Introduction

First off, let me clear the air a bit as to what I am seeing asked around in many forums. Phanteks is its own entity and has no affiliation with Noctua or the parent company, Rascom. While the basic concept and design of this cooler is based heavily on the already famous D-14, there are no ties between it and what we are about to look at from Phanteks. Phanteks actually looked beyond the limits that Noctua set with the D-14 and into every possible way to improve on the basic concept. This attention to detail and from what I am told and by the literature on their site, Phanteks backs this cooler with one of the best warranties on the planet. Not only does this product carry a 5 year warranty, but if an issue arises within the first year of ownership, Phanteks offers a full on advanced RMA. They will send you a replacement cooler along with a return shipping label to return your ill fated original cooler.

This moves us into the mentality of Phanteks and what their bottom line goal is in today's market. Through various emails about the warranty conditions and all the finer points of the cooler, I did get a bit of a bottom line statement. I was told the goal here is to offer premium quality cooling, with a warranty that will put any buyer at ease as they click the "add to cart" button. Taking a basic aluminum cooler and slapping some fans on it is something that anyone can do really, but it takes things like a huge feature set, terrific aesthetic appeal and the knowledge that I know I can take the cooler from one build to another with superior universal mounting, and in this instance five years in which to reap the benefits of this cooler under warranty.

Today we are going to get up close and personal with one of the four PH-TC14PE coolers being sold. More specifically, we are going to test the PH-TC14PE_BL, or an electric blue colored version. Let me set the stage a bit here. Not only did I get the PH-TC14PE and its pair of included fans, Phanteks also sent along a third fan that matches the two supplied in the box, but in its own retail packaging. So right when you thought the D-14 made a motherboard disappear, just wait until you see the PH-TC14PE with three fans installed on my GIGABYTE later in the review! This cooler may be massive, but as you will see as we continue on, it offers plenty more than the average contender in almost every aspect.

Grab a beverage and get comfortable as I take you through one of my longest CPU cooler reviews I have ever written. This venture will go through everything from some new features specific to Phanteks coolers, the unique fans used with this cooler and some really interesting three fan cooling results. For those looking to find the best that air cooling has to offer, sit tight and have a detailed look at what I am about to bring to you. Phanteks has impressed me with what I have seen in the PH-TC14PE and I think you will be just as impressed as I am by the time I am done!