[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion
Jumping right into the design of the Ar05 and it is definitely a favourable one in my opinion. It is of course designed for compact PC builds and most likely to be used with m-ITX HTPC builds for which it will do the job. It is only 37mm high so it should fit inside almost any case you should come across but at the same time it has a 92mm fan to offer good cooling for its size. The direct contact heatpipes should also help allow for better cooling performance and from an aesthetics standpoint they are very pleasing.
On to the performance and this is where our reviewing standards may be a bit unfair to the AR05. The AR05 is designed for CPUs with a max TDP of 65w, though it does mention on the site if using a higher TDP make sure to have good airflow inside the case. However, when testing CPU coolers I use a 4770K with a TDP of 84w and no other case fans. Even with this being done the AR05 passed our testing procedure, though just barely. While after subtracting the ambient temperature from the CoreTemp reading left us in the mid 70’s, at the point just before stopping the bench marking process CoreTemp was reading 99degrees across 3 cores. This is very close to our 100c cut-off temp but the AR05 ducked under the radar and completed its testing procedure.
As mentioned the AR05 is designed for more compact builds and if you are planning on using it on a 4770k at 100% load I would have to ask you what you are thinking? I have no doubt that when used for its designed purpose the AR05 would function very well and the fact that it is quite quiet bodes well for its overall purpose.
When it comes to value for the money you get what you pay for and SilverStone are delivering on their half of the sale. For £26 you are getting a near silent compact CPU cooler, that while it may be designed for a bit of a niche market it serves its purpose. If you are looking for a cooler that is under 40mm high the AR05 should be on your radar.
I would like to thank SilverStone for sending the AR05 in for review and look forward to seeing more from them in the near future.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
Pros:
– Compact size should fit in almost any case
– Great performance for size
– Aesthetically pleasing design
Cons:
– Could have done with one or two more heatpipes as there is room for them
@play3r Thanks for the review – i have this cooler and it works great in my mini-ITX build (which also uses the ML06-E you reviewed earlier this summe).. Needless to say its a REALLY tight fit getting everything in there. It’s especially cramped now since I installed a GTX 750 Ti by Gigabyte.
Do you think its possible to replace the CPU by removing the heatsink / fan from the top side? I really don’t want to take everything out of the case just to access the back of the mobo.
Always appreciate nice comments, thank you! In regards to your question, you can do it, I rarely remove the backplates when re-applying new thermal paste etc! It will work if the mounting mechanism doesn’t cover the CPU hold down on the motherboard!