Testing the Domino A.L.C.
To test the CoolIT Domino A.L.C. CPU cooler, we ran through a couple of stress tests and measured the amount of noise generated and heat removed. To place stress on the CPU in short order, we used the program OCCT. This piece of software will place 100% load on multi-core processors with a great deal of ease, and can even add memory into the mix. It also plots temperature and voltage changes on a series of graphs. We pitted the Domino against the stock cooler that comes with our Intel processor.
Thermal Results
When it comes to coolers, the first and biggest thing that matters in most minds is exactly how cool the cooler can make their hardware go. I’m glad to report that even with the CoolIT Domino’s diminutive size, it managed to post some good numbers in the cooling department.
The high setting was of course the best performer in pure numbers, but was less then desirable as a full time setting. The acoustic results will show you what I mean. The low setting, on the other hand, was the opposite. The Domino set to low ran a little hotter then I would have liked, but it was remarkably quiet. Like many of these types of coolers that I’ve tested, the medium setting on the CoolIT Domino seems to be the best balance of performance.
Noise Levels
To test the acoustics of our test rig with the Domino installed, we placed a digital sound meter in the approximate position the average user would be sitting in relation to the computer. We then silenced the room and took a stable measurement of how much sound was being produced. This garnered some interesting results.
This first thing that should be noticeable is exactly why I don’t like the high setting on the CoolIT Domino. To put it simply and in subjective terms, the high setting sounds like a jet engine when compared to the lower settings. Both the sound produced by the medium and low settings gets lost in the overall drone of the case. However, when you have the CoolIT Domino set high, you know it’s set to high. The medium setting is definitely where it’s at, with a decent amount of performance for no more sound then what you’re going to get from the system anyhow.