Enermax's ETS T-40 T.B. SILENCE and why you need to know about it (outperforms Hyper 212+ for less)

NOTICE to those who are considering their purchase after reading this: the T.B. SILENCE is between 1 and 1.5mm taller.  This may be highly insignificant and probably not a game changer in any way but I just thought I'd let you know.

The situation:
The Coolermaster Hyper 212+ costs $27 shipped on Newegg

The Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO costs more, at $35 shipped.

Both are popular and are recommended often - way too often.  And neither are really the best for price anymore.  Not too long ago the Hyper 212+ actually rose in price to $50.  I think it was during the summer, but surely it was a ridiculous raise to take advantage of an uninformed market; several were buying it anyway and still calling it "good for price" - when you could buy a Scythe Mugen 2 for less and run cooler and faster.

Enter the Enermax ETS T-40 T.B. SILENCE - a Hyper 212 EVO killer at a Hyper 212 Plus price of $34 shipped APR 19: this baby is $25 shipped until APR 25, you have no excuse!:

So what? Performance?

Lower average, lower delta.  This is a Hyper 212 EVO review and it shows that it is outperformed by the T40.  There's at least 4C of a difference (maybe 5C!) there!  I'm not sure if this is actually the T.B. Silence, the T.A. or the VD but the T40 coolers are exactly the same except for fan - and the T.B. Silence has the best fan out of all three.

Here's a second review.  A variant called the ETS-T40-VD is outperforming the 212 EVO in Delta.  Again, the T40-VD is the same as the T.B. Silence except that it has a less powerful fan than the TB Silence and still outperforms the 212 EVO.  (Although that less powerful fan does have nice LEDs on it!)

Click the next page to see overclocked CPU temperature results.  The T-40-VD still just about catches up.  The T-40 T.B. Silence would be level with the 212 series coolers or performing better.

The TB Silence's fan vs the VD's fan both pushes more CFM (86.7 vs 76 - 212 EVO is 82CFM) and static pressure (2.41mm vs 2.28mm H20 - Hyper 212 EVO is 1.7mm H20; the Hyper 212 PLUS fan actually has a higher 3.9mm H20 static pressure but this does not mean it outperforms in a significant way (see review above)); lastly, it makes less noise (21dba vs 26dba - for comparison the 212 EVO is rated at 36dba and the 212 PLUS's at 32dba).  The T.B. Silence's fan consistently outperforms the 212 EVO's and the 212 Plus's.

The ETS T.40 TB outperforms the 212 EVO while also making much less noise.

Seriously, guys.  It costs the same as the Hyper 212 Plus!

EDIT: Actually all fans on the T40 are Twister bearing fans.  The T.B. Silence's is just optimized as such so that it's quieter and moves more air than the other two variants (the T.A. and VD) which use LED fans.

Conclusion

This is a Hyper 212 killer!

I'm not being hired by Enermax to do this for any reason, this is something I'm making a recommendation for on my own accord.  This needs to be known, and the Hyper 212 recommendation era immediately has to end.  I've noticed that it has become a standard for most people on OCN.  "Need a cooler?  Get a Hyper 212 Plus!"  The ignorance of competitive options needs to end now.  Consider the possibilities.

I rarely recommend the Hyper 212 series myself nowadays with the improvements in competition.  At NCIX however the Hyper 212 Plus is still $23, shipped on an order above $50.  I might recommend it from there occasionally.

For most situations it is a much better value and of course it's always good to try new things.  Don't be close-minded about the T40.  This is an excellent cooler for price and you'll get a better value out of buying this than a 212+ at the moment, except at NCIX.  The T.B. in it stands for Twister Bearing fan - there aren't many around but what's true about them is that they provide good airflow at virtually no noise.  I think Enermax patented them, hence why you don't see other brands using Twister Bearing fans.  I first heard of them from a local friend, who apparently had several.

The Hyper 212 + had it's day; now it's over.  The competition has improved to become better for price.  Stop treating the Hyper 212 series as if it were a standard, and stop recommending it so often.

I've been wanting to do this for awhile actually just could never muster the time nor the excuse to put it together.

One summer ago or so... it may have been either due to demand patterns or to take advantage of an uninformed market, but the 212+ actually dared raise in price to $50 + shipping.  At that point you could get a Scythe Mugen 2 (HUGE step up!) for less.  People still bought the 212+ ._. and on Newegg's reviews and such, called it "excellent for price" at $50 + shipping.  It was a terrible era T_T

It's not a bad heatsink at all and I've recommended it to my friends when NCIX dropped it to $19.99.  It's not a standard though ._. and we need to make this known