Test results (dual-fan rigs)

Now let's see how our tiger performs in a dual-fan configuration with an additional Scythe Minebea fan (exhaust).

Chart 11. Temperature readings (CPU core temperature, an additional Minebea fan)

Chart 12. Noise characteristics (additional Minebea fan)

Two fans expectedly contribute to more intensive airflow through the heat sink, providing minimal thermal resistance of the system. However, the combination of thermal and noise results at high fan speed is disappointing rather than inspiring: efficiency is not increased much, but the noise level grows. In fact, the same performance results can be reached by raising rotational speed of a single-fan assembly, it will be less noisy.

And in conclusion of this section we'll have a look at another dual-fan configuration of Siberian Tiger NQ-3580, now with Noctua NF-P12 fans.

Chart 13. Temperature readings (CPU core temperature, Noctua fans)

Chart 14. Noise characteristics (Noctua fans)

This is a more illustrative situation. Efficiency has been apparently increased. However, some dual-fan configurations ruin the balance - as we can see, the twin configuration (700 rpm) is outperformed by a single-fan configuration (900 rpm), generating the same level of noise. As a result, dual-fan assemblies of Siberian Tiger NQ-3580 can be a rational idea only if you deliberately risk raising the noise level in order to reduce operating temperatures by another several degrees. In other cases dual-fan configurations of the system under review make little sense.

Conclusions

We have all reasons to add NorthQ Siberian Tiger NQ-3580 liquid cooling system to the list of promising competitors to the leading premium-class coolers. It can compete with them not only in thermal terms, but what's more important, in ergonomic noise characteristics, proving its status with a balanced combination of High-End efficiency and ergonomic noise level. As a result, the interesting combination of usability and an adequate retail price (below 70-80 euros) makes Siberian Tiger NQ-3580 a good choice for reliable and ergonomic cooling of top quad-core processors for Intel LGA775 and AMD Socket AM2.

Thus, NorthQ Siberian Tiger NQ-3580 gets our Original Design award for its technical properties and functionality.

We want to wish Asetek and NorthQ new achievements in the field of perfecting retail modifications of the LCLC platform. By the way, we'd like to see a multi-block kit for cooling a CPU and a graphics card. Perhaps, it will be also a good idea to offer a special modification for SLI/CrossFire! As for us, we'll keep tabs on this segment.

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