With the Apache EP-CD901 we have the next Xigmatek CPU cooler in our test lab. The Apache is a good looking little thing that is also very cheap. Because of its compact design there also shouldn't be any issues with installing it on not so well designed mainboards or small cases like HTPCs.The still young company XIGMATEK which was founded in 2005 is focussed on manufacturing producs for the "IT thermal industry". What they actually produce are for example affordable coolers which can cope with the best on the market.
On the following pages we will show you what the Apache EP-CD901 is capable of.
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Specifications and included in delivery
Specifications
| Model | Apache EP-CD901 |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Dimension (WxDxH) | 112x110x57mm |
| Cooling area | ca. 500 cm2 |
| Fan dimensions | 92 x 25 mm |
| RPM | 1200 - 2500 RPM +/-10% |
| Acoustic pressure | < 28dB +/-10% |
| Connector | 4-Pin |
| Power consumption | 2.16 Watt |
| Flow rate | 61.25 CFM |
| Weight | 285g |
Included in delivery
- CPU cooler with 92 mm fan
- Mounting kit for Socket AM2, 939, 940, 745 and 775
- Mounting components
- Thermal grease
- Manual (en)
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Construction and design
Construction
Xigmateks Apache EP-CD901 is made entirely of aluminium. The cooler consists of 58 fins and they are compressed and planed that they build the ground plate. On top you'll find a 92 mm fan that does 2500 rpm at 12 volts.
You can clearly see the construction where the fins are compressed to form the ground plate.
A clip to install the cooler on an AMD mainboard is already attached. If you want to install the Apache EP-CD901 on an Intel mainboard you'll use the same clip.
Design
To enlarge the cooling area one can find waves on the fins.
The fan which is 92 mm in diameter looks nice in its transparent orange. On the upside a top-flow cooler has capabilities to vent the the area around it but as a downside it won't support the thermals in your computer case.
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Mounting
To put the Apache on a socket 775 mainboard you'll need to install a retention frame which is included in the delivery. Afterwards you can install it by using the integrated clip. Once installed one can move the cooler round its axis of rotation with relatively less force. The means that the contact pressure isn't as high as you'll expect it to be.
Installing the retention frame via push pins is very easy and it fits perfectly.
On a socket 775 mainboard you can install the Apache EP-CD901 in four different directions.
Because of the preinstallt retention fram on an AMD based mainboard you can mount the cooler only in two different directions.
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Testsystem and testroutine
Testsystem
| Mainboard | Gigabyte X48-DS5 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Quad QX6800 |
| Memory | Kingston KHX 8500 D2K2 DDR2 |
| Hard disk | Maxtor 160 GByte |
| Power supply | OCZ 520 Watt |
| Thermal grease | Arctic Silver 5 |
Testroutine
In our tables we mention absolute temperatures as well as the temperature difference between CPU core and environment temperature. We further provide subjective information about the noise level of the fan the cooler comes with.
The noise level we classify as follows: very silent, silent, audible, noisy and very noisy.
The CPU temperature we evaluate with Real Temp and with Prime95 we reach a 100% CPU load.
Futher we test the different fans with different voltages and under different conditions. After one hour warm-up we perform three test runs where every single one takes one hour:
- Standard clock 12 volts load
- Standard clock 6 volts load
- Overclocking 12 volts load
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Results standard clock (2.93 GHz) 12 volts
| Cooler / fan | Temp. diff. load | Absolute temp. | RPM | Noise | Price | Review link |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Silent 12PWM Fan | 44 K | 68 °C | 1450 | audible | unknown | GELID Silent 12PWM |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Wing12 Fan | 44 K | 68 °C | 1600 | audible | unknown | GELID Wing 12 UV Blue |
| Noctua NH-U12P standard | 46 K | 70 °C | 1350 | silent | CHF 101.- | Noctua NH-U12P |
| Xigmatek Achilles S1284C | 47 K | 68 °C | 1550 | silent | CHF 65.- | Xigmatek Achilles S1284C |
| Noctua NH-U9B standard | 51 K | 75 °C | 1750 | audible | CHF 94.- | Noctua NH-U9B |
| Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 | 51 K | 74 °C | 2120 | very noisy | CHF 74.- | Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition | 52K | 75 °C | 1400 | audible | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner | 57 K | 80 °C | 1100 | silent | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner |
| Gelid Silent Spirit | 59 K | 83 °C | 2500 | noisy | EUR 27 USD 35 | Gelid Silent Spirit |
| Zerotherm BTF-90 | 59 K | 72 °C | 2700 | noisy | CHF 49.- | |
| Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 | >80 K (crash) | >100 °C (crash) | 2570 | noisy, hum | CHF 19.- | Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 |
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Results standard clock 6 volts
| Cooler / fan | Temp. diff. load | Absolute temp. | RPM | Noise | Price | Review link |
| Noctua NH-U12P standard | 49 K | 73 °C | 1000 | very silent | CHF 101.- | Noctua NH-U12P |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Silent 12PWM Fan | 50 K | 74 °C | 1050 | silent | unknown | GELID Silent 12PWM |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Wing12 Fan | 50 K | 74 °C | 1100 | very silent | unknown | GELID Wing 12 UV Blue |
| Xigmatek Achilles S1284C | 55 K | 76 °C | 1000 | silent | CHF 65.- | Xigmatek Achilles S1284C |
| Noctua NH-U9B standard | 57 K | 81 °C | 1450 | silent | CHF 94.- | Noctua NH-U9B |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition | 60 K | 83 °C | 950 | silent | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition |
| Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 | 61 K | 85 °C | 970 | silent | CHF 74.- | Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner | 62 K | 85 °C | 900 | silent | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner |
| Zerotherm BTF-90 | 65 K | 82 °C | 1200 | audible | CHF 49.- | |
| Gelid Silent Spirit | 71 K | 95 °C | 1900 | audible | EUR 27 USD 35 | Gelid Silent Spirit |
| Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 | >80 K (crash) | >100 °C (crash) | 1540 | audible | CHF 19.- | Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 |
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Results overclocking (3,66 GHz) 12 volts
| Cooler / fan | Temp. diff. load | Absolute temp. | RPM | Noise | Price | Review link |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Silent 12PWM Fan | 48 K | 72 °C | 1450 | audible | unknown | GELID Silent 12PWM |
| Noctua NH-U12P with GELID Wing12 Fan | 48 K | 72 °C | 1600 | audible | unknown | GELID Wing 12 UV Blue |
| Noctua NH-U12P standard | 51 K | 75 °C | 1350 | silent | CHF 101.- | Noctua NH-U12P |
| Noctua NH-U9B standard | 54 K | 78 °C | 1750 | audible | CHF 94.- | Noctua NH-U9B |
| Xigmatek Achilles S1284C | 56 K | 77 °C | 1550 | silent | CHF 65.- | Xigmatek Achilles S1284C |
| Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 | 56 K | 80 °C | 2100 | very noisy | CHF 74.- | Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition | 57 K | 80 °C | 1400 | audible | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner Blue Edition |
| EKL Gross Clock'ner | 61 K | 84 °C | 1100 | silent | CHF 59.- | EKL Gross Clock'ner |
| Gelid Silent Spirit | 64 K | 88 °C | 2500 | noisy | EUR 27 USD 35 | Gelid Silent Spirit |
| Zerotherm BTF-90 | 64 K | 76 °C | 2700 | noisy | CHF 49.- | |
| Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 | >80 K (crash) | >100 °C (crash) | 2570 | noisy | CHF 19.- | Xigmatek Apache EP-CD901 |
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Conclusion
With the Apache EP-CD901 Xigmatek presents a very cheap and good looking cooler which unfortunately has a limited cooling capacity. As we were able to see a Quad Core CPU cannot be held at adequate temperatures with the Apache but if you otherwise want to cool a Dual Core CPU with 65 watt of dissipation power of less, the Apache is an alternative to Intels boxed cooler for a very competitive price.
Installing the cooler is very easy. Xigmateks push pins are a comfortable and elegant way to mount the retention frame. We can't get rid of the feeling that the contact pressure is too low.
It was interesting to find out that the fins close to the fan were cold despite the very high core temperatures. After shutting the system down it only took a few seconds until the whole cooler was very hot. This fact lets us conclude that the heat transport doesn't work properly.
Subjectively we categorise the fan as noisy and the hum which comes from the ball bearings is irritating. In a worst case scenario the hum will be amplified via a computer cases mainboard tray.
We can recommend Xigmateks Apache EP-CD901 top-flow cooler as a very well priced but only optical upgrade to the standard Intel boxed cooler. In a HTPC containing a CPU that doesn't produce more than 65 watts of dissipation power the Apache could also be an alternative.
If you are looking for a silent PC or you want to overclock your rig you'll need a cooler with much more cooling capacity.
You can buy the Xigmatek H.D.T. S1284A Achilles for CHF 65.- at Digitec.ch.
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Author: i.gigier@ocaholic.ch Revised by: m.buechel@ocaholic.ch