So, let’s get down to installation. The Skivestream III comes with a small sheet explaining how to install the cooler and it had a coating of thermal paste already applied to the bottom of the heat sink. Everyone has their own opinion of thermal paste. Personally, we tend to take the stock paste off of a new cooler and apply our own so that we can level the playing field as much as possible. The good news here is that the stock paste came off very easily and without much of a mess.
Installation was a snap. The clips went on easily and hooked onto all 3 socket lugs with a bit of help from a screwdriver. We are always happy to see a cooler make use of all 3 socket lugs. With a little caution, there should be no problems for even the newest modder to install this cooler with ease.
Apply thermal paste, attach cooler with clips, and plug in the wire to the motherboard. That’s it. No extra wires to clutter up the interior of your case, just quick and clean. One thing to point out is that this fan does not have a fan speed controller, so it is always running at its maximum speed. Of course, most companies that include a controller do so based on the fact that their cooler fan makes an excessive amount of noise. In the case of the Skivestream III, the cooler could not be heard over the ambient sound of the case, thereby making a controller irrelevant.
We ran this cooler using the Sandra burn in wizard for 30 minutes straight and then compared the results with one of our stock coolers. As you can see, the Skivestream III performs quite well against a stock cooler, especially under load.
Overall, this cooler is a nice little replacement for the stock cooler that comes with your cpu. It’s quiet, it looks great and it does a good job of moving heat away from your cpu. If you are into overclocking this may not be the cooler for you though. A heavily overclocked cpu will produce temperatures higher then this cooler can safely dissipate.
This being said, this is one of the best looking coolers on the market today. It doesn’t glow, flash or do anything else distracting. Simply plug it in, power it up and let it do its thing. This cooler doesn’t need to distract the viewer with bells and whistles. It looks great just sitting there. This is a well made unit and it should suit the needs of an average to moderate user and look good while doing it.
Pros:
• Nice solid clip
• Extremely quiet
• Only one wire to attach
• Looks great
• Comes with a fan guard
Cons:
• Average cooling (Not for the overclocking crowd)
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