In the spotlight today is a mid range CPU Cooler from Phanteks. PH-TC12DX is available in multiple colours and comes with dual PH-F120HP PWM cooling fans.
Product on Review: PH-TC12DX
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Phanteks
Street Price: £38 (At time of review)
Phanteks may not be as well-known as other cooling brands but since their arrival in 2007 they have asserted themselves are a key player in an extremely competitive market-place. More notably, Phanteks have taken pride in their ability to offer a variety of different colours for their models of CPU coolers, giving flexibility to those who prefer to style their entire setup in full coordination.
Today we will be taking a look at the new PH-TC12DX. A mid-range CPU cooler featuring a dual-tower heatsink design and furnished with two 120mm cooling fans. PH-TC12DX is designed to bring style and good performance; will this new release make an impression in our cooling league? Let’s find out!
Phanteks on their PH-TC12DX
PH-TC12DX, a U-Type dual tower heat-sink with four 6mm heat-pipes allows for optimal airflow and cooling. PH-TC12DX’s 6mm heat-pipes are linearly aligned and developed to have the least amount of air and thermal resistance. Incorporating P.A.T.S and C.P.S.C Technologies, PH-TC12DX delivers better heat dissipation and heat transfers. PH-TC12DX includes dual PH-F120HP PWM Premium fans to allow for higher performance and/or silent operation.
Technical Specifications
Colors
White / Black / Blue / Red
Material
Copper (Base and Heat-pipes),
Nickel Plated Aluminum (Fins and Top Cover)
Patented P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-Oxidant Thermal Shield)
Patented C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating)
Fan Model
PH-F120HP PWM Premium Fan
Fan Size
120 x 120 x 25mm
Fan Compatibilities
120 x 120 x 25mm (2pcs)
Bearing Type
UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) Bearing
Blade Geometry
Nine Blades with MVB(Maelström Vortex Booster) Design
Speed (RPM)
600 – 1800 RPM ± 10%
Max Airflow
23 – 68.5 CFM
Max Air Pressure
0.39 – 2.07mm H2O
Acoustical Noise
21.9 – 27.6 dB(A)
Input Power
2.16W
Current (Ampere)
0.18A
Rate Voltage
12V
MTBF
>150,000 h
Heatsink Dimensions (LxWxH)
126 x 57 x 157mm (without fans)
126 x 107 x 157mm (with dual fans)
Package Dimensions
220x163x173 (LxWxH)
Warranty
5 years
White / Black / Blue / Red
Material
Copper (Base and Heat-pipes),
Nickel Plated Aluminum (Fins and Top Cover)
Patented P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-Oxidant Thermal Shield)
Patented C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating)
Fan Model
PH-F120HP PWM Premium Fan
Fan Size
120 x 120 x 25mm
Fan Compatibilities
120 x 120 x 25mm (2pcs)
Bearing Type
UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) Bearing
Blade Geometry
Nine Blades with MVB(Maelström Vortex Booster) Design
Speed (RPM)
600 – 1800 RPM ± 10%
Max Airflow
23 – 68.5 CFM
Max Air Pressure
0.39 – 2.07mm H2O
Acoustical Noise
21.9 – 27.6 dB(A)
Input Power
2.16W
Current (Ampere)
0.18A
Rate Voltage
12V
MTBF
>150,000 h
Heatsink Dimensions (LxWxH)
126 x 57 x 157mm (without fans)
126 x 107 x 157mm (with dual fans)
Package Dimensions
220x163x173 (LxWxH)
Warranty
5 years
Packaging, Bundle & Fans
PH-TC12DX arrives in a small but attractive box. The graphics are well designed and the information is printed on the sides and rear to further enlighten as to the specifications of this cooler. Inside, there is a two-piece polystyrene arrangement to help protect the heatsink and components.
PH-TC12DX’s packaging is pleasing to the eye
Within the accessories bundle buyers will be pleased to know that Phanteks have included two of their premium fans to work in correspondence with the heatsink in order to provide optimum performance. Also included is an instructions guide, fan clips, thermal paste and fitting kits for Intel LGA 2011/1150/1155/1156/1366/775 and AMD FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2.
Accessories bundle includes two 120mm cooling fans
As already mentioned, Phanteks include two of their PH-F120HP PWM cooling fans, with our heatsink being the blue variant these fans also have corresponding blue blades to pair up. Phanteks PH-F120HP PWM Premium fans use UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) bearings, Nine blades and MAFO (Maelstrom Air-Fort Optimization) drive system which promise to achieve greater airflow and perfect dynamic balance.
We like the finish on these fans, especially how the wires have been insulated with matching cable. We’re only part way into the review and we are impressed by what we have seen so far.
Dual PH-F120HP PWM cooling fans are supplied
Closer Look
The PH-TC12DX has two patented features which Phanteks are keen to emphasise with this cooler. Below is what they are and what Phanteks has to say about them.
Patented. P.A.T.S (Physical Antioxidant Thermal Shield)
will greatly increase the cooling performance and reliability while deflecting other thermal radiation from other heat sources, such as the GPU, South Bridge, North Bridge, etc. P.A.T.S, ran at a long period, will display significantly better results in an enclosure, closed environment, than a tech station, open environment. In extreme conditions, PATS is able to withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. P.A.T.S is environmental friendly and non-toxic.
Patented. C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating Technology)
is a brand new technologic forming deposit that displaces heat onto corresponding metals at a quicker rate. With this technology, the Phanteks PH-TC12DX enhances thermal conductivity on the soldered surfaces of the heat-pipes through the copper deposits.
As with other CPU coolers, the PH-TC12DX is available in an assortment of colours, we are reviewing the blue version today which is rather vibrant and eye-catching. PH-TC12DX is a dual-tower heatsink featuring nickel plated aluminium fins. Both towers are joined by a top plate which has the Phanteks logo engraved.
A vibrant dual-tower heatsink
The top with logo engraved
PH-TC12DX’s curvature follows a slightly concave design with condensed fin stack. Once attached the fan will have its edges sit flush to the heatsink but then towards the centre there will be a slight gap. The edges have groves which allow the supplied fan clips to slot into; to attach a fan the process is very simple, four fan adapters are pressed into the mounting holes (shown in the picture below) and the fan clips can lodge within these adapters. The fan clips provide a secure way of fixing the fan to the heatsink but there is actually very little tension which means the task is an easy one to undertake – unlike other coolers we have dealt with in the past.
A condensed and concave fin stack
Cooling fan clips onto heatsink easily
PH-TC12DX has a total of four 6mm copper heatpipes which pass through a copper baseplate. This baseplate is semi-transparent; it doesn’t give a fully transparent finish but does have a recognisable reflection. Phanteks have pre-applied the mounting plate and mounting screws have a tension spring to assist with tightening aka SoliSku . This early indication that the installation could be an easy one.
Four copper heatpipes take heat up and away from the CPU
Installation Process
In order to demonstrate the installation process for PH-TC12DX we are installing the cooler on the Intel LGA2011 socket.
Installing PH-TC12DX takes very little time, the first step is to apply mounting stand-offs to the four screw holes found on the edge of the socket cover. Once these are fixed, two mounting brackets need to be fitted and then four thumbscrews to secure the brackets down. PH-TC12DX can be mounted in a variety of orientations but we are following the traditional and reliable method of having the heatsink facing the rear exhaust fan within the computer case, to be configured with push-pull fan alignment. All that is left to do is apply thermal paste, place the PH-TC12DX over the CPU and tighten up the tension screws – these screws can be tightened with your fingers and then the last turn with a screwdriver.
And there you have it, installation takes a matter of minutes thanks to the well thought-out design and easy to use fitting kit.
Installed – Memory Clearance
Memory clearance is something which many system builders and enthusiasts are eager to discover since this will ascertain whether a memory kit will be compatible with the CPU cooler or not. To demonstrate this, a low profile memory kit is used.
Dimensions:
126 x 57 x 157mm (without fans)
126 x 107 x 157mm (with dual fans)
Thanks to its dimensions, even with dual fans fitted the PH-TC12DX leaves adequate space around itself for other devices. Also worth noting is that whilst the blue version of this cooler may not coordinate as well due to the colour-scheme, there are other versions to choose from so that you can match up you setup perfectly. A black version would look particularly appealing on our GIGABYTE motherboard.
PH-TC12DX is poised and ready for action
Even with dual fans there is sufficient space for other items
Onto the topic of memory clearance PH-TC12DX has no issues at all regarding this aspect. Many enthusiasts struggle to fit their memory kits underneath big heatsinks but again, due to the dimensions PH-TC12DX does not obstruct the slots at all. To demonstrate we even use a tall Corsair Vengeance module in the slot closest to the cooler and as you can see below there is clearance for this calibre of kit and taller.
Memory clearance is very good with PH-TC12DX
Even taller kits can fit without hinderance
Test Setup & Methodology
Test System
CPU – Intel Core i7-3930K (3.6GHz)
Motherboard – GIGABYTE X79-UP4
Memory – 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP 1600MHz CL9
Graphics – Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB
PSU – NZXT Hale90 650W
Hard Drive – Kingston HyperX 240GB SATA III SSD
Case – Corsair Carbide 500R White
Motherboard – GIGABYTE X79-UP4
Memory – 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP 1600MHz CL9
Graphics – Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB
PSU – NZXT Hale90 650W
Hard Drive – Kingston HyperX 240GB SATA III SSD
Case – Corsair Carbide 500R White
CPU Coolers
Alpenföhn Matterhorn Pure(120mm Wingboost: 300-1200RPM)
Alpenföhn K2 (120mm Wingboost: 500-1500RPM, 140mm Wingboost: 300-1100RPM)
Alpenföhn Gotthard (140mm Wingboost: 300-1100RPM)
Noctua NH-D14 (120mm NF-P12 PWM + 140mm NF-P14 PWM: up to 1200RPM)
Thermalright SilverArrow SB-E Extreme (Dual TY-143 fans – 600-2500RPM)
Corsair Hydro H100 (Dual 120mm fans – low: 1300RPM, mid: 2000RPM, high: 2600RPM Push Config)
SilverStone HE01 (140mm PWM fan – 500RPM-1200RPM – 500RPM-2000RPM)
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 (135mm + 120mm PWM Fans – up to 1500RPM and 1700RPM)
Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro (Dual 120mm PWM fans – up to 2000RPM)
Corsair Hydro Series H100i (Dual 120mm fans – up to 2700RPM Push Config)
Be Quiet! Shadow Rock TopFlow(1x 135mm PWM fan – up to 1500RPM)
SilverStone HE02 (Passive – optional fan used: Noctua NF-F12 120mm PWM)
Corsair H55 (Single 120mm fan – 1700RPM Exhaust Push)
Cooler Master Seidon 120M (Single 120mm fan – Up to 2500RPM Exhaust Push)
Zalman CNPS11X Extreme (Single 120mm fan – Up to 1950RPM)
Phanteks PH-TC12DX (Dual 120mm fans – 600-1800RPM)
Program Suite
Real Temp – Maximum temperature analysis
LinX 0.6.4 – Applies thorough stress test to CPU
CPU-Z – Confirmation of CPU frequency/voltage
AIDA64 Extreme Edition – Confirmation of temperatures/fan speeds
Testing methodology
Testing will be based on temperatures recorded by Real Temp after 20 passes of LinX stress test. The maximum absolute temperatures will be recorded after the test and averaged over the 6 cores. The delta is then calculated by subtracting the ambient temperature recorded near the intake fans from the average temperature calculated. Tests are conducted with the Intel i7 3930K at its default 3.6GHz stock speed and overclocked to 4.6GHz @ 1.42V. The tests are done inside the Corsair Carbide 500R chassis to simulate real world conditions. To keep the tests standardised we are using Noctua’s NT-H1 thermal paste on all coolers.
CPU coolers are reviewed as they come out of the box – with their factory cooling fans, as the manufacturer intended and as the consumer expects.
Additional tests include a passive test where the cooling fans are taken away from the heatsink and a comparison between the cooler used with stock thermal paste against our Noctua NT-H1 paste.
A kind thank you to Noctua for supplying us with NT-H1 thermal compound.
Results – Stock Performance
During the stock testing PH-TC12DX handled our Intel Core i7-3930K very well. The results demonstrate that this Phanteks offering can deliver solid performance amongst stiff competition. Cooling fans operated at 1400RPM during this test via the Phanteks cable splitter. Noise levels were noticeable but not disturbing.
Results – Overclocked Performance
Throughout the overclocked testing PH-TC12DX appeared to struggle to dispel the heat, even with dual cooling fans attached. A substantial overclock on the Intel Core i7-3930K proved to be a difficult task to handle for PH-TC12DX. Cooling fans operated at 1800RPM during this test and noise levels were noticeable and somewhat disturbing.
Results – Passive Performance
The passive tests reveal exactly how effective the heatsink design and materials truly are. Without the aid of the cooling fans PH-TC12DX struggled and gave results which exceeded 90C – the level in which we pronounce a fail in this category.
Results – Thermal Paste Comparison
Most CPU coolers come accompanied with thermal paste provided by the manufacturer. For our CPU cooling tests we use Noctua’s NT-H1, so to offer up some interesting analysis we test the thermal paste given with the 11X Extreme (ZM-STG2 ) against NT-H1 to see which gives the best results during stock and overclocked performance.
Conclusion
Since their appearance on the market, Phanteks haven’t ceased to steal the limelight with their eagerness to bring style to cooling and the PH-TC12DX encapsulates exactly this.
Having the choice of a variety of different coloured versions is sure to be a hit with enthusiasts since the colour configuration is quite an important aspect of system building for many. The varied options mean you can pair up a cooler with pretty much any motherboard, memory, graphics card and cooling fans on the market. The finish and quality of craftsmanship is second to none and we especially like how easy the installation is, we had the cooler and our test system up and running in under 10 minutes!
Performance from PH-TC12DX was a mixed bag, stock results from our Intel Core i7-3930K revealed a strong position on the league of previously reviewed coolers. It handled this CPU very well indeed but the same cannot be said for the overclock. With a nudge in voltage and frequency the PH-TC12DX appeared to struggle with dispelling unwanted heat and likewise with the passive testing, the numbers climbed and gave an unfortunate result.
From a price standpoint PH-TC12DX can be found for a mere £38 which is good value when you consider the entire package and inclusion of two 120mm cooling fans.
Aesthetically PH-TC12DX is very pleasing, it’s available in an assortment of different colours with every attention to detail covered. Quality is quite clearly of utmost importance, those wanting a good CPU cooler for stock settings should consider PH-TC12DX in their shortlist.
Pros
+ Aesthetically pleasing
+ Available in different colours
+ Very good quality components
+ Easy installation
+ Affordable
+ Solid stock performance
+ Great clearance for tall memory kits
Cons
– Lacks performance grunt when overclocked
– Failed passive tests
+ Aesthetically pleasing
+ Available in different colours
+ Very good quality components
+ Easy installation
+ Affordable
+ Solid stock performance
+ Great clearance for tall memory kits
Cons
– Lacks performance grunt when overclocked
– Failed passive tests
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
