Date: November 24th, 2008
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Silverstone
<--CLICK FOR PRICES ON A CPU COOLER IN THE UNITED STATES
<--CLICK FOR PRICES ON A CPU COOLER IN CANADA
CONCLUSIONS AND AFTERTHOUGHTS
SilverStone's NT06 Evolution CPU cooler is definitely a high-performance product that will appeal to a variety of PC enthusiasts.
The Evolution will indeed cool the hottest processors in the world and its design allows it to fit in just about any case available. You'll have to supply your own fan, but many enthusiasts do this anyway. The fit and finish is first-rate and the Evolution can be mounted in whichever orientation delivers the best motherboard cooling. The Evolution retails for around $50 US, a stiff price to pay for a cooler with no fan, but the other features like its relatively small size and weight can make this a good choice for the enthusiast needing what the Evolution can deliver.
In fact, the only serious issue I have with the NT06-E is the Intel mounting solution. Even with the board out of the case and the board essentially bare, those large thumbnuts are difficult to get properly tightened. I didn't try the AMD solution, but I can't imagine it being much easier.
In conclusion, SilverStone has a great product in the NT06 Evolution cooler. Its cooling performance is surprisingly good when coupled with a quiet, low-flow fan and very good when airflow increases. I like its compactness and relatively low mass and it looks pretty good as well. With a lower cost and an improved mounting solution, the NT06 Evolution would be a excellent value, but these issues drop it back a bit in this regard. Still, for the right application, this could be just what the doctor ordered.
Pros:
- Good cooling
- Good look
- Excellent fit and finish
- Low-profile and lightweight
- Good motherboard cooling
Cons:
- Expensive
- No included fan (more important to some than others)
- Mounting solution
Please feel free to direct any further questions about this cooler to our forums HERE.
