Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom Review

Performance Analysis

In our LGA1155 test system, the K2 produces full speed and PWM delta T results that are on par with the excellent Noctua NH-D14, which retains an advantage by being slightly quieter in both cases. While impressive, its results still fall short of the Phanteks PH-TC14PE and Thermalright's SilverArrow SB-E Extreme, although the latter is an extremely loud cooler. Using the 7V fan speed adaptor sees the delta T rise to 44°C, which is again impressive given that in this state the cooler is all but silent.

Despite a promising start, performance on our LGA2011 test rig is sadly a little disappointing. At full speed, a result of 48°C is good but not quite as low as we were hoping for, with each of the other large, dual tower coolers able to beat it. Using the 7V cable causes things to heat up dramatically, with our chip reaching within 10°C of its thermal limit and producing a final delta T result of 60°C, which is far worse than the NH-D14 fitted with its own low noise adaptor, which comes out with a delta T of just 49°C. Evidently, the low airflow at this speed is insufficient to handle this toasty, overclocked set-up.

Conclusion

The K2 has lots to boast about both in terms of raw performance and aesthetics, but the Phanteks PH-TC14PE still trumps it on both counts here, although it is slightly more expensive. The similarly priced Noctua NH-D14, however, is its true competition given that it's also geared towards silent operation. This cooler also has a slight edge on Alpenföhn's, especially at lower noise levels where the K2 appears to struggle slightly in more demanding set-ups. Coupled with a few irritations regarding its installation, where Noctua also happens to excel, the K2 just misses the mark when it comes to justifying not only its price, but its massive size and weight too.

That said, the K2 is by no means awful, and adding it to your system would almost certainly give you very healthy CPU temperatures and a low noise output. However, all things considered, it still leaves us wanting a little more.