Arctic Freezer 33 eSports Edition
Review by: Jennifer Griffiths
Video & Testing by: Philip Griffiths
Introduction :
From the time you were a kid; you were told to be cool, keep your cool, stay cool, and even cool it. Today we are going to talk about the last one, “Cool It”. That’s exactly what your PC needs, to be kept cool. In this edition of TFT, we are going to be talking about cooling the CPU. The last thing you need is to overheat. An overly hot PC can cause major issues both with the PC and with the owner being at “meltdown” stage. I will be looking at the Arctic 33 eSports Edition. I want to know if I will be hot and bothered or cool as a cucumber with this product. Last week we did a build for testing a motherboard. We used this cooler on it as well. The results may surprise you.
Manufacturer statement:
Particularly noteworthy is the RAM compatibility of the Freezer 33 eSports Edition. Thanks to the compact dimensions of only 123 mm x 150 mm x 88 mm, there are no restrictions when using RAM modules. Even RAM modules with larger heat sinks can be mounted without any issues and are not blocked by the CPU Cooler.
About ARCTIC:
ARCTIC is a leading manufacturer of silent PC coolers and components and has initiated and sustainably influenced the trend towards quiet cooling systems. Besides a wide range of CPU and GPU coolers, ARCTIC offers high quality monitor mounts as well as an audio product line. The company, run by founder Magnus Huber, has locations in Germany, Hong Kong and the USA and convinces pc enthusiasts in over 45 countries with innovative and user-friendly products, high quality and fair prices. For more than 15 years ARCTIC stands for comfortable computing, excellent service and personal support
Packaging:
Just looking at the outer package of the Arctic 33 eSports Edition from a consumer standpoint, I feel as though I can trust it. It has that “smart” look about it. All the information is clear, and it is well branded. The black and red package stand out and are very appealing. I can see the product in full colour as well, so there is no “oh I thought” when I open the box. I know what I am getting. That is very important. I am also impressed with how clear the relevant information is displayed about what the box contains, the specifications, warranty, and the fact it is easy to read. This was well thought out and marketing can be proud of this.
Unboxing:
The unit is attractive and not far off the size of the box itself. It has 2 x 120 mm fans with push pull configuration. The heat pipes double up as the base of the cooler and contact directly to the CPU. In this area they have a very nice polished look. Very classy and the mark of a quality product. Also, inside, after we get past the cooler itself, we find Plates for AMD and Intel, mounting clips, screws, and MX 4 Arctic paste. I did not see an instruction sheet in mine which I might add would be helpful (this instructions are accseable via a QR code that links to the manual on the website). The dimensions of the unit are 123mm *width* by 150mm *height* by 103mm *depth*. The weight is 80g. While this unit does not have lights on it, that somehow does not annoy me. It is attractive the way it is and face it, some people out there do not want lights on their cooler. For them this is a very attractive option.
Installation:
The Arctic Freezer 33 eSports was easy to install for a large Heat-sink and fan. You have to install a back plate on the motherboard, and add the two metal brackets to thew cooler base that matches the socket type you are using. We found you have to remove the fans (just clipped on) to screw the cooler in correctly. Otherwise for a CPU cooler this was painless and easy to do, but I still prefer paper instructions rather then having to scan a QR code to find what I need.
Testing:
Our testing rig:
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Intel i5 7600K @ 3.8Ghz + 4.6Ghz
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Gigabyte Z270X Ultra Gaming motherboard
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Cooler Master MB500 case
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16 GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 2666 Mhz
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Nvidia Geforce 1060 6GB (Gigabyte Aorus RGB)
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Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite 700W ATX Silent 120mm HDB Fan 80 Plus PSU
We tested these CPU coolers in the computer:
1:) Cooler Master 240 Lite Water-cooler
2:) Intel E97379-001 Stock Cooler (normally comes with i3-i7 CPU's
3:) Xilence M403 Cooler
4:) Arctic Freezer 33 eSports Edition
All of our reviews are tested in real-world conditions. All parts are tested within a case (listed above) and run in an air conditioned 20°C room.
When we tested the Arctic Freezer 33 eSports Edition, we were amazed at the results. Not only did it beat out the Xilence cooler from a previous review (which was a great cooler itself), but, it held its own against the water-cooler by Cooler Master. There were only marginal difference on Idle temperatures on both standard and overclocked CPUs. The load temperature was the same on both standard and Overclocked CPUs as the water-cooler. As for the stock cooler, it goes without saying that it blew the doors off it in all ways. Far superior to stock cooling with the highest notable difference at 18° C on the overclocked CPU Load Temperature. *cooler than stock* Next to its competitor, the Xilence, the highest recorded difference was 4 ° C on Idle Temperatures on both standard and Overclocked CPUs. Next to water-cooling it was only 3 ° C higher on Idle temperature on an overclocked CPU. Load Temperatures on the Overclocked CPU and the standard was the same as water-cooled. Idle temperature was only 2 ° C higher than the water cooler on Idle Temperature on the standard CPU. *See chart for side by side details*
Pricing:
£45.99 RRP
The Price of this item (INC Vat) at Spire is around £38, this would alow you to put a markup of around 18% to sell it at the RRP. Its sold on Amazon for £48.89 at the time of writing.
Suppliers:
Spire
GNR Distribution
Scan
Amazon.co.uk
*Whilst we always encourage you to buy from a distributor rather than Amazon etc, Amazon was listed by Arctic as a supplier of the product in their information about it*
Conclusion:
I am pleased to report the temperatures were kept almost as cool as that of our water cooler. OK, this cooler was noisier than a water cooler of course. But with two fans that was to be expected. It was not so loud that it interfered with normal activity. I would be happy to recommend this cooler to anyone wanting an after market cooler that had no lights but cooled as close to water cooling as possible. Some people still do not like water cooling but would like to get the temperatures or close to it that water cooling offers. In my opinion, this is how you do it. Would I build with it? You bet! Would I recommend it and sell it to my customers? By all means, yes! This is a no-brainer for me. I am very pleased with the product and Arctic can hold their heads high for an awesome product.
Stand out point:
Not only does it look great in a build, it cools like a dream! Very high airflow and does not sound like a train coming through in the process.
Pros:
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Cooling is as close to water-cooling as I have come across.
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Two Fans push/pull action
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Looks good
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Great for people that do not want RGB/LED lights in their case but want style too.
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Clear and easy to read packaging.
Cons:
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Lack of instruction manual in my box. I had to go online for this.
Scores:
Packaging: 5
Value: 5
Ease of Installation: 4
Cooling: 5
They got a Platinum Award
