Cooler Master Hyper TX3i Review

Performance Analysis

Since the TX3i only supports one of our test systems there's only one result to discuss. The delta T of 53°C is one of the warmest we've seen but this is also the smallest and least expensive cooler we've tested. We're also testing on a system with a relatively high overclock, something the TX3i is probably not best suited too. As such, the fact that it's even able to keep our CPU at a fairly healthy temperature some way off the throttling point shows that is not something to be dismissed.

Other coolers in the charts that use 92mm fans include the dual tower, dual fan Alpenföhn Atlas, which unsurprisingly has a 6°C better result at full speed, as well as the Thermalright Macho 90, which has just a single fan and is only 1°C better. Where the Macho 90 really wins, however, is noise, as it's definitely quieter than the TX3i, the fan of which is easily audible at full speed (though not whiny or obnoxiously so). Thankfully, the supplied fan also has a very wide PWM range and is very discreet at the lower end of its scale, which is where it will spend most of its time in the systems its designed for.

Conclusion

It seems like a sensible move on Cooler Master's part to target the Intel 115x crowd given the platform's popularity. The extremely simple installation process for such users will appeal to novice builders who are just after a quick and easy upgrade to stock cooling, while system integrators are sure to approve as well – something like this allows them to sell basic systems with upgraded cooling that's going to be silent or at least quiet in most tasks, even under load.

The inclusion of extra fan brackets and an actual tube of thermal paste rather than a simple sachet are nice touches too. The temperatures may not be amazing when placed next to high-end gear, but for less than £20 it's hard to ask for much more and by taming an overclocked Core i5-4690K we'd say the TX3i has proved its worth enough to earn a Recommended award. Obviously, it's not for everyone though – if you're looking to build a meatier system but still limited to coolers with 92mm fans, then the Alpenföhn Atlas is worth considering if you need absolute performance, but otherwise the Thermalright Macho 90 strikes a great balance between performance and noise for LGA115x CPUs.