System configuration :

• CPU: Core 2 Duo E6400
• Motherboard: Asus P5B
• RAM: OCZ PC2-7200 Special Edition
• HDD: Samsung 160JJ SATA2
• VGA: Gecube Radeon X800GTO3
• PSU: Spire Rocketeer VI 600W

I decided to test the cooler by using the included thermal grease. We placed a layer on the CPU and left the system working in order for the thermal paste to stabilize for about 24 hours. Since the OCZ Tempest cooler does not support any kind of fan speed control on its own, we took thermal readings at the maximum operational speed only. CPU load was achieved by running Prime95 torture test (blend) and Super Pi simultaneously for 30 minutes. The idle temperature measurements were noted after the system was resting at the windows desktop for 30 minutes. Ambient temperature is maintained (as accurately as possible) at 26 degrees Celsius at the time of the test. SpeedStep is disabled.

Test results:

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The ambient temperature at the time of the test was 24 Celsius degrees. While the performance of the OCZ Tempest is not such for us to consider it class leading, it is still very good and much better than the stock cooler. The stock cooler fails to keep the CPU working in a safe temperature threshold when over clocked. Although the Core 2 Duo Allendale core becomes a thermal monster when overvolted, the Tempest can still keep it within a safe temperature range. While the processor was not highly over clocked we enabled the fan control in the BIOS (silent mode) and this rendered the cooler inaudible. It became audible when the processor was working over 2.8GHz, which is already a decent over clock for an Allendale core.