Intel's Haswell-based CPUs have a unique cooling problem that leaves many overclockers in a quandary. Today, we're rounding up nine different sink and fan combinations to see if any can contend with the fourth-gen Core processor's copious heat.
After hearing about 5 GHz overclocks from pre-production fourth-generation Core processors (that's Haswell, for fans of code names), enthusiasts were despondent to hear that retail parts would be far less friendly. Angelini even went so far as to poll folks with hundreds of retail processors for his launch coverage in The Core i7-4770K Review: Haswell Is Faster; Desktop Enthusiasts Yawn. The consensus was that stability at 4.5 and 4.6 GHz on air was extremely rare, that most enthusiasts should expect to top out at 4.3 GHz or less using 1.2 V, and that heat is the most likely culprit.
Before we get into the details, let's have a quick look at the nine air coolers we'll be testing in today's round-up.

| LGA 115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamer Storm Assassin | Noctua NH-U14S | Phanteks PH-TC14PE | |
| Height | 6.4" | 6.6" | 6.5" |
| Width | 5.8" | 5.9" | 5.8" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2x 2.0" | 2.1" | 2x 2.1" |
| Total Thickness | 6.0" | 3.1" | 6.3" |
| Base Height | 1.7" | 1.8" | 1.6" |
| Assy. Offset | 1.0" Forward | 1.0" Forward | 1.0" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | 1 x 140 x 25 mm 1 x 120 x 25 mm | 1 x 140 x 25 mm | 2 x 140 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | 1 x PWM 1 x Three-Pin | PWM | 2 x Three-Pin |
| Weight | 37 Ounces | 36 Ounces | 47 Ounces |
| Intel LGAs | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical |
| Web Price | UK Price Not Available | £65 | £77 |
DeepCool’s Assassin and Phantek’s TC14PE return from our LGA 2011 round-up, ready to prove themselves against the more thermally-constrained Haswell package. The Assassin carries the Gamer Storm logo.

| LGA-115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolimatech PRO-GNSS-BK | Scythe Ashura SCASR-1000 | SilverStone Argon AR01 | |
| Height | 6.5" | 6.4" | 6.3" |
| Width | 8.5" | 5.7" | 4.8" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2 x 1.3" | 2.6" | 2.0" |
| Total Thickness | 8.5" | 3.5" | 3.0" |
| Base Height | 1.9" | 1.6" | 1.5" |
| Assy. Offset | 1.6" Forward | None | 1.0" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | Not Included (2 x 140/120 mm) | 1 x 140 x 25 mm | 1 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | Fan-Dependent | PWM | PWM |
| Weight | 32 Ounces | 37 Ounces | 26 Ounces |
| Intel Sockets | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Both | Both | Vertical |
| Web Price | UK price not available | £48 | £28 |

| LGA-115x CPU Cooler Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermalright Archon SB-E X2 | Xigmatek Night Hawk Frostbourne | Zalman CNPS10X Optima | |
| Height | 6.8" | 6.3" | 6.1" |
| Width | 6.1" | 4.8" | 5.1" |
| Rad. Thickness | 2.1" | 2.0" | 2.5" |
| Total Thickness | 4.1" | 3.0" | 3.4" |
| Base Height | 1.6" | 1.4" | 1.4" |
| Assy. Offset | None | 1.0" Forward | 0.9" Forward |
| Cooling Fans | 2 x 140 x 26 mm | 1 x 120 x25 mm | 1 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Connectors | 2 x PWM | PWM | PWM |
| Weight | 47 Ounces | 22 Ounces | 24 Ounces |
| Intel Sockets | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 | 115x, 2011, 1366, 775 |
| AMD Sockets | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular | Four-bolt Rectangular |
| AMD Orientation | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical |
| Web Price | £68 | £42 | £22 |
Thermalright adds a second fan to its Archon SB-E, which now supports smaller LGA and even AMD’s sockets. Zalman updates its previously-reviewed CNPS10X in this Optima-version.
- Picking The Right Cooler For Haswell
- The Equalizer: Our Core i7-4770K Review Sample
- Gamer Storm Assassin
- Assassin Installation
- Noctua NH-U14S
- NH-U14S Installation
- Phanteks PH-TC14PE
- PH-TC14PE Installation
- Prolimatech Genesis Black
- Genesis Black Installation
- Scythe Ashura SCASR-1000
- Ashura Installation
- SilverStone Argon AR01
- Argon AR01 Installation
- Thermalright Archon SB-E X2
- Archon SB-E X2 Installation
- Xigmatek Dark Knight-Series Night Hawk Frostbourne Edition
- Night Hawk Installation
- Zalman CNPS10X Optima
- CNPS10X Optima Installation
- Test Settings And Benchmarks
- Results: Cooling And Fan Speed
- Noise And Acoustic Efficiency
- Cooling Value
- Which Heat Sink Best Contends With Haswell's Heat Problems?
Also why wasn't the BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 2 tested ?
Aren't they largely a UK/Europe-centric company?
Aren't they largely a UK/Europe-centric company?
(I know that the articles are mostly written in USA, but) looking at the TLD of this website, I see this as a further reason to include it.