Enermax ETS-T40-TA CPU Cooler Review

Enermax are looking to take on the CPU Cooling market by storm. Do they have what it takes to be successful against the vast array of established manufacturers?

Product on Review: Enermax ETS-T40-TA
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Enermax
MSRP: N/A
Street Price: £35.90

Enermax are no strangers to enthusiasts, having built up an excellent reputation thanks to their catalogue of products spanning power supplies, peripherals and cases. We know them best for their class-leading power supplies such as the highly acclaimed Revolution85+, Platimax and MaxRevo series but like most of successful companies, Enermax have delved into designing cases as well as a range of peripherals, most notably their brushed aluminium Aurora keyboards. However, if we have learned anything in the past, it’s that diversification is the key to success, so following the likes of Cooler Master and Thermaltake amongst many others, Enermax have looked to expand their product range. The most natural progression was CPU coolers given Enermax’s vast array of fans and so today we have with us their first tower cooler, the Enermax ETS-T40-TA.

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA is one of three variants the manufacturer is releasing. Although identical in design, the three variants bundle slightly different fans:

ETS-T40-TB | with T.B.Silence 12cm | no LEDs
ETS-T40-TA | with T.B.Apollish 12cm | blue LEDs | nickel-plated
ETS-T40-VD | with T.B.Vegas Duo 12cm | blue & red LEDs | 11 LED modes

The sample we received, the TA, features a 120mm T.B.Apollish fan and unlike the other two heatsinks boasts a nickel-plated finish on the four copper heat pipes. Like all coolers, the ETS-T40-TA uses aluminium and copper constructions for the fins and heat pipes/base respectively. The T.B.Apollish fan differs slightly in specification to that on their web page, boasting an 1800RPM rotation speed instead of a mere 900RPM speed to better serve its purpose on the heatsink. As such, the T.B.Apollish fan still sports numerous technologies and innovations that define it from its competitors.

Despite appearing as a standard tower heatsink on first impressions, the ETS-T40 is home to numerous technologies to differentiate it from other coolers. These include Heat Pipe Direct Touch, Stack Effect Flow (SEF), Vortex Generated Flow (VGF), and Vacuum Effect Flow (VEF), to improve airflow and thermal transfer efficiency. The ETS-T40’s main competitor based on design alone is Cooler Master’s notorious 212+ but priced a good £15 higher; the Enermax will have to demonstrate superior cooling capabilities which its patented features aim to satisfy.

A bit about Enermax:

Enermax Technology Corporation was founded in Taiwan in 1990 and today is one of the leading manufacturers of PC components (power supplies, PC cases, cooling fans, keyboards, HDD enclosures and other peripherals). Since 2000 the head quarter is located in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Six subsidiaries and numerous affiliates around the world provide an excellent network for ODM/OEM and retail business. Enermax has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy, USA, Japan and China. Worldwide, over 600 employees work for Enermax. Since 2004, the Enermax Technology Corporation is listed at the Taiwanese stock exchange.

More can be found here.

Let see if Enermax have what it takes to challenge its competitors in the CPU cooling market.

Features And Specifications

What Enermax has to say on their ETS-T40:

The Twister fans from Enermax have already built up an excellent reputation in the PC cooling segment. “Cooling by Enermax” stands for first-class quality, highest performance and silent operation. Fan series like T.B.Silence belong to the bestsellers in European case fan market. Now, the manufacturer is going to extend its successful cooling range: Prototypes of the first Enermax CPU coolers have been already shown on this year’s CeBIT. In the mid of August, the first side-flow models will be introduced into the market, followed by two top-flow models in September.

With the side-flow series ETS-T40 Enermax presents a CPU cooler with a revolutionary cooling performance: The thermal resistance of the CPU cooler reaches 0.09°C/W, a value clearly below the models that are currently available on the market. Even CPU coolers with more and thicker heat pipes do not achieve the performance of the ETS-T40.

Features:

•World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09C/W.
-Patented VGF (Vortex generator Flow) Technology to greatly increase air convection.
-Patented SEF (Stack Effect Flow) design to enhance heat transfer.
-Unique air path creating VEF (Vacuum Effect) to optimise the airflow.
-Patented HDT (Heat Pipe Direct Touch) Technology to ensure rapid thermal conduction and eliminate CPU hotspot.
•Side flow type with four 6mm high performance heat pipes.
•Unique T.B.Apollish PWM fan to adjust the power efficiency.
•Eye-catching and bright colours thanks to patented circular LED light.
•Smooth running and persistent silent 12cm fan with patented Twister Bearing Technology
•Nickel-plated heatsink to reduce oxidation effect and maintain the top performance.
•Dual fan installation option and solid spring attached.
•Anti-vibration rubbers prevent fan vibration and absorb noise.
•Universal bracket for Intel LGA775/1155/1156/1366 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3.
•High thermal conductivity Dow Corning (TC-5121) grease to ensure the best thermal conduction between CPU and the heatsink.

Specifications:

•Overall Cooler dimensions : 139x93x160mm (LxWxH)
•Heatsink]dimensions : 139x70x160mm (LxWxH)
•Cooler weight: 610g
•Heat pipe: 6mm x4 units
•Cooler material: full copper heat pipes and base, aluminium fins
•Compatibility: Intel Socket LGA1155, 1156, LGA1366, LGA775, and AMD AM2/2+/AM3
•Thermal Paste: Dow Corning TC-5121
•Thermal Resistance: 0.09C/W

Fan specifications – ETS-T40-TA

•Fan dimension: Length 120x120x25mm (LxHxW)
•Operating voltage: 12 VDC
•Fan speed: 800-1800RPM
•Fan noise level: 16-26 dB(A)
•Fan Airflow: 33.26-75.98
•Static Pressure: 0.97-2.28mmH20
•Bearing Type: Twister Bearing
•MTBF: 100,000 hours
•PWM: Yes
•LED: Circular Type Blue LED

Dimensions

The Enermax ETS-T40 boasts an extensive list of features, technologies and innovations. One could argue that the purpose is purely for marketing but as always, our thorough sets of tests will put their claims to the challenge. To start off, we see Enermax highlighting their cooler’s thermal efficiency which at 0.09C/W is very impressive. But as always, these figures are proportional to delta temperatures which can have many ambient factors contributing to the value. As such, the thermal efficiency figure alone isn’t noteworthy without other coolers being tested under the same conditions.

In terms of construction and dimensions, the Enermax cooler is very similar to the Cooler Master 212+ sharing the same tower design and Copper & Aluminium construction. Both also feature Heat Direct Touch technology and four 6mm heat pipes. The ETS-T40 is approximately 1.5mm taller, 19mm longer and 13mm deeper.

The bundled fan also boasts some very impressive characteristics such as PWM functionality, a unique bright LED illumination, up to 1800RPM operational speed, with excellent airflow and static pressure. They are also rated to be reasonably quiet at full speed. Given the normal retail price of the T.B.Apollish fan, it makes an excellent addition to the cooler, although driving up the costs slightly.

Technologies and Innovations

Stack Effect Flow (SEF):

The Stack Effect Flow is a natural, physical phenomenon: warm air is rising up because of its lower density and leaves a low pressure behind that pull cool air. Two openings in the middle of the heatsink can make use of this effect. They interrupt the air stream so that the warm air gains space to escape. The heat dissipation can be accelerated.

Vortex Generator Flow (VGF):

Vortex generators are applied in aviation industry. They make sure that the air stream is lead as close as possible along the airplane’s wings. During the CPU cooler development, the Enermax engineers recognised the potential of this technology to optimise the air stream inside the heatsink. Small spoilers on the fins, the so called Vortex Generators, conduct the air close along the heat pipes. Much more fresh air can be transferred to the back of the heat pipes.

Vacuum Effect Flow (VEF):

Also the third innovation makes use of a physical effect. The best example to explain this effect is a moving car; it pushes air aside as it goes down the road and leaves a low pressure. Air from sides will be sucked in to compensate the difference in pressure. According to that, the CPU cooler sides are not fully closed, so that cool air can be sucked into the heatsink.

Twister Bearing Technology:

All fans that come along with the Enermax CPU coolers are based on the patented Twister Bearing Technology. The functional principle of this bearing is quite simple; after switching on the fan, a metal ball inside the bearing becomes magnetised and keeps the blades on the fan shaft, it is the only point of contact, so that the fan runs smooth and almost frictionless. The bearing sleeve is made from a self-lubricating nano material that protects against abrasion. That way, Enermax guarantees a MTBF of minimum 100,000 hours, and a persistently silent fan run.

For more information regarding Enermax’s innovation and testing methodologies, have a look at their documentation. Science lesson aside, let’s take a closer look at their ETS-T40 cooler.

Packaging and Content

The packaging

Enermax package their ETS-T40 in a standard white and blue cardboard box. There is nothing striking in its design to help in aesthetics but in terms of information provided, the packaging isn’t lacking. As such, Enermax have kept their packaging design simple but effective; the front displays the cooler and the model name as well as some basic information such as socket support for Intel Core I series of processors and AMD AMD3/2. The picture illustrated at the front is actually not representative of the actual product which is instead found below with a red dot indicating the variant. The cooler is rated at 200+W. Considering the TDP of an overclocked i7 920 being 250W, it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to effectively cool the processor.

The specifications

On one side of the package, the specification of the heatsink and fans are listed. Since the package is universal for all three variants of the cooler, the specifications cover all three. Here, we have the ETS-T40-TA with a single PWM enabled T.B.Apollish fan operating between 800-1800RPM. The cooler is also very light weight based on the specifications at a mere 610g. For convenience, the dimensions are also illustrated so buyers can verify compatibility. The compact nature of the Enermax cooler means that it should fit most mid-tower cases without memory compatibility issues either.

The features

On the other side is a list of all the features such as socket support, patented features, construction material and other bundled components. For a more detailed look at features such as VGF, SEF, and VEF, have a look at the previous page. Enermax have nicely added a few illustrations of the features listed.

Opening the box

Inside, the cooler is enclosed tightly by cardboard with free space all around to prevent damage to the cooler itself during transit. Below the cooler is a small area containing all the accessories and the manual. When opening the box, we are first greeted by the blue T.B.Apollish fan which comes pre-attached to the heatsink.

The cooler

The cooler already comes pre-assembled with the fan out of the box although during installation, the fan will have to be removed first anyway. The cooler base sits snugly into the cardboard cut-out to prevent damage.

The bundle

The accessories kit seems quite sparse but it contains everything that is needed for installation. It’s always better to have fewer components as it implies easier installation and less risk of losing bits and pieces. Included are:

-1x CPU Cooler
-1x 120mm T.B.Apollish fan
-1x back plate
-4x Plastic washers
-4x Screw Pillars
-2x Bracket mounts for Intel CPU
-2x Bracket mounts for AMD CPU
-4x Nuts for bracket mounts
-1x Pressure mounting plate
-2x Nuts for pressure mounting plate
-1x Angled wrench
-2x Fan brackets
-8x Anti-vibration rubber strips
-1x Dow Corning TC-5121 Thermal paste tube
-1x Installation guide

The mounting system is not dissimilar to many popular ones we’ve seen before from the likes of Prolimatech or Thermalright which is always positive. Two additional fan wire clips are provided so a second fan can easily be attached.

Closer Look

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA arrives with a single fan bundled which gives it its distinguishing characteristic. While the heatsink itself appears no different to numerous tower coolers already on the market, the blue T.B.Apollish fan raises its profile and aesthetic values. Those interested in turning their PCs into a lightshow should look no further than the T.B.Apollish fans and Enermax have targeted this market on purpose. The dimensions of the cooler including the fan is nothing out of the ordinary and in reality feels quite compact to the high-end coolers we have tested over the last year. As such, the cooler should cater for the mid-range mainstream market as the price suggests.

The heatsink

Looking at the heatsink on its own, nothing striking is immediately noticeable, the detail being in the small design features instead. The T40 is a fairly standard tower heatsink featuring four 6mm U-shaped heat pipes. The fins exhibit a unique angular shape with rectangular grooves cut out to produce a more distinctive finish. Whether this was for aesthetic reasons or for improved performance is up for debate, which we will explore later on. On the whole, the construction feels very solid thanks to the aluminium fin array and nickel-plated copper heat pipes. Unlike its rival, the Cooler Master 212+, there’s nothing to suggest that Enermax employed cost-cutting measures.

The front face of the cooler

Taking a closer look at the fin array, we observe that all the fins are flat and are stacked in parallel. The 52 fins are separated by a 2mm gap thus favouring fans with high static pressure over simply high airflow. Through the middle we can see the streamlined triangular protrusions that produce the stack effect flow to allow hot air to rise up and cool air to be drawn in. We also see the heat pipes rising in columns to produce two clusters of 4.

The fin array

The fins display an angular pattern, depressing progressively from the sides. The side protrusions allow the 120mm fan to sit snugly on the cooler even without the wire clips attached. However, the inner rectangular depressions don’t seem to have a purpose other than making the cooler look more pleasing.

The fin array at an angle

From an angle, we can see the pattern more clearly. All the fins are identical in nature and are stacked in parallel with no lateral offsets between each.

The side profile

The side profile shows that the centre of the stack has closed fins whereas the edges are still open. This is to create the Vacuum Effect Flow such that cool air is sucked in as a result of the pressure difference generated by low pressure inside the heatsink and higher relative pressure outside. The closed fins are also interlocked to provide structural support. The side profile also reveals a symmetrical structure.

Vacuum Effect Flow through the fins

Again, at an angle we can see the open fins on the edges that allow Vacuum Effect Flow to work effectively. The closed fins ensure airflow is more focused through the heatsink.

Closer Look (Continued)

The top of the heat pipes and heatsink

At the top of the cooler, Enermax have imprinted their logo and badge for a personalised touch. More importantly are the features present that are aimed to boost cooling performance. As usual, we see the heat pipe ends at the top; here they form two clusters of four. Ideally, the heat pipes should be spaced further to allow heat to dissipate more effectively but instead, they are aligned with tiny winglets just behind to generate vortices as well as optimise airflow around the whole circular heat pipe. The vortices help transfer more heat away through convection. Between the two heat pipe clusters are 4 streamlined tetrahedral shaped openings to create the Stack Effect Flow.

Vortex Generator Flow via the streamlined winglets

Looking from behind, we see those cut-outs more clearly through which hot air can rise and cool air be drawn above. As such, it is important to orientate the cooler with regards to the airflow direction when installing.

Looking at the lower fins

We see the same pattern on the bottom fin since the feature is present across all 52. The means hot air has a direct path from the lower heatsink to the top.

The four 6mm heat pipes

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA is special in that it features nickel-plated heat pipes compared to the other two variants. This helps reduce oxidation. The heatsink sports four 6mm heat pipes, more typified by lower-mid range heatsinks. Ideally, a six heat piped design would have been better for high end performance.

The base of the cooler

The base of the cooler features the latest HDT technology such that the heat pipes are in direct contact with the CPU for more efficient heat transfer. Enermax have done a brilliant job by having a very flat, near mirror-like surface with little to no gap between the heat pipes and the outer metal housing. This maximises the surface area of contact. My personal preference is still towards a copper base plate which tends to be more useful at spreading heat and ensure greater surface area for heat transfer.

The base flatness

The base has a perfectly flat finish, an improvement over other coolers using the same HDT technology so Enermax have to be commended on this.

Closer Look: The Fan

The T.B.Apollish fan

The T.B.Apollish fan bundled with the cooler is 120mm in size and features blue LEDs and PWM functionality. It makes use of a unique Twister Bearing technology found only on Enermax fans, which ensure near frictionless rotation and low motor noise. As such, it can operate up to 1800RPM without becoming too loud or intrusive. The blue LEDs are further aided by the blue translucent blades which add to the light show when switched on. The fan is housed in a fairly standard black plastic frame although the surface is glossy rather than matte.

The back of the fan

Looking to the back, we see four arms branching from the centre to the frame for structural support. The fan is rated for an impressive 100,000 hours lifespan.

The braided 4 pin header cable

The four pin fan header cable comes pre-sleeved although the braided is not of a dense weave so the coloured cables are still slightly visible. Unfortunately, the braiding doesn’t extend the entire cable.

The fan LEDs

Dotted around the inner frame are small LEDs. These shine very brightly and are superior in design to normal LED fans. To further accentuate the lighting, the seven fan blades are half covered by a reflective metallic strip.

Installing the fan

Clipping the fan to the heatsink is very easy. The wire clips have two notches at the ends which clip securely to the mounting holes on the fan whereas the middle bit clips on to grooves on the heatsink. It’s far more convenient to have a single latch on the wire slip rather than two as found on Alpenföhn coolers.

Gap between the heatsink and fan

With the fan installed, there is still a large cm wide gap between the heatsink and the fan. The problem is that the narrow fin pitch can impede airflow as eddies are created behind the fan. This may in turn impact negatively on performance.

The lightshow

The light emitted by the fan is impressively bright thanks to the distribution of LEDs around the frame, the lighting is even across the whole fan. The curved streaks visible are the results of the metallic strips on the fan blade reflecting the light off.

Closer Look: The Cooler Installed

The heatsink installed

And finally, we have the Enermax cooler installed on the motherboard.

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA installed

Even with the fan attached, the ETS-T40 is compact enough not to cause any conflicts with memory modules or adjacent components.

Memory compatibility and clearance

With a depth of 93mm including the fan, it leaves enough clearance to allow tall memory modules to be installing in all the slots.

Test Setup

CPU – Intel Core i7 920 – 2.66/4.0GHz
RAM – 6GB (3x2GB) OCZ Platinum DDR3 1333MHz
Motherboard – ASUS Rampage III Extreme
Graphics card – Inno3D GTX570 1.25GB
Power Supply – Enermax Revolution 85+ 850W
Hard Drive – OCZ Vertex 2E 120GB
Samsung F1 320GB
Samsung F3 1TB
Case – Lian Li B25B
Drivers – Nvidia ForceWare 285.38

CPU Coolers:

Enermax ETS-T40-TA including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps

Alpenföhn Himalaya including tests using 1/ 2 Föhn 140, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Alpenföhn K2 including tests using 2 stock fans, 2 Föhn 140, 2/3 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Cooler Master Hyper 612S including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Corsair H100 including tests using 2/4 stock fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Phanteks PH-TC14PE including tests using 3 Phanteks PH-F140TS, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Alpenföhn Triglav including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Antec KÜHLER H2O 620 including tests using 1 stock fan, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 including tests using 2 stock fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Prolimatech Genesis including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14s
NZXT Havik 140 including tests using 2 NZXT fans, 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Alpenföhn Matterhorn including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Föhn 120 Wing Boost fans
Prolimatech Super Mega including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s/NF-P14s, 2 SWiF2-120Ps and 2 Prolimatech Blue Vortex 14s
Noctua NH-C14 (U.L.N.A and default speed) including tests using 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright Silver Arrow including passive and tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright HR-02 including passive and tests using Noctua NF-12/NF-P14s and Thermalright TR TY-140
Thermaltake Frio (Low/med/high speed) including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s
Corsair H50 including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
CoolIT ECO A.L.C including tests using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Thermalright Venomous X using 2 Noctua NF-P12s and 2 SWiF2-120Ps
Coolink Corator DS including tests with dual fan setups
Tuniq Propeller 120(High speed fan)
Noctua NH-C12P SE14
Prolimatech Megahalem
Noctua NH-D14 (U.L.N.A and default speed)
Noctua NH-U12P SE1366
Thermolab Baram (with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans)
CoolIT Domino A.L.C
Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus including test with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans
Alpenföhn Nordwand including test with 2 Noctua NF-P12 fans
Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme (Low/med/high speed)

Program Suite:

Core Temp 0.99.5
LinX stress Test
CPUID HWMonitor

How I tested:

Testing will be based on temperatures recorded by Core Temp and HWMonitor after 20 passes of LinX stress test. The maximum absolute temperatures will be recorded after the test and averaged over the 4 cores. The delta is then calculated by substituting the ambient temperature recorded near the intake fans. All tests are conducted with the i7 920 at its default 2.66GHz stock speed and overclocked to 4GHz. As always, the tests are done inside my own Lian Li B25B case to simulate real world conditions. To keep the tests standardised and based on people’s tendency to use their own thermal paste, we apply Thermalright’s ChillFactor II thermal paste to all coolers unless specified in the result entries (where the bundled thermal paste performs better).

Installation

Installation is a very straightforward process with the Enermax cooler. It follows suit from the likes of Prolimatech and Thermalright who employ similar tried and test mounting mechanisms. We will focus on installation on LGA1366 in the following steps but these don’t differ much to installation on other sockets. The full manual can be found here.

1. Locate the motherboard back plate and identify the appropriate socket mounting holes.

2. Place the back plate behind the motherboard as pictured above ensuring the mounting holes are aligned with the motherboard holes. For AMD systems, the back plate needs to be flipped such that the dark middle area is in contact with the motherboard.

3. Secure the back plate using the 4 pillar screws. Place washers between the screw pillars and the motherboard.

4. Install the brackets on top of the pillar screws. These should be placed longitudinally if you want the cooler facing towards the rear exhaust.

5. Fasten the nuts on the bracket mounts so they are hand tight. Don’t over tighten or else the motherboard may flex underneath.

6. After applying thermal paste to the cooler base, place it on top of the CPU and install the pressure mounting plate.

7. Secure the pressure mounting plate using the two nuts.

As mentioned above, installation was very easy. My only complaint, although a minute one, is that installing the screw pillars to the back plate can be awkward. A better method would have been to have a back plate with pre-installed screws that simply fed into the motherboard mounting holes so that users don’t constantly have to keep trying to line up with back plate while attempting to secure it from the top.

Results

The results have been arranged in terms of the fan configuration that yields the best results for each cooler. However, it is important to take into account that many coolers come with their own fans and changing those increases the costs significantly, so the “out of the box” cooler configurations have been highlighted in red each group.

Stock

Under a stock CPU, the Enermax ETS-T40-AT gets off to a very good start. Let’s start by looking at the different fan configurations. The single stock fan produces the second best result at 1900RPM. With a delta temperature of 31.75C, it is only 0.75C behind two similarly high RPM Coolink fans. Reducing the fan speed to a paltry 1155RPM increases the delta by 2C. Using two Noctua 120mm fans produces a delta of 32C, a mere 0.25C behind the single fan, although quieter as a result. Switching to the bundled Dow Corning thermal paste increases temperatures by 0.5C with both fan configurations.

Results (Ascending order)

Stock

Comparing the Enermax cooler to the vast list of coolers we have tested, we see that it fares very well. In its stock configuration, it can be compared to the Cooler Master 612+ using two SWiF2-120P fans and even the Silver Arrow using two NF-P14 fans. At the lower fan speed, it still performs on par with the NZXT Havik 140 using two NF-P12s or the Coolink Corator DS with two Coolink fans. This is very impressive for a relatively smaller and quieter alternative. With two NF-P12s, performance is comparable to a Thermaltake Frio whereas in its best configuration using two Coolink fans, the 31C delta temperature is enough to match the Corsair H100 using 4 fans at 1300RPM. Even the likes of the Alpenföhn K2 and Noctua NH-D14 don’t stray far ahead.

Results (In-depth analysis)

In the next comparison, we look at the default cooler performance as they come out of the box with their bundled fans. Coolers that come with no fans have been coupled with Noctua’s NF-P12 or fans that the manufacturers intended their coolers to be used with.

In its default configuration, the Enermax is up with the Prolimatech Super Mega, Corsair H100 and only a mere 0.25C behind the Silver Arrow despite only featuring a single fan. Its main competitor, the Cooler Master 212+ is behind by 3.5C. Even slowing down the fan to a mere 1155RPM produces enough cooling potential to match the Himalaya or the much larger Cooler Master 612+.

Taking the 5th spot in terms of efficiency is no easy feat and yet the Enermax proves that it can. Matching the Thermalright Silver Arrow is commendation enough of its cooling ability.

Efficiency with the faster Coolink fans isn’t as good but still impresses given that it’s a budget cooler competing with the very best.

Results Overclocked (Grouped)

The Enermax takes a very sharp dive in performance when trying to deal with an overclocked CPU falling to the bottom of our chart. Let’s first take a look at the different fan configurations. With its single fan at 1900RPM, it results in a delta of 65C which increases to 68.25C when the fan slows down to 1155RPM. Two Noctua fans yield slightly higher delta temperatures than the single T.B.Apollish fan at 1900RPM whereas the two Coolink fans produce the best performance. In this case, the Dow Corning thermal grease give slightly better results than the standard ChillFactor II thermal paste.

Results Overclocked (Ascending order)

4GHz

Unlike with the stock CPU, the results now concentrate towards the lower section of our graph. The stock Enermax configuration performs 0.75C better than the Cooler Master 212+ stock configuration but it fails to match more high-end coolers like it did before. Reducing the speed gives one of the worst performance results on our table, falling behind a number of passively cooled heatsinks. With the two Noctua fans, performance is slightly short of the Cooler Master 212+ using the same two fans. Although using two Coolink fans improve performance, we find that a comparably priced Triglav performs just as well with a single lower RPM fan.

Results Overclocked (In-depth analysis)

The Enermax ETS-T40 performs very similarly to other four 6mm heat piped coolers such as the Noctua NH-U12P and the Cooler Master 212+, edging ahead of the cheaper Cooler Master but only 0.25C behind the more expensive Noctua.

With two Noctua fan, the Enermax sadly demonstrates the worst efficiency, even dropping below the 212+.

With two Coolink fans, its nearest competitor is the Triglav which leaves behind it a 2C margin that the Enermax fails to close up.

Other Observations

Thermal Paste

The Enermax cooler comes bundled with after-market Dow Corning thermal, similar to that found on the Corsair H100. At stock speed, the heatsink doesn’t seem to benefit from it compared ti the ChillFactor II whereas with the overclocked CPU, cooling is slightly better, suggesting better efficiency under high load.

Noise/Fan Performance

Generally, I’m not a big fan of high RPM fans because of the noise they produce and the fact that larger, quieter fans can achieve the same performance without the drawbacks. Unfortunately the Enermax ETS-T40 doesn’t support 140mm so better performance can only be achieved using faster fans. However, I was pleasantly surprised when testing the T.B.Apollish that the noise it generated at full whack was not synonymous to a jet fighter taking off. Although audible, it was by no means intrusive. The sound was more of whooshing of air against the heatsink with little motor noise. Ideally, quitter fans would still be preferable but PWM functionality ensures that. At 1155RPM, it was inaudible above my case fans.

Conclusion

Enermax’s first attempt at a mid-range cooler can be seen as a successful one in some ways, one whose flaws could be fixed should they target the high-end market. Technology and innovation was key behind the ETS-T40’s design boasting patented features such as Vortex Generator Flow, Stack Effect Flow, Vacuum Effect Flow, and the ever popular HDT technology to help boost performance. Using fairly intuitive scientific principles, there was no doubt that all these features would contribute towards better performance, and in some ways these highlight Enermax’s outside of the box thinking given that many other cooling manufacturers appear to have simply overlooked these potential features. But then, we start questioning their effectiveness. Could they be that simple idea that suddenly gets everyone thinking; “why didn’t I come up with this before?”, or are they just gimmicky features that only seem to work in theory and not in practice. Upon testing the Enermax with the stock CPU, it becomes apparent that the heatsink actually performs very efficiently despite its other hindering characteristics such as its dimensions, four heat piped design, and single fan. It competes with other coolers that are out of its league such as the Prolimatech Super Mega, Thermaltake Frio and even the Thermalright Silver arrow in some instances. On top of that, the single fan proves to be great at generating airflow without sacrificing noise too much. There’s no denying that it can still be heard at full speed but the noise isn’t as intrusive as some other fans with similar rotational speeds. Dialling the fan down to around 1500RPM provides an excellent balance between noise and performance, even compared to the likes of the Noctua NF-P12s and NF-P14s.

However, like a lot of coolers we have tested recently, the overclocked i7 seems to put the Enermax ETS-T40 under a lot of strain, pushing its cooling potential to the limits. Unfortunately, it fails to live up to its earlier credentials. There are two ways to look at this. On the one hand, it still performs on par with the Cooler Master 212+ but on the other hand, it sports a heftier price tag and Enermax claims “revolutionary cooling performance” which it is unable to deliver. In reality, it’s not all that surprising to see it not performing better. The ETS-T40 requires more efficient thermal transfer and to do so, it needs more heat pipes and a larger surface area. So even if its patented features are beneficial at lower TDPs, the fundamental design can still be improved vastly to handle higher loads.

So where does this leave us? Credit has to be given to Enermax for creating a cooler that can still handle an overclocked i7 920 with a single fan at 1155RPM despite its size. It proves to be a worthy mid-range contender and one that should hopefully place Enermax firmly in the CPU cooling market. My only advise to them would be to price it more accordingly to the Cooler Master 212+ because at £35, more efficient heatsinks such as the long-lasting Thermalright Ultra Extreme can be purchased.

Other positive notes include a robust mounting system that is straight-forward and the inclusion of the brilliant LED T.B.Apollish fan. Not many after-market fans can claim its feature list of LEDs, PWM functionality and good performance.

Pros:
+Very good performance at stock CPU speed
+Ease of installation
+Bundled fan with PWM functionality and LED
+Relatively quiet
+Support for Intel and AMD sockets
+Memory compatibility
+Interesting innovations and features

Cons:
-Lacking performance with overclocked CPU
-Loss of efficiency under heavier loads
-Fairly mundane heatsink aesthetics
-Price

The Enermax ETS-T40-TA deserves our Creative Award.