Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 CPU Cooler Conclusion

Test Setup

• Motherboard: Asus P5GC-MX/133
• CPU: Intel Core 2 E2200 2.2Ghz processor
• Memory: 1GB PC6400 DDR2
• Hard Drive: 80GB SATA
• CPU Cooler: Evercool Buffalo HPFI-10025
• Power Supply: 400Watt PSU

Performance

For this review we started with the retail box Heatsink and took measurements at each step of overclocking to get a base benchmark to compare to. We set the base multiplier at 10x and stepped up the bus speed in increments of 10. Starting with a speed of 220 (e.g. 220x10=2.2ghz) and stepping until the resting temperature was above 35c. At each step we booted into Windows XP, and ran RightMark to monitor temperatures and clock speeds. To keep the clock up we also ran CPUFree to test the processors performance at each speed. See the results below (note: All temperatures are reported in degrees Celsius).

As you can see, the Dark Knight kept the temperature at or below 30 degrees in all situations. I would have tested higher because the E2200 should be able to handle temperatures up to 70 degrees, but in previous tests at 2.6Ghz the processor became unstable. It failed booting windows with a “Blue Screen Of Death” twice in a row even thought the temperature on the processor was only 30. I am attributing this to a lack of better cooling on the Northside controller, and the onboard video.

Remember in this review we were only looking for increase in processor speed, but there is only so far you can go without properly cooling all of the heat generating pieces on your motherboard. I've seen many a dead motherboard where they overclocked their CPU by 20%, checked their cpu core temperature, and then started playing World Of Warcraft on an onboard video controller. These have at best a small heatsink with no fan, and will die very quickly in an overclocked environment. This is why we stayed at a processor temperature of less than 35 degrees for this review.

Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 CPU Cooler

Overall the Xigmatek Dark Knight really impressed me with its cooling performance. The low CPU temperature point is rather impressive considering it's relatively low price point. This cooler really makes a statement as to it's abilities with little to no room for error. As long as you have a motherboard that can withstand 660g of weight, this is a very nice cooler.

With the addition of proper cooling to the rest of your motherboard and memory hotspots, this cooler could really bring a massive speed increase to your system. It works very well and looks nice in the process – the biggest gripe is with the size. It sill gets 4 out of 5 from this reviewer.

Pros: Inexpensive, effective cooling, great looks, very quiet, direct touch heatpipes.

Cons: No air shroud, 660g is pretty heavy.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

www.xigmatek.com