Comparison Gamemax Iceberg 240 vs Gamemax Iceberg 120

The number of fans in the design of the cooling system. More fans provide higher efficiency (all else being equal); on the other hand, the dimensions and the noise generated during operation also increase accordingly. Also, note that other things being equal, a smaller number of large fans is considered more advanced than numerous small ones; see "Fan diameter" for details.

The maximum airflow that a cooling fan can create; measured in CFM — cubic feet per minute.

The higher the CFM number, the more efficient the fan. On the other hand, high performance requires either a large diameter (which affects the size and cost) or high speed (which increases the noise and vibration levels). Therefore, when choosing, it makes sense not to chase the maximum air flow, but to use special formulas that allow you to calculate the required number of CFM depending on the type and power of the cooled component and other parameters. Such formulas can be found in special sources. As for specific numbers, in the most modest systems, the performance does not exceed 30 CFM, and in the most powerful systems it can be up to 80 CFM and even more.

It is also worth considering that the actual value of the air flow at the highest speed is usually lower than the claimed maximum; see Static Pressure for details.

The maximum TDP provided by the cooling system. Note that this parameter is indicated only for solutions equipped with heatsinks (see "Type"); for separately made fans, the efficiency is determined by other parameters, primarily by the air flow values (see above).

TDP can be described as the amount of heat that a cooling system is able to remove from a serviced component. Accordingly, for the normal operation of the entire system, it is necessary that the TDP of the cooling system is not lower than the heat dissipation of this component (heat dissipation data is usually indicated in the detailed characteristics of the components). And it is best to select coolers with a power margin of at least 20 – 25% — this will give an additional guarantee in case of forced operation modes and emergency situations (including clogging of the case and reduced air exchange efficiency).

As for specific numbers, the most modest modern cooling systems provide TDP up to 100 W, the most advanced — up to 250 W and even higher.

Socket type - socket for CPU - with which the corresponding cooling system is compatible.

Different sockets differ not only in compatibility with a particular CPU, but also in the configuration of the seat for the cooling system. So, when purchasing a processor cooling system separately, you should make sure that it is compatible with the socket. Nowadays, solutions are produced mainly for the following types of sockets: AMD AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2, AMD AM4, AMD AM5, AMD TR4/TRX4, Intel 775, Intel 1150, Intel 1155/1156, Intel 1366, Intel 2011/2011 v3, Intel 2066, Intel 1151/1151 v2, Intel 1200, Intel 1700.

The nominal size of the radiator provided in the water cooling system.

The radiator provides cooling of the heated coolant coming from the cooled components of the system. It most often works on the principle of a cooler — that is, it consists of the actual radiator and one or more fans. The size of the radiator is indicated by one number — by the largest dimension, length. And the width (on which the working area and, accordingly, efficiency depends) can be determined based on the length. The fact is that radiators use fans of two diameters — 120 and 140 mm; if there are several such fans, they are installed in a row. This means that the length of the structure will necessarily be a multiple of the fan diameter — 120 or 140 mm, and the width will correspond to this diameter. For example, a 120mm or 140mm product would have the same width and one fan, while a 240mm product would have two 120mm fans.

The described features lead to the fact that a larger size does not necessarily mean a more advanced design. So, a 360mm or even 420 mm radiator with three small fans can have the same or even lower efficiency than a 280mm model. In addition, we recall that larger fans with the same performance are slower, and therefore quieter.

Also, the size o...f the radiator must be taken into account when looking for a seat in the case for it. Be aware of the width as well: 140mm fan heatsinks are usually not compatible with 120mm fan heatsink slots. So, a 140 mm model will not fit in a 240 mm (2x120 mm) socket, and 280 mm (2x140 mm) will not fit under 360 mm (3x120 mm), although formally the size seems to be enough in both cases.

General dimensions of the cooling system. For water systems (see "Type"), this paragraph indicates the size of the external radiator (the dimensions of the water block in such devices are small, and there is no need to specify them in particular).

In general, this is a fairly obvious parameter. We only note that for case fans (see ibid.), the thickness is of particular importance — it directly depends on how much space the device will take up inside the system unit. At the same time, it is customary to refer to fans with a thin case for models in which this size does not exceed 20 mm.