Sapphire rethinks the CPU cooler – the Vapor-X
Conclusion
When it comes to cooling your overclocked hot Intel or AMD CPU efficiently and quietly, Sapphire may be the new company to turn to. If you have a Core i7 or i5 that you really want to push to its reasonable yet quiet overclock by safely using air-cooling, the Vapor-X may be for you. It is recommended by this reviewer as a decent midrange cooler that competes well with the Frio with slightly quieter fans and it adds blue LEDs to brighten up your case.
Sapphire’s installatin design for the Vapor-X is unique in that it allows for a relatively large cooler to be installed in a small space without having to suffer through the installation. For your money, you get a good choice for a quality CPU cooler that will fit into almost any mid tower easily.
Sapphire Vapor-X CPU cooler
Pros:
- The Vapor-X is a great mid-priced cooling solution for overclocking almost any modern 200W Intel or AMD CPU.
- Two BIOS-adjustable PWM and relatively quiet 120mm fans in push-pull provide excellent bang-for-buck cooling while providing blue LED lighting.
- Everything is included for installation including thermal compound.
- It is easy to install.
- Sapphire’s Vapor-X vapor chamber has adapted well from cooling hot GPUs and it gives good headroom for overclocking 200W CPUs.
Cons:
- Instructions could be clearer regarding plate to cooler orientation; a DVD installation video should be included.
- MSRP is a little high if you are just looking at performance.
The Verdict
There you have it. Sapphire’s Vapor-X Universal CPU cooler is a very good all-in-one quiet cooler for a reasonable price considering its build, relatve ease of installation, and all-inclusive package – as well as good looks with its blue LEDs and PWM fans. It is well-deserving of our “Innovation” award for the overall package using a vapor chamber to cool CPUs. Recommended.
Our next article will be published this weekend comparing OWC’s Mercury EXTREME Pro6G SSD with 4 Kingston SSDs and our HDD. Check out ABT forums as we are exploring “jitter” and “microstutter” together with our members, using a high speed camera and frame-time testing to support our other extensive graphics card benching.
Happy Gaming!
Mark Poppin
ABT Senior Editor
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