Performance

The inability for the Black Edition to be installed in the optimal configuration in our test bench is sure to skew testing numbers slightly, particularly in the RAM temperature results. Still, with that under consideration, The Black Edition nearly equaled our other seven heat pipe behemoth thus far and with 300 grams less bulk to boot. The RAM temperatures are less then spectacular but this is mostly because of the lack of air being moved across the heat spreaders during the test. Noise was another pleasant surprise with nearly equal averages to its direct competition.

When it comes to the real world test the suboptimal positioning begins to show more. In these tests the video card generates more heat than during the peak test and with the fan sucking air right off that cards PCB you can start to understand why the cooler falls off in performance. Still the issue is one with space so the Black Edition is not fully without blame on this handicap.