Later reviewing the Threadripper 3990X, it was made clear the 64-core/128-thread animate being from AMD lays waste product to every HEDT function we have always tested. It's an insane productivity CPU, that we pushed to extremes to torture a few motherboards merely this calendar week. Then nosotros idea, why not try out some large bulky coolers equally well?

To engagement all our TR 3990X testing has been conducted using a large 360mm custom loop setup with Corsair'due south HydroX bits. This allowed us to continue the 64-core part nether 70C during an hour-long Blender stress test, though as expected temperatures did climb rapidly when overclocking, peaking at over ninety degrees.

This had the states wondering only how practical air-cooling the 3990X would exist, especially for those wanting to overclock. As luck would have it, on mitt we had iv purpose-built Threadripper air-coolers from the likes of Noctua, Arctic, DeepCool and Cooler Master.

For testing we're using the DeepCool New Ark 90SE case from our VRM exam setup, tested under a 21C ambient temperature. Nosotros used the Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Xtreme motherboard and the Gooseberry Blender workload to stress the CPU.

All fan speeds were controlled via the motherboard using the CPU PWM fan header and with the F4a BIOS for the Aorus Xtreme, we've left the 'normal' fan profile active, and then the fan curve has non been altered in any way. With those notes out of the way, allow's bound into the results and then I'll talk about the cons and pros of each option.

Benchmarks

Start things first, here is how each cooling solution works with the Threadripper 3990X at stock. As expected the Corsair HydroX delivers the all-time outcome thanks to that large 360mm radiator, simply nosotros've got to say the gains over the Noctua NH-U14S are very small. Just 4 degrees when configuring the Noctua cooler with two fans in a push button/pull configuration. The fans were too spinning relatively slow at one,200 RPM.

With merely a single fan, the NH-U14S peaked at 76C. A 4C increase isn't bad even though it was the hottest configuration tested, past a degree. The Arctic Freezer 50 TR also performed well and while it was just a degree hotter than the NH-U14S, the fans were spinning 50% faster and generated noticeably more noise which we'll look at soon.

The DeepCool Fryzen appears even worse, the fans were spinning 200 RPM faster while the temperature increased by ii degrees. But the Fryzen is noticeably quieter than the dual fan Freezer l TR.

The Cooler Master Wraithripper has always disappointed me, information technology's such an incredibly awesome looking cooler, merely the performance is so poor. With the single centrally located fan squealing at 2,500 RPM, information technology only managed to keep the 3990X at 75C. While that'due south still a degree cooler than the NH-U14S with a unmarried fan, the Noctua cooler was basically silent in that configuration.

The Wraithripper really needs a fan on the outside of the heatsink, similar what we meet with the Freezer 50 TR. As information technology is, the fan which is wedged between two fin stacks has to spin far too fast in order to move air through the heatsink.

Nosotros're actually surprised by how like the temperature results are with the 3990X overclocked to three.8 GHz using 1.25v. We're looking at a mere vi degree deviation between the best and worst cooling solution. The Wraith Ripper managed to avoid thermal throttling despite peaking at 100C, simply that's obviously non a temperature you'll desire to run your $four,000 processor at for extended periods of time.

The dual fan Noctua NH-U14S did well, running a degree hotter than the Corsair HydroX custom loop. The Chill Freezer 50 TR besides performed well, though it was considerably louder than the Corsair and Noctua setups.

Speaking of noise, hither is how much noise each configuration generated. Basically Corsair and Noctua are the kings of quiet, though we're comparison 2 very different products, so it'southward just Noctua that ears a pat on the back here. The dual fan configuration delivers the best results, running just a few decibels louder than the custom loop for a similar thermal result.

DeepCool'due south Fryzen did a footling ameliorate than the Arctic Freezer fifty TR in that regard, while the Wraith Ripper buzzed away to the tune of 52 dBA.

Finally, if we await at operating temperature vs. noise level nosotros get a clearer film of just how adept the Noctua NH-U14S is. Its dual-fan configuration was noticeably quieter than the Chill, DeepCool and Cooler Master options while delivering slightly amend thermal operation.

The Chill Freezer 50 TR and DeepCool Fryzen appear quite similar and nosotros'd say at a normalized volume y'all'd exist looking at identical results. The Wraith Ripper needs to accept the fan spinning well above 2,000 RPM to avoid unacceptably high temps for such a massive cooler. While the design looks expert, it's not very efficient or effective.

For those wondering, dropping the fan speed of the Wraith Ripper downwardly to 1,800 RPM sees stock 3990X temps increase by around 10C.

That's Then Cool

Turns out air-cooling the Threadripper 3990X is not only possible, but with something like the Noctua NH-U14S, it's also very practical, though we practice recommend adding that second fan. The NH-U14S is likewise an affordable solution, coming in at $seventy, though a 2d NF-A15 will set you dorsum an boosted $22, for a total of $92 for the dual-fan config.

That'south not much more than the $84 you'll pay for the DeepCool Fryzen. Meanwhile, Arctic asks $70 for the Freezer 50 TR. And then in that location's the Wraith Ripper which didn't perform very well in our testing, and it costs an center watering $120. At that point you might as well start looking at AIO's.

While nosotros can't recommend the Wraith Ripper because of its loud operating volume and boilerplate operation, one expanse where information technology does excel is installation. Information technology'southward by far the quickest and easiest cooler to install. Where Cooler Master didn't exercise a good job was with that centrally located fan. Not only does it hinder performance, but after testing with three retail models we've institute that after a short catamenia of fourth dimension the fan starts to make a really strange high pitched sound.

The Arctic Freezer 50 TR performs better than the Wraith Ripper and it's over 40% cheaper, so a large win there already. It'southward not the almost quiet libation, but information technology does offer a reasonable balance betwixt thermal performance and operating volume. The installation procedure is a chip janky though, it's piece of cake enough to remove the fan only clipping it dorsum in without information technology rubbing on something is a footling catchy. Vibration likewise seemed to be a large issue hither, so nosotros're dubious as to how well this thing will perform over time. Memory clearance also isn't great, anything taller than G.Skill'southward Trident Z and you'll exist up that famous creek without a paddle.

This is an surface area where the DeepCool Fryzen excels. The compact design of this libation means memory clearance is a non-issue. In fact information technology'southward remarkable only how well the Fryzen performs for a relatively pocket-size heatsink with just a single fan. Information technology'southward a peachy cooler that looks great and performs well enough, build quality is splendid and the installation process is fairly simple.

If yous're subsequently something that looks practiced and does a good job then the Fryzen is a squeamish pick. The only issue we see is that for a few dollars more you tin can net yourself the Noctua NH-U14S with an extra fan, and that really is the ultimate combo for air-cooling a Threadripper CPU.

Shopping Shortcuts:
  • Noctua NH-U14S on Amazon
  • AMD Threadripper 3990X on Amazon
  • AMD Threadripper 3970X on Amazon
  • AMD Threadripper 3960X on Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen nine 3950X on Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600 on Amazon