Test Setup and Results

To test the Wraith, we've pitched it against the stock cooler using the FX-8370, both at stock speed and overclocked to 4.5GHz using a vcore of 1.48V, plus PWM and full speed fan modes too. We've also hooked it up to our standard test system, which uses an overclocked FX-6300 - this CPU isn't available with the Wraith but we have a good amount of comparison data from third party coolers, so you can see if it may be worth investing in one or sticking with the Wraith.

We place our test rigs under load using the Small FFTs stress test in the free application Prime95, as this test is designed to place maximum load on the CPU. We use the free application HWMonitor to measure the temperature of our CPUs. We always take the maximum temperature for consistency and do so after 15 minutes, which is enough time for temperatures to plateau.

The results provided are the delta T figures; the difference between the recorded CPU temperature and ambient temperature at the time of testing. Our labs are not temperature controlled, so this provides the most accurate method of comparison for coolers tested on different days. Any cooler that causes one of our CPUs to reach its thermal limit and downclock is considered a fail.

AMD AM3+ Test System

• AMD FX-6300 overclocked to 4.4GHz (20 x 220MHz) using a vcore of 1.4125V and AMD FX-8370 overclocked to 4.5GHz (22.5 x 200MHz) using a vcore of 1.48V
  
• Asus Sabertooth 990FX
  
• 2 x 8GB G.Skill Ares 1,600MHz low-profile DDR3
  
• Sapphire Radeon R7 260X OC Edition

Each system runs Windows 7 64-bit installed on an OCZ Arc 100 240GB SSD and is powered by a Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 600W PSU.