Raijintek Ereboss Review

Performance Analysis

In PWM mode, the one that most people will use, the Ereboss copes well on our LGA1155 system, keeping our Core i7-2600K at a modest 44°C. This is actually the best PWM result on this system for a single fan cooler, as it narrowly trumps the SilverStone Argon AR01. Better yet, it remained pleasingly quiet during the test, with the slimline 140mm fan offering a good balance of airflow and noise. Adding a second fan to the mix knocks a further 2°C off of this result, which is again a very positive result. It's on par with the Phanteks flagship cooler, the PH-TC14PE, although it's not as quiet as that beast. At full speed, the fans become whiny and don't really do enough to justify the extra noise output, and this is true whether you're using one or two fans.

As we said, we were unable to install a secondary fan onto the Ereboss in our LGA2011 thanks to RAM modules being on both sides of the CPU. That said, a 120mm fan should fit – it was the extra height of the 140mm model that was the issue. Nevertheless, even with its single fan whirring along at full speed, the Ereboss is only able to keep the delta T at 57°C here. We can't say for certain, but the issue is most likely airflow related. This system gets very toasty very quickly, and without sufficient airflow to remove the heat quickly, temperatures can rapidly climb (there's a 12°C difference just by switching from 12V to 7V on the Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom, for example). If you want to overclock a chip on the LGA2011 platform and still keep things cool and quiet, you'll either need some water-cooling or a beefier (and more expensive) air cooler.

Conclusion

When we reviewed the SilverStone Argon AR01, we showed that provided you have a case with adequate airflow, you don't need a massive and expensive heatsink to comfortably cool an LGA115x CPU with a half decent overclock – something that is likely to apply to many enthusiasts. With its solid build quality and performance, the Ereboss is further proof of this. It's good value at £32 and the option to add a second fan for a total of £40 is also handy if you're planning on heftier overclocks.

SilverStone's cooler is still great for the money, but the Ereboss has slightly better cooling potential (at least on LGA1155) and generates less noise as well. It's not as quiet as coolers like the Phanteks PH-TC14PE or Noctua NH-D14 can be, but then it's also half the price, which is definitely fair. We can't say we're enamoured of the installation procedure, and hopefully Raijintek can address this in future revisions, and if you're running a toasty LGA2011 build then it also won't be your best friend. However, for the majority of chips with less thermal output, it's a fair deal and a solid purchase.