Sound Level Testing
While we were testing cooling capabilities, as outlined in our recent introduction article, we were also tracking the sound level of each of the coolers using a Risepro SPL meter attached to a boom arm pointed directly at the fans of the radiator at a distance of 12 inches. We recorded the dB(A) level for each fan and pump speed tested. The ambient room sound level measured 33 decibels. Displayed below are the results of our Stock Clock Testing.
100% Fans
At maximum fan levels, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 was the quietest (40.9 dB(a)) while the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO hit 51.9 dB(A). The Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET X7 Dual, however, hit 54.1 dB(A)! From a subjective perspective, the IceSLEET X7 Dual had a droning noise that caused its sound levels to sound a lot more noticeable than its competition.
1500 RPM Fans
Dropping down to 1500 RPM, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is in the lead at 40.9 dB(A) and the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 4 dB(A) was behind it by a good margin at 44.7 dB(A). The Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET X7 Dual was far behind both of these at 52.7 dB(A)! In fact, there is no real difference here between Max RPM and 1500 RPM noise profiles for the Iceberg Thermal unit, thus, the noticeable droning sound remained.
1000 RPM Fans
When we lowered the fans down to 1000 RPM, the be quiet Dark Rock Pro 4 kept the lead with a value of 38.7 dB(A) but the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is right there on their heels at 39.9 dB(A). The Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET X7 Dual was off in the weeds at 44.1 dB(A).
At this point, the noise sounded like it merged with the background noise for everyone except the IceSLEET X7 Dual. The droning sound was less pronounced at this speed and it would likely blend into the background inside an enclosed case at this point (compared to the open-air test bench that we use).
600 RPM Fans
Lowering the fans to 600 RPM, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO came in at 38.7 dB(A) while the Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET X7 Dual continues to trail at 39.9 dB(A).
Save for testing at 600 RPM, the Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET X7 Dual was far and away the loudest air cooler in the lineup today. With that said, let’s move on and recap all of this for you today!