Max. TDP
The maximum TDP provided by the cooling system. Note that this parameter is indicated only for solutions equipped with heatsinks (see "Type"); for separately made fans, the efficiency is determined by other parameters, primarily by the air flow values (see above).
TDP can be described as the amount of heat that a cooling system is able to remove from a serviced component. Accordingly, for the normal operation of the entire system, it is necessary that the TDP of the cooling system is not lower than the heat dissipation of this component (heat dissipation data is usually indicated in the detailed characteristics of the components). And it is best to select coolers with a power margin of at least 20 – 25% — this will give an additional guarantee in case of forced operation modes and emergency situations (including clogging of the case and reduced air exchange efficiency).
As for specific numbers, the most modest modern cooling systems provide TDP
up to 100 W, the most advanced —
up to 250 W and even
higher.
Fan thickness
This parameter must be considered in the context of whether the fan will fit into the computer case. Standard case fans are available in the order of 25 mm in thickness. Low-profile coolers with a thickness of about 15 mm are designed for small-sized cases, where saving space is extremely important. Fans of large thickness (30-40 mm) boast high cooling efficiency due to the increased impeller dimensions. However, they are noisier than standard models at the same speed and do not always fit into the case normally, sometimes touching other components.
RAM space
The height of the space for RAM (random access memory) provided by the design of the cooling system.
Such a space is found predominantly in processor systems (see "Purpose"). Modern CPU coolers can be very large, and when installed, they often cover the RAM slots closest to the processor. This can be avoided by making the design narrow enough — however, this, in turn, negatively affects efficiency. That's why many manufacturers use another option — they don't limit the width of the cooler, but place its components at a high height, allowing you to place RAM bars of a certain height under them. Sometimes a special cutout is even made at the bottom of the radiator, which further increases the available space. And in this paragraph, the maximum height of the bar that can be placed under the cooling system is indicated.
Display
Remote or built
-in information display in the design of the cooling system. The screen is used to display information about temperature, fan speed, voltage, etc. In advanced implementations, the display can be used to control cooling parameters to ensure optimal system performance and stability.
Lighting
The presence
of its own illumination in the design of the cooling system.
The backlight serves a purely aesthetic function — it gives the device a stylish appearance that blends well with other components in the original design. Thanks to this, such cooling systems are especially appreciated by gamers and fans of external PC modding — especially since the lighting can be different, and the most advanced models even provide backlight synchronization with other components (see below). On the other hand, this function does not affect the efficiency and performance, and the overall cost is inevitably affected, sometimes quite noticeably. Therefore, if the appearance does not play a fundamental role for you, the best choice, most likely, will be
a cooling system without backlight.
Lighting colour
The colour of the backlight installed in the cooling system.
See above for more details on the backlight itself. Also note here that in the illumination of modern cooling systems there is both one colour (most often
red or
blue, less often
green,
yellow,
white or
purple), and multi-colour systems such as
RGB and
ARGB. The choice of a single-colour backlight depends mainly on aesthetic preferences, but the last two varieties should be touched upon separately.
The basic principle of operation of both RGB and ARGB systems is the same: the design provides for a set of LEDs of three basic colours — red (Red), green (Green) and blue (Blue), and by changing the number and brightness of the included LEDs, you can not only intensity, but and tint of light. The difference between these options differs in functionality: RGB systems support a limited set of colours (usually up to one and a half dozen, or even less), while ARGB allows you to choose almost any shade from the entire available colour range. At the same time, both of them can support backlight synchronization (see below); in general, this function is not required for RGB and ARGB systems, but it is used almost exclusively in them.
Lighting sync
Backlight synchronization technology, provided in the cooling system with built-in lighting (see above).
Synchronization itself allows you to "match" the cooling backlight with the backlight of other system components — the motherboard, processor, graphics card, case, keyboard, mouse, etc. Thanks to this matching, all components can change colour synchronously, turn on / off at the same time, etc. The specific features of the operation of such a backlight depend on the synchronization technology used, and, usually, each manufacturer has its own (Aura Sync for Asus, RGB Fusion for Gigabyte, etc.). The compatibility of the components also depends on this: they must all support the same technology. So the easiest way to achieve backlight compatibility is to collect components from the same manufacturer. However, among the cooling systems there are solutions of the multi compatibility format — compatible with several synchronization technologies at once; a specific compatibility list is usually indicated in the detailed specifications of such models.
Manufacturer's warranty
Manufacturer's warranty provided for this model.
In fact, this is the minimum service life promised by the manufacturer, provided that the operating rules are followed. Most often, the actual service life of the device turns out to be significantly longer than the guaranteed one. Among the modest indicators there are
models with a 1-year or
2-year warranty, more serious models already have
a 3-year warranty, and the most confident manufacturers give
a 5-year or even
6-year warranty.
Dimensions
General dimensions of the cooling system. For water systems (see "Type"), this paragraph indicates the size of the external radiator (the dimensions of the water block in such devices are small, and there is no need to specify them in particular).
In general, this is a fairly obvious parameter. We only note that for case fans (see ibid.), the thickness is of particular importance — it directly depends on how much space the device will take up inside the system unit. At the same time, it is customary to refer to
fans with a thin case for models in which this size does not exceed 20 mm.