Nofan CR-80EH Copper IcePipe 80W Fanless CPU Cooler Ultra
This next-generation fanless CPU cooler uses IcePipe technology - no fans, no dust, no noise. It is capable of silently cooling almost any modern processor with a TDP (thermal design power) output of up to 80 watts.
Features
- Totally fanless CPU cooler
- Uses patented IcePipe technology
- Can cool Intel & AMD CPUs with TDP of 80 watts or less
- Maintenance free and dust free
- Absolutely silent in operation
- Compatible with Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156 and AMD AM4/FM/AM series
Fanless cooling - at last!
Probably the biggest technical advancement of the last decade in the field of PC cooling has been the invention of the thermal heatpipe. This has allowed a much greater efficiency of heatsink to be designed since heatpipes are good at moving heat from one location to another, both quickly and silently.
However, the performance of heatpipes has been limited by their internal design, which relies on cyclic evaporation and condensation of the water inside them. That is until now! The next generation heatpipe has arrived - it’s smaller, lighter, wickless and offers a massive improvement in performance. Its design is patented by Nofan Corporation of South Korea, and it’s called the IcePipe.
The holy grail of quiet computing is excellent cooling without resorting to the use of a fan. Rather than using forced airflow along with its associated problems (noise, dust-build up, bearing wear and limited lifespan), convection cooling is undoubtedly the technology of the future and because of the IcePipe, this is now a realistic possibility.
The exact details of how the IcePipe works are a trade secret, but in essence it operates by liquid capillary action. By making the pipe very small, natural perpetual circulation of the liquid inside takes place and heat is efficiently dissipated into the attached heatsink fins. Of course, like conventional heatpipes, the IcePipes are permanently sealed in the factory so that no liquid can ever escape.
Compatibility Considerations
Due to the size of the cooler special consideration must be taken into account when choosing a motherboard. While it will physically fit on all compatible boards, the location of the CPU socket may prevent the motherboard (with the cooler installed) from fitting in a suitable case. This can happen if the CPU socket is too close to the edge of the motherboard.
Ideally, with the motherboard already seated in the case, measurements need to be taken to ensure that there is no obstruction within a 92mm radius of the centre of the CPU socket. Nofan have published a large list of all known compatible motherboards for the CR-80EH.
Important note for installation of CR-80EH - Do not over-tighten or unevenly tighten the four CPU cooler retention screws!
| Specifications | CR-80EH Copper |
|---|---|
| Electroplating | None |
| Compatibility | Intel LGA115x and AMD FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, AM4 |
| Max TDP | 80W |
| Installation Method | Intel and AMD - backplate, requires motherboard removal |
| Dimensions (diameter x height) | 155mm x 113mm |
| Weight | 300 g |
| Thermal resistance @ 25°C ambient | 0.58 °C/W |
| Dissipation area | 98,157 mm² |
| CPU supported cores / clock speeds | Single, dual and quad / all speeds |
| Maximum RAM height | 32 mm |
| Supplied thermal grease | NF-SI100 |
| Acoustic noise level | 0.0 dBA |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| Specifications | CR-80EH Copper |
|---|---|
| Electroplating | None |
| Compatibility | Intel LGA115x and AMD FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, AM4 |
| Max TDP | 80W |
| Installation Method | Intel and AMD - backplate, requires motherboard removal |
| Dimensions (diameter x height) | 155mm x 113mm |
| Weight | 300 g |
| Thermal resistance @ 25°C ambient | 0.58 °C/W |
| Dissipation area | 98,157 mm² |
| CPU supported cores / clock speeds | Single, dual and quad / all speeds |
| Maximum RAM height | 32 mm |
| Supplied thermal grease | NF-SI100 |
| Acoustic noise level | 0.0 dBA |
| Warranty | 24 months |
Customer Reviews
Perfect
Coupled this one with Intel i7-4785T (35W TDP) in a completely fanless case.
Idle: 40C, full synthetic load: 60C.
Absolutely perfect.
Update: 2018-06-30: tried the same thing with i7-8700 (65W TDP) in a fanless case - no go. While idling, it looks good, but under load it quickly reaches 100C. Yes, with a rear fan it drops to 60C, but with NoFan - it can’t be done. Switched to i7-8700T (35W TDP) and yes, full synthetic load: 73C.
So, bottom line: if you want to go completely fanless, then, you have to go with T version of the CPU. Exactly the half - 40W of what is advertised. But, if you really want to cool a ~80W CPU, you will have to use case fans, which, in my view, completely defies the purpose.
- up to 40W totally fanless
- up to 80W with some case fans on
Passive performer
I coupled this with an Intel Core i5-4690T (i.e. low TDP CPU). The only reason I didn’t give it 5* is that I assembled it first as it came. Afterwards, I discovered by a circuitous browsing route that it should have been installed in a particular orientation - there’s a nifty animation for its big brother cooler now on the QPC website, and they put me right about that. It would have been easier if the instructions mentioned the orientation to start with (the thing is square, so it’s easy to get it wrong); am I being unfair?
The PC is completely fanless, and it’s surprising quite how noisy a HDD (WD Caviar Blue) now seems... But the main thing is that the PC runs cool even when doing relatively computing-intensive things. So, as long as you have a low thermal rating CPU, this thing works fine. It’s quite pretty through the case vents too, if that’s your thing.
Hi Stephen - thanks for your detailed review, much appreciated! It’s great to hear you are enjoying your new IcePipe cooler. Sorry to hear about the installation confusion. Actually, unlike the CR-95C, the orientation of the CR-80EH isn’t important. We have added this information to the website to help other customers.
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