CPU Air Cooler Mega Test

CPU Air Cooler Mega Test

SilverStone Argon AR03

Price:  £34.99

Technical Specification 

Dimensions 159x140x75(HxWxD)
CPU Intel: 775,1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011/v3.  AMD: FM1, FM2/+, AM2/+, AM3/+
Heat pipes 6x6mm Copper pipes
Fins 53
Materials Aluminium fins, Copper base
Fan Speed 1x120mm fan @2200rpm
Noise Level 33.5dB(A)
Air Flow 81.4CFM
Air Pressure Not Given mmH2O
Weight 560 without fan

 

Up Close 

The Argon AR03 from SilverStone comes in a frosty blue box.  Inside everything is laid out in carboard compartments, with the cooler occupying the central area under the un fitted fan.

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The AR03 is a fairly standard looking 120mm fan based tower cooler  The six copper heat pipes are left natural and are biased towards the outer margins of the fin stack.  The only real aesthetic feature that lifts the AR03 from the OEM crowd is the blue and white fan, and we have to say we’re real fans of the method chosen to attach it to the fin stack

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Let’s take a closer look t the fan attachment method.  Basically it’s 4 double ended rubber plugs.  One end fits into the fan cowling and the other, which looks kind of like a honey scoop in that it has serrations for the fins slots into the grooved edge of the fin stack.  When I first saw it my heart sank as I thought “great, another designer trying to be clever and actually coming up with something worse than spring clips”, but in all honesty i’m thinking of starting a petition to Parliament to have all manufacturers forced to do it this way.

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Fitting the AR03 is a bit arse backwards in that you have to screw through from the motherboard side to the back plate behind.  I’t’s not abundantly clear from the instructions which of the many holes to use so a bit of trial and error is called for.  Having attached the back plate the rest is pretty straight forward though.  The AR03 also manages to make a decent fist of the torture tests, coming 4th in it’s class and about midway overall.

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