Temperatures:
Generally the temperatures are a bit better when the heatpipes run parallel to the power-connector. But even rotated at 90°, the difference is not as high as you would expect.
We tested this cooler with an AMD Phenom II X4 905e, which gives ample power for gaming but at a reduced TDP of 65W. From the experience we’ve gathered, CPUs with a higher TDP are possible, although noise may be reason for concern. At 3500rpm our fan did about 50dB(A), which is loud. At a setting of 30% the board regulated the fan down to about 1600rpm, which was inaudible in our closed case. To help to reduce noise further, a 10cm fan can do you good. On the other hand, it may cause trouble especially in some ITX cases because it adds 12mm of height. Environmental temperature was 22.5°C.
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