Test Setup
We will use our standard air cooler test rig which you can read more about in this article. We’ve made a pair of changes by swapping in a Radeon R9 290X in the graphics slot and upgrading the test bench to a Lian Li PC-T60B. The new test bench gives a bit more ventilation and improves heat transfer by being aluminum instead of MDF.
We are using a Ryzen 7 2700X set to all core frequencies of 3.7GHz and 4.1GHz with PBO disabled to allow for a constant level of heat production. We will run loops of CineBench R20 at various fan levels and record the observed temperatures. We will also compare it to the other coolers we have tested thus far.
Installation
Installation was a relatively straightforward event – add the cross bars to the cold plate and drop it onto the backplate through the motherboard. Unlike most of the air coolers we’ve tested, this one connects directly to the backplate and does not have an intermediate mounting pad. This means you’ll have to hold the backplate in one hand, the heatsink in another hand while using your third hand to turn the screws. Continuing the trend in the fan world, the Sickleflow Edge did not have an airflow direction indicator on its housing.
With everything comfortably situated, let’s see if the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black is ready to be cool!