party coolers show is that stock or OCd, stock coolers are seriously inadequate for cooling properly.

[InFecTeD]

Does anyone have this beast installed in a Spire Pininfarina case or know if it will fit?

[Paulieg]

I've got the Nirvana. It should fit just fine in that case. It's a large cooler, but not quite as tall as many of the tower coolers.

[InFecTeD]

I've got the Nirvana. I should fit just fine in that case. It's a large cooler, but not quite as tall as many of the tower coolers.

Thank you! I would like to hear more opinions on this...

[Kreij]

I am not sure what you are looking for, Infected, but this is an outstanding cooler.
Google for reviews and you will see that it is top of the line.

[InFecTeD]

I am not sure what you are looking for, Infected, but this is an outstanding cooler.
Google for reviews and you will see that it is top of the line.

I knowcooler that it's an outstanding but the thing is that I don't know if it will quite fit my case that's all. I know it's a large cooler and I don't know if theres enough space in here :rolleyes: