Gigabyte 3D Cooler-ULTRA PCU31-SD Review (4)
Bluetooth 28 Apr 2004

Results

We did a simple test to the heatsink by monitoring the results of the CPU die and external temp from the BIOS screens of the Athlon 64 3200+ CPU running on the SOYO K8USA Mainboard.

Here are our readings running the CPU with Super PI 16M tests which lasted throughout the afternoon with an ambient temperature of around 28 Deg Celsius.

In our tests, we compared it with our previous Gigabyte 3D pro cooler. Both with fan full blast cooling the heatsink. The PCU31-SD is running at 2100RPM.

As we can see from the temperature readings after running the SuperPI 16M tests, the Cooler Ultra is around 10 deg warmer than the previous 3D cooler which runs at a higher fan speed of 4000RPM.

Although we see that the temperature is on the high side, it is still within limits as the CPU will operate well under this temperatures. Sometimes, you really have to set aside performance over noise level. This heatsink with fan operatiing at 1900 or 2500 is very quiet. I can only hear the humming noise coming from my VGA card.

Conclusion

Gigabyte Cooler Ultra PCU31-SD is a different heatpipe compared to its predecessor which aims for performance. In this case, the heatpipe is warm under normal usage because of the slower fan speed which has 2 fixed speeds of 1900 and 2500RPM. This could be the factor that reduces the noise level generated by the heatpipe. The temperatures you see might be abit high especially the on die temp but that shouldn't affect the benchmark as both heatsinks are tested on the same mainboard and same processor.

Gigabyte could improve on its documentation of the various clips used for the different kind of platforms. This will definitely help us easily identify which clip(s) are for which platform. Similar to the 3Dpro cooler, this is probably the only heatpipe we tested so far that one heatpipe fits all platforms. Furthermore, there is no need to replace the retention unit before the heatpipe can be installed properly. The heatpipe is also lighter compared to the gigantic coolermaster that we reviewed earlier on.

In conclusion, Gigabyte has made this heatpipe for those who prefer a silent PC. They have achieve it but for those who prefers better performance should consider the 3D cooler Pro instead. Both heatsinks are targeting the different groups of end users. Before you rush out to buy the heatpipe, it is important to consider whether you want a quieter, more cooling or cheaper heatpipe solution.

Price : NA

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