AnandTech: ASUS Silent Square Pro: Compact Embedded-Fan Heatpipe Tower

Many of the tier-1 motherboard makers produce a large line of computer related parts and peripherals. This is not always well known to buyers around the world since these companies often produce some computer parts for the Asian market only. ASUS is one of the largest motherboard makers in the world, and they also produce cases and CPU coolers that are finally making their way to the US market.

The cooler line ranges from entry-level CPU coolers to heatpipe towers, like the ASUS Silent Square Pro being reviewed today. If you are not familiar with the ASUS cooler line you might be interested in checking out the cooler offerings at ASUS Thermal Solutions. Like the small Asian cars that began appearing in the US in the 1970's, the Silent Square claims it can do the same job as a bigger cooler in a much more compact and well-designed package.

The ASUS Silent Square Pro is a very interesting design in the top-of-the-line Silent Square series. It resembles the Tuniq Tower 120 in concept, in that the cooling fan is embedded in the center of the cooler with cooling fin arrays on both sides. However, the Silent Square uses a smaller 90mm fan compared to the standard 120mm fan used in the Tuniq. As you can see from the comparison photo this makes for a much smaller cooler than the Tuniq. The Tuniq Tower 120 is one of the best performing coolers tested at AnandTech, so the same idea in the smaller ASUS Silent Square Pro definitely generated some interest in our labs.

Silent Square is actually a series of two coolers at ASUS. The core of the Silent Square and the Silent Square Pro are basically the same. The Pro model adds a 2500 RPM fan instead of the 1800 RPM fan used in the Silent Square. Additionally, there is cladding that directs airflow and helps create a distinct appearance for the Pro version. The SS Pro also includes a fan controller that mounts in a 3.5" bay with a blue digital readout of the fan speed. It's a nice touch and a welcome way to vary fan speed.

S.Q.U.A.R.E.

Some readers are probably wondering why ASUS named this cooler the Silent Square since it is most certainly not square in shape. Square is actually an acronym and not a description in ASUS speak. The website defines the meaning and features of SQUARE:

Superior Performance for Overclockers
The Silent Square Pro incorporated a "wave-shaped" double side fin design on both sides of the cooler for larger heat exchange area.

Quick
Five copper heatpipes efficiently transfer heat to the fins, maintaining temperature for high-performance computing.

Universal Application
The Silent Square Pro supports the Intel Core 2 Extreme/Duo and other LGA775 CPUs as well as socket 478 processors; it also supports AMD socket 754/939/940/AM2 CPUs.

Aesthetics
Stylish wave-shaped fins for effective heat dissipation.

Reliable
The fan positioned inside the frame and VRM shield guide cool air to critical components around the CPU for stable operation.

Easy Installation
The patented retention module enables easy installation in three simple steps even without removing the motherboard from the system or memory modules from the board and regardless of the processor platform.

These features set a high bar for the ASUS Silent Square Pro. We have reviewed a number of air coolers that excel in performance for the overclocking enthusiast. Will the more compact ASUS Silent Square join the top ranks of Enthusiast coolers?

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