Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Neo Forza Faye DDR4 64GB 3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Suprim X
– SSD: Crucial p5 500GB
– Mass Storage: Neo Forza NFP075 2 TB
– PSU: Seasonic Prime TX-1000 Platinum
– Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.85.6300
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTest V2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
The IceSLEET G6 Stealth has a good RAM clearance, thanks to two things: the shorter lower fins and the overall design of the heatpipes and heatsink that prevent the cooler from interfering with all four RAM slots. In my testing system, the CPU cooler only covers the first RAM slot of the motherboard.
The PCIe clearance in the case of the IceSLEET G6 Stealth is below average at best, with 10 millimeters of space between the sides of the CPU cooler and the backplate of the graphics card. This was to be expected from such a large CPU cooler.
Final thoughts
The Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET G6 Stealth is not a Noctua killer, however, it is a great alternative to the high end Noctua coolers. It’s cheaper, has the same level of build quality, it’s quiet and easy to install.
The performance of this CPU cooler is great, with a maximum temperature of 87°C, with an 9900K running at 5GHz on all cores. This matches the performance of the DeepCool AK620 or the Noctua NH-U12A.
In terms of the noise, with just a single 140mm fan, the cooler reached a maximum noise output of 39 db. This is quiet for such a large CPU cooler and a fan that spins at a maximum of 1400 RPM.
The mounting system is one of the best on the market, only bested by the Noctua Secu Firm 2 system. Even so, the system used on the IceSLEET G6 Stealth is great, with metal components where it counts and rubber spacers that will grip the backplate studs and not let it slide out. When we talk about the clearance, things are looking good, at least for the RAM clearance. Thanks to the shorter cooling fins on the lower part of the heatsink, you get enough space for normal height RAM modules. However, even with that adjustment on the cooling fins, this is a big CPU cooler and it will cover the first RAM slot.
The clearance for the graphics card is below average, with barely any space under the CPU cooler. This is an issue for many large air CPU coolers, as you need a lot of surface area to dissipate all the heat efficiently.
There are two drawbacks with this CPU cooler, first, the mounting system for the 140mm fan is good and can accommodate different fans. However, it is still a bespoke system that is made from plastic, which can break with time. Not only that but you cannot use multiple fans with this CPU cooler due to the shape of the heatsink.
The second drawback is the sheer size of the cooler, while smaller than the offerings from Noctau or Thermalright or even DeepCool in some cases, the Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET G6 Stealth is big. Thus, you must keep this in mind when choosing the rest of your components, especially RAM modules.
In conclusion, the Iceberg Thermal IceSLEET G6 Stealth is a great air CPU cooler. It is well made and well designed, with nothing left to chance. The performance is great, especially since this CPU cooler uses a single 140mm fan for its active cooling. The mounting system is well made, it’s easy to work with and makes the installation procedure a breeze.
The only drawbacks of this CPU cooler are the size and the bespoke fan mounting system which can break in time.
