Overclocking Performance

To test the cooling abilities of the Eliminator, I ran some temperature tests while putting the processor under a few different loads. Here are the specs of the testing rig:

• Processor: AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core 4200+ 65W
• RAM: Crucial DDR2 PC2-8000 Ballistix Dual Channel
• Motherboard: ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe
• Video Card: XFX GeForce 7900 GS ExTreme in SLI configuration
• Sound Card: Razer Barracuda AC-1
• Power Supply: OCZ NVIDIA SLI-Ready GameXStream 600W
• Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750 GB
• Case: NZXT Lexa
• OS: Windows XP SP2
• Testing Software: ASUS Ai Boost, Battlefield 2142

Using ASUS’s Ai Boost software allows me to adjust the overclocking settings (both CPU clock modifier and system bus speeds) and monitor the temperature simultaneously. I chose Battlefield 2142 because it was a good option to consistently tax the processor, giving me a higher heat potential (and conditions that are closer to the real-world usage).

Setting the Eliminator to high cooling, I upped the clock modifier to 11x and started increasing the system bus by 5 MHz increments, starting at 220 MHz (2420 total MHz). For each step, I put Battlefield 2142 into a high-action situation in single player mode (driving a vehicle, getting into a firefight, etc.), then paused the game and took a temperature reading. Starting at a frosty 18º Celsius at 220 MHz, I kept system stability (and a temperature that never topped 31º Celsius) past 2695 MHz (245 x 11) before everything locked up. Given that I had to manipulate the processor’s core voltage to get this much of a gain with the stock heatsink, I’m pretty impressed at the additional overclocking potential the Eliminator brings to the table, even if I can’t stand the amount of noise it makes on the high cooling setting.

Low Cooling Setting Performance

After the overclocking test and some cool-down time, I went to the other end of the spectrum, set the cooler to low and ran Battlefield 2142 for ten minutes. Low cooling certainly makes for a very quiet system, but you pay for it in heat: I hit 57º Celsius by the end of the test. Given that the temperature in my testing room was somewhere around 65º Fahrenheit thanks to a winter cold spell, I have a feeling processor temperatures could get even higher on a hot summer day – and that can spell disaster for your computer. Basically, if you want to take advantage of the quiet offered by low cooling, make sure you keep your rig in a room that stays cold all year.