Arctic Freezer 4U-SP5 Review

Layout, design and features …

The Arctic Freezer 4U-M server cooler is already a real rock, but for the highest possible cooling performance, Arctic has added 5 more cooling fins to the Freezer 4U-SP5, which ultimately results in 62 0.4 mm thick aluminum plates. The fact that the Freezer 4U-SP5 weighs just under 240 grams more than the Freezer 4U-M is due to the fact that the cooling plates now have almost straight edges on all sides, thus creating more cooling surface. For optimum airflow throughout the entire cooling tower, the side edges of the cooling fins have been folded back to form a tunnel for the cooling air.

A whopping 10 heatpipes with a diameter of 6mm transport the heat directly from the processor’s heatspreader to the cooling fins. Thanks to their bevel, they have extensive contact with the heat source and suck the heat out of the processor – more is simply not possible.

The two new 120mm fans, which are clipped onto the powerful cooling tower in a push-pull arrangement, ensure final heat dissipation. At up to 3300 rpm, they reach a significantly higher speed than those of the Freezer 4U-M, which means that the Freezer 4U-SP5 can also significantly increase the cooling airflow through the cooler if required. As we all know, noise plays little or no role in the server sector. After all, the existing performance of the processor should be utilized and not have to be reduced due to a lack of cooling.

With a power consumption of 0.29A each, the 5-bladed 120mm fans are by no means power guzzlers, but remain very frugal despite their high performance. To ensure a long service life even at high speeds, Arctic has equipped the fans with double ball bearings, which should ensure reliability even in 24/7 operation over several years. However, with their specially designed frames, the fans are not interchangeable with standard fans, but this should not normally be an issue. Fortunately, a splitter has also been integrated into one of the two fan cables so that only one fan connection is required on the mainboard for both fans.

This makes mounting the fans all the easier, as they only need to be attached to the cooling tower. The two pressure-optimized fans operate in push-pull mode to ensure a powerful airflow through the heat sink. To ensure that all the air flows completely through the cooler, the cooling fins have been folded over at the sides to form a closed wall and the special fan frames additionally enclose the cooling tower. When fully assembled, the Freezer 4U-SP5 clearly shows that it was developed for larger tasks.

The workmanship of the Freezer 4U-SP5 is absolutely flawless. The cooling fins sit tightly on the heatpipes – nothing wobbles or rattles. The two fans on the large cooling tower sit just as securely. Finally, the cooler has to be attached to the mainboard with 6 Torx screws, for which Arctic even includes the right tool and two tubes of the high-performance MX-6 thermal compound. This leaves nothing to be desired.

Arctic Freezer 4U-SP5 Result and general impression …