Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler

Cooler Master is stepping up to the plate and offers one of the first Core i5 coolers to hit the market.

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Manufacturer: Cooler Master
9 minutes & 18 seconds read time

Introduction


Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler



Since the release of the Core i7 processors, with a stock TDP of 130W, finding a cooler that can handle that task isn't as easy to accomplish as it should seem to be. I see a lot of people complaining of the high temps associated with i7 overclocking, some even finding this the perfect time to try their hand in water cooling for the first time in their building resume. With the release of the LGA1156 socket, or Core i5, we are blessed to see smaller TDP on some chips being as low as 95 watts at stock settings, while the upper echelon of the i5 line can have a TDP as high as 125watts. With this in mind most coolers on the market should be able to handle the heat output of the 95W TDP Core i5 market with no issues.

Now, Cooler Master has been making big strides to aid in this quest of superior cooling technology to apply to all this new tech available for us to get our upgrading hands on. We have seen quite a few coolers over the past year from Cooler Master; some did really well, while others were a bit below expectations. As a whole they have done a good job supplying the market with "alternatives" to the basic tower coolers. This time they take a step back and have used a simpler approach to cooling the Core i5 processors.

That leads me to why I am here. Cooler Master is releasing a new cooler to coincide with the release of all the new Core i5 goodies that are hitting the market as we speak. They are the first to offer me their solution to this matter, with the release of their newest cooler in the lineup. This cooler is part of the already well known Hyper lineup and shares a lot of its basic ideas from the Hyper TX2 Cooler Master has already released previously. This time their Core i5 cooler carries the Hyper TX3 moniker. It's time again where we fire up the T.E.C.C. and see just how well the Hyper TX3 does.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing




Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Cooler Master builds the TX3 with 43 aluminum fins surrounding three copper heatpipes that get nestled into an aluminum base. The TX3 is cooled with a 92mm fan, with a unique blade shape that boasts up to 54.8 CFM which can be PWM controlled via the 4-pin power connector. The Hyper TX3 measures in at a low clearance of 139mm from base to the tips of the pipes and weighs in at a relatively light 470g. All of this makes for a compact and quiet solution to the Core i5 processors, but Cooler Master takes it one step further and also made the cooler acceptable to fit all AMD processors from socket 754 on up and fits both the Intel LGA775 as well as the LGA1156 sockets.

Since the cooler has only made it to the public's eye on the 8th of this month and its full release being the 18th of May (today), I can only assume it will take a few weeks to hit retail shelves. As with most of Cooler Master's products, they will most likely be able to be found at all your local shops and major e-tailers that carry the Cooler Master line of CPU coolers. Don't worry; if I had to take a guess I would say expect them during the first week of June.

Straight out of the press release, Cooler Master wanted it to be known that the Hyper TX3 would be an affordable solution to the cooling needs of the buyers. The MSRP of the TX3 is slated to be $19.99 U.S. Dollars. As I have said many times, $20 is a price anyone can afford to spend and I'm impressed with Cooler Masters decision on this. To be really honest there aren't many coolers in this price range worth spouting off about as direct competition, so let's just see how well it does and we can go from there.

Packaging


The Package

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Cooler Master has gone basic on the packaging of the Hyper TX3. This not only saves the end user a bit of cost, but still provides a stable environment for shipping the TX3 and gives an almost completely unimpeded view of the cooler. This also allows them to use the hardware box as room for showing off the compatibility on this side.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


As I was saying, this plastic blister package holds everything in place well, while giving a complete 360° view of the TX3 prior to purchase. Just peel the stickers in the corner of the three pieces and the one at the top of both halves and it all unfolds easily.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


The back of the cardboard insert is a bit plainer on the back side; this time there is no badge denoting the socket types. Again in the back the hardware box is used to inform the buyers, this time listing six features of the TX3.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Peeling the three stickers allows the plastic to unfold, releasing the TX3, fan and the hardware box from its grip.

The Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Core i5 CPU Cooler


The Cooler Master hyper TX3 Core i5 CPU Cooler

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Getting a little closer, the TX3 shows that the 43 aluminium fins are pressed onto the three copper heatpipes. These heatpipes are all secured in the aluminium base that is milled to surround the pipes on the bottom and machined to accept the hardware for mounting purposes.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


The three heatpipes are spaced evenly and in line with each other. With this smaller design and simpler cooler clearance issues are cut way down as well, making the motherboard applications more universal.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Laying the TX3 down to get a look at the fin design also shows that while they keep the basics of what makes a cooler good, such as the ability to add a second fan for a push pull fan configuration, or the slight setback in the fins center to allow for better airflow, it can be done on an affordable scale. While keeping things simple yet affective, you can still afford a bit of "bling" with a stamped Cooler Master logo to look at as well.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


I wanted to get closer to the base to show the compatibility of the design. There are drilled and tapped holes for mounting the Intel hardware and a way to mount the AMD locking bar in both directions, unlike most manufacturers of higher dollar coolers.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Flipping to the underside of the base, you can see it was profiled after the heatpipes were inserted. Slightly visible next to the pipes, you can see that Cooler Master applies TIM into the grooves when the pipes are pressed into the aluminium base. Testing against a razor blade, the heatpipes themselves are flat and level with each other, but there are considerable sized gaps between the pipes and the aluminium base. Laying a thin line of TIM on the grooves seemed to fill them nicely during my testing application.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Here we have the uniquely designed fan that accompanies the TX3. You can see the seven blades of the fan have a bit more twist than usual and are unusually wavy on the edges. The overall design leaves you with a fan that runs as low as 800 RPM with 17 dBA of noise. With the PWM control this fan can go as fast as 2800 RPM and push just under 59 CFM. The noise level isn't too bad here either, as you will see in the results.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


I wanted to get a closer look at the blades for two reasons. One is to make sure you could have a clear view of the design. The second reason is to highlight the Cooler Master name placed on a single blade, something I haven't seen from them before.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


I wanted to give you a look at the rear of the fan as I couldn't seem to find 92mm fans listed at Cooler Master's site at this time. If you do care to try the TX3 in a push pull configuration, you are going to need the number just under the logo to use as reference to match the fans.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Laying the fan down got me a much better angle to show the rubber stick-on, anti-vibration pads that Cooler Master has attached to keep the fan from adding any unnecessary noise.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Here we have the Hyper TX3 all set up and ready to install with the LGA775 mounting hardware attached to it. This is in fact the same legs used in the LGA1156 mounting as well. The 92mm fan does an average job of covering all the fin area, not too unexpected in a smaller cooler, though.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


One last look at the hyper TX3 all assembled. This view is to show again the coverage of the fan and how it attaches as well. Simple wire clips that snap into place handle the task here, but they have a bit of a twist, but I will get to that in a bit.

Accessories and Documentation




Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Remove a couple tabs and gently unfold the box, it then opens to reveal all the included hardware that accompanies the Hyper TX3.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Laying all the hardware out for an easier look at what's included; at the top is the two piece AMD mounting mechanism. The reason it is in two pieces is in case your motherboard orientation is 90° out of whack, you can surround the central heatpipe with the bar and run it the other way as well. Just below them are the four LGA775/LGA1156 push-pin mounting legs that get screwed into the base. Below the legs should be eight similar screws for mounting the legs, but for some odd reason I receive six of the correct screws and two that I'm still not too sure what they would go to. Then there is the tube of TIM that Cooler Master sends and lastly the four wire fan mounts.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


At the very bottom of the hardware box is the instruction sheet and the warranty information folded up to fit. The directions are well illustrated and very easy to follow, in eighteen varying languages.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Just in case anyone was confused about the Intel mounting, I mocked this up to aid in an explanation. There are essentially four holes in each leg; depending on which set you match to the base is relevant to LGA1156 on the left and LGA775 on the right.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 i5 CPU Cooler


Now, I have seen many designs on wire fan attachments, but I must say these from Cooler Master are really easy to use based on the fact that the spot you grab onto is so close to the points of most contact of the wires in the fins. Most others place the section in the middle to grab, which isn't very user friendly in my opinion.

Test System &Testing Results


Test System & Test Results

TweakTown uses a different method for testing CPU heatsinks which allows for an even playing field across all product tests. We feel that by using the same ambient temperature and strict lab-like testing procedures we are able to accurately compare one product to another. More information on our testing procedure can be found in the T.E.C.C. article here.



Testing of the TX3 is where I was left a bit surprised. With idle testing and the fan running at around 800 RPM the hyper TX3 still manages to just touch the 60° mark, which isn't setting any records, but still does an adequate job of cooling our rig with a 92mm fan.



Cooler Master only says that the fan is rated at a minimum of 17dBA. Our testing is in dB and usually the numbers are close to double manufacturers specs on our scale. With a 35 dB rating at our idle testing, you can see we are just about on their mark. Load testing wasn't great but a 54 dB rating is very acceptable and with PWM control you most likely won't be running it there too often.

Final Thoughts




I really think Cooler Master has done the right thing here, taking basic ideas and simple design while incorporating it with most of the fine points of a quality cooler and saving the consumer money at the same time. What more could you ask for? The Hyper TX3, while it may be simple in looks and basic design, it gets done what it was set out upon the world to do. 61° Celsius is no small feat in our testing and a quick tour down the list shows that coolers with a much bigger price tag aren't all that much cooler or quieter than the Hyper TX3. Kudos to Cooler Master for coming up with a very affordable option for the masses, as well as being my first look at any i5 solutions!

Good and cheap aren't words that are good at playing well with each other, but I have to say Cooler Master hit this nail right on the head. Releasing a sufficient cooler at a $19.99 USD price point is just icing on the cake. Now don't get me wrong, this is no cooler for extreme overclocking, but to keep up with our T.E.C.C. which loads about the same TDP as the upper echelon of the 125 watt Core i5's I see the TX3 being more than capable to take a fair bit more before temperatures get out of control.

Throughout this review I have been trying to work something into this part, where I usually talk about the downfalls of the packaging or the choice of fans. This time I am left speechless at this point. I really can't honestly knock Cooler Master or the Hyper TX3 for anything. My sample has been a pleasure to use, mount and test, leaving me having to recommend you look deeply into the TX3 for a good budget i5 cooling solution.

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Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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