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Phononic HEX 2.0 Thermoelectric CPU Cooler, Black

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#1 ·
Phononic HEX 2.0 Thermoelectric CPU Cooler, Black

Description:
HEX 2.0 is a Smart CPU cooler that delivers exceptional on-demand cooling performance and thermal control to meet your computing and gaming needs. The HEX 2.0 is comprised of a proprietary state-of-the art High performance thermoelectric module, combined with an innovative heat exchanger design. The compact design of the HEX 2.0 allows it to comfortably fit into small systems-such as mini-itx-while delivering cooling capacity beyond that of much larger coolers. The active/passive design of the HEX 2.0 minimizes impact on system level power consumption with variable control managed by on-board Smart electronics. Furthermore, the HEX 2.0 provides CPU cooling requiring zero power consumption when the CPU is under low stress, up to a peak power of 35 watts when the CPU is heating up. Hook up the HEX 2.0 to your motherboard using the optional USB interface and unlock custom power Maps, LED configurations, and more.

Details:
DetailValue
BindingPersonal Computers
BrandPhononic
EAN0816789020012
FeatureSmall form Factor high performance
Integrated and swappable 92mm fan
Supports TDP power for over clocking beyond 140W
Low noise design (33 dBA @ max speed)
Active/passive cooling (using our thermoelectric technology)
LabelPhononic
ManufacturerPhononic
ModelHEX 2.0
MPNHEX 2.0
PublisherPhononic
StudioPhononic
TitlePhononic HEX 2.0 Thermoelectric CPU Cooler, Black
UPC816789020012
ColorBlack
Item Height4.92 inches
Item Length3.74 inches
Item Width4.4 inches
Package Height5.2 inches
Package Length13 inches
Package Weight3.7 pounds
Package Width8.9 inches
PackageQuantity1
PartNumberHEX 2.0
ProductGroupPersonal Computer
ProductTypeNameCOMPUTER_COOLING_DEVICE
UPCList - UPCListElement816789020012
Item Weight1.78 pounds
 

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#2 ·
[OCN Labs] Phononic Hex 2.0 by Duality92

review by duality92



The Phononic Hex 2.0, where shoud I start...

I got this CPU cooler from Phononic for review. Usually I just water cool my builds and call it a day, but this cooler changed my view on water cooling, its performance is actually that good. I don't want to wait further in the review to tell you this. Below is my chart for temperature results on my 6600K, which did 4.7 GHz @ 1.488v under load. This chip is delidded with MX-4 and reseal.

Installation of this CPU is the easiest I've dealt with, period, which is the first thing I appreciated of this CPU cooler and was once the reason I hesitated to go with air cooling in the past.

The price is what everything is talking about of this CPU cooler. With an MSRP of $149.99 it's a good investement for a CPU cooler, but I honestly think the product you get is worth this much.

My normal procedure for reviews is to take the product out and test it quickly before to get a first impression, before reboxing and taking picture, it enables me to know what points to focus on, but this cooler is so good, I never put it in box again. I put it in a build for testing, then I just used it on a few builds and will be using it in my next build too.

The single thing I dislike about this cooler is motherboard compatibility. Let's take for example my ASUS Rampage IV Formula below, this was the single only configuration possible and it blocks the first PCIE slot. 90 degree on either side made the heatpipes and fins touch the RAM too much for my liking and a 180 degree rotation would've made the flow opposite to the cases air flow because this CPU cooler needs a specific direction on air flow. These challenges are also present on ITX motherboards.

I would've also like that the heatsink had a bracket on each side available for extra 92mm fans.

The quality of the packaging, the quality of every piece of the product, the performance, the features and software are also excellent and easy to use. My only negative is the compatibility, but this is usually the case with ALL air coolers. Also no coolers can do every single configuration so I can't remove too many points for this.

Spec shet : https://phononic.com/downloads/HEX_2-0_specifications-en.pdf

QfgEo3.png

When we take a look at the 4.7 GHz results, we can see that versus my custom water loop using an AlphaCool XP? Light Nickel paired with AlphaCool ST30 280 and 240 radiators was only 5 degrees cooler with the "Insane Mode". That's quite a feat for a CPU cooler this size.

Looking at power draw, it does draw 22 watts more at that same load from the wall compared to the water cooled setup.

TdZ09a.jpg
AhsaFU.jpg

Here's the link to my build log that will be using the cooler - http://www.overclock.net/t/1625743/build-log-duality92s-rgb-adventure-i7-7700k-matx-rgb-duh-also-heres-an-octopus/0_20

ProsCons
Performance, installation, ++Compatibility

Ratings
Overall4
 
#3 ·
[OCN Labs] Phononic Hex 2.0 by Duality92

review by duality92
From other reviews I've seen of this cooler, it really doesn't hold up in terms of price to performance. There are air coolers less than half the price that are quieter and perform better. Add to that the increased power consumption and heat output, which can be an issue in many sff cases, and that's only place where I see this cooler making sense.

Its interesting because of its performance for its size, but aside from that its all drawbacks. I can imagine a few situations where this cooler might make some sense, some...
 
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