Testing

For testing, I decided to compare the Aero 7+ with a Volcano 11. Testing was done in the same conditions for both coolers, using OCZ Ultra II. In all tests, the ambient in my house was recorded at 73°F, and case ambient at 31.5°C. Processor temperatures were taken using HMonitor, and temps were only taken after thermal paste was allowed to set for at least 48 hours. Temps were taken under both Idle and Load conditions with (Aero 7+ & Volcano 11) fan speed set on low and on high for each. To put the processor under Load I used Prime95's Torture Test for 1 hour. Something to keep in mind when looking at the test results is that I tested with an AthlonXP2100+ Palomino, which run hotter than the newer ThoroughBred AthlonXP processors. Below are the test rig specs:

• AMD AthlonXP 2100+ Palomino
• Biostar M7VIG Motherboard
• 512MB Samsung PC2100
• GF4 TI4200
• Creative SB Live! 5.1
• Seagate Barracuda IV 80gb 2mb
• CenDyne 52x CDRW

Aero 7+ / Volcano 11 Comparison
(Show All Graphs) (Collapse Graphs)

Idle

Load

Aero 7+ (Low Speed)

Volcano 11 (Low Speed)

Aero 7+ (High Speed)

Volcano 11 (High Speed)

57.5

60

45.5

46.5

0

Temperature ( °C )

100

 

 

Idle

Load

Aero 7+ (Low Speed)

Volcano 11 (Low Speed)

Aero 7+ (High Speed)

Volcano 11 (High Speed)

69

71

50.5

51.5

0

Temperature ( °C )

100

 

 

As you can see from the testing results, the Aero 7+ keeps the CPU as much as 2.5°C cooler than the Volcano 11, a notable improvement. This is due in part to the finely lapped contact surface on the Aero 7+, and also because of the superior blower fan design. Something else to note is the low amount of noise coming from the Aero 7+. The Volcano 11 on low is as loud as the Aero 7+ on high, and the Aero 7+ has better cooling.


Conclusion

Overall this is an outstanding CPU cooler. It performs better than the roaring Volcano 11 and looks cooler, sporting an innovative blower design. The 3.5" mount simply won't mount, but CoolerMaster is working on a solution. I would also like to see an optional temperature monitor to control fan speed like the similarly priced Volcano 11, maybe in a future blower fan? If you are looking for a CPU cooler that does the job, looks great, and remains quiet, look no further.

Pros

Looks great
Competitively priced
Innovative design
Blows the Volcano 11 away (pun intended)
Fairly quiet
Good machine lapping
Adjustable fan speed via rheostat

Cons

Can't mount 3.5" bracket (CoolerMaster working on fixing)
No temperature monitor to control fan speed
Fan speed adjustment mandatory (should be optional)
"Improved" thumb clip doesn't work well