Our first recommendation goes to the Cooler Master Hyper TX2 for its simple installation. On top of that, the cooler provides very solid cooling performance at an acceptable noise level. Even when whisper-quiet, The Hyper TX2 still kept our CPU sufficiently cool. Lastly, you just can’t complain about the price. €17 is more than a fair deal, making this cooler a real bargain.

Zalman’s CNPS8700 NT is the big disappointment in this group. On the other hand, since it suffers from the same cumbersome mounting method as the LED version we tested in the first part of this feature, this isn’t overly surprising.

Zalman’s other entry in this group, the Reserator XT water cooling solution, fares much better. Its simple installation ensures you’ll have this cooler up and running very quickly and its cooling performance is on par with that of the MSI/Watercool Hydrogen combo. On the downside, we do wish Zalman had included a power-on adapter as well as a monitoring feature for the cooler. Also, at €350 we find the Reserator XT more than a little overpriced. Nonetheless, this water cooler is the clear winner, racking up the most points in all three of the categories – cooling performance, noise and installation. Therefore, it receives our second recommendation.