Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO Review

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅25-02-12
Conclusion

It appears to us that Cooler Master have yet another winner on their hands. The Hyper TX3 EVO may not be a great performer but it was never designed to compete with the coolers we have previously tested here at Vortez. And yet, it somehow still managed to effectively cool one of the most power hungry CPUs on the market without failing. Even under the most intense stress tests, the tiny TX3 EVO tamed the wild heat output of the i7 920. Admittedly, the temperatures during those stress tests were much higher than what I am comfortable with but in general usage, the cooler proved perfectly adequate regardless if I was gaming, browsing or watching videos. If the TX3 EVO can handle such heat output, it makes sense that it is even more capable at cooling other CPUs featuring lower TDPs as the original TX3 was designed for, thus making it the perfect solution for small HTPCs. Nonetheless, the EVO’s new support for LGA1366 is still very much welcomed thanks to the vast number of cheap X58 based bundles making their way onto the second hand market.

The Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO has many appealing features. It manages to pack 42 fins in a cooler no taller than 139mm and the fan supports PWM functionality. More importantly, it is priced very attractively at less than £15. The only competition that faces Cooler Master at this segment of the market is Arctic Cooling’s Freezer 7 Pro which likewise features three 6mm heat pipes, 42 fins, a 92mm PWM fan and push pin mounting mechanism. The advantage of the TX3 EVO is its versatility, namely the fact that it can support a second fan and its slightly better pricing.


The downsides of the cooler are very few, sheer performance numbers aside. The noise levels can be quite intrusive at full speed and the push pin mechanism doesn’t inspire the most convincing support despite its lightweight construction. Apart from that, there is little to complain about.

Once again, Cooler Master has taught us that simplicity can pay off not only in performance but in low cost solutions. While many manufacturers chase customers with new ‘innovative’ features which inherently bring in R & D costs into the products, Cooler Master keep to tried-and-tested methods. The Hyper TX3 EVO makes for an excellent compact and budget solution and if users ever want more performance, the rest of the Hyper series remain worthy considerations.

Pros:
+Handles high CPU loads
+Versatile
+Very Cheap
+Bundled PWM fan and support for extra fan
+Support for Intel and AMD sockets including LGA1366
+Memory compatibility
+Size
+Lightweight
+Convenient mounting mechanism

Cons:
-High temperature results under heavy load
-Noise
-Mounting mechanism not robust
-Fairly mundane heatsink aesthetics


The Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO earns our Vortez Bronze Award and the Amazing Value Award.



Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.



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