SilverStone AR01 V3 CPU Air Cooler Review

David_Schroth

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Introduction



Image credit: SilverStone



Today marks the first time we will be using our new Air Cooling test platform. This platform is built around Ryzen 7 2700X processor with a manufacturer claimed TDP of 105W. This should provide a reasonable usage case that we are likely to see with some of today’s most demanding air-cooled CPU coolers. So, on the bench today is the SilverStone AR01 V3 (SST-AR01-V3) which is part of SilverStone’s Argon series and it is cobranded with the ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance. Per SilverStone, there are no performance differences between the V2, V2.1, and V3 of the...
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*edit* I'm glad you have the 212 reference point in there- super helpful~!

I had originally posted not having seen Page 3. Will be nice as more coolers get filled in on that chart. Should get a Wraith and a few other pretty standard coolers in there (even if you don't do full review writeups)

Installation notes are nice, as that varies a lot between coolers. Some are a total PITA, others are pretty easy, this one looked on the easier side!
 
Brian_B said:
Installation notes are nice, as that varies a lot between coolers. Some are a total PITA, others are pretty easy, this one looked on the easier side!
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I agree. Looks to be a fairly easy install.
 
Brian_B said:
*edit* I'm glad you have the 212 reference point in there- super helpful~!

I had originally posted not having seen Page 3. Will be nice as more coolers get filled in on that chart. Should get a Wraith and a few other pretty standard coolers in there (even if you don't do full review writeups)

Installation notes are nice, as that varies a lot between coolers. Some are a total PITA, others are pretty easy, this one looked on the easier side!
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I spent so much time getting the test platform figured out for holding clock and power levels steady that I was ready to get it out the door. Just like with the aios, the chart will grow with each successive review.
 
Thanks @David_Schroth for the review.

As someone still on air, and relatively new 3700x(almost 1 year now) owner, I'm always keen on what's out there. This may not be great for max OC but at around $43 it's a good deal for someone more interested in a budget design along with silence.
 
Cute little guy. But I think the price is too high.
 
Nice cooler. But these days... I think AIO's are finally gaining market segment share among enthusiasts. BUT... young tech nerds with tighter budget need options too and that is exactly what this gives! I approve!!
 
stinger608 said:
Yeah, it should be around the $30 mark. Kind of like the original Hyper 212 was.
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I paid $50 for a Hyper 212 Plus back in 2012 and $35 for the Hyper 212 EVO (seems to be the going price today) earlier this year for the comparison to the AR01. To me, the AR01 is on the same level of performance to the EVO, but you pay extra for that performance at a lower noise level. I didn't need the decibel meter to tell me that the AR01 was quieter when the fans were running at full speed - the choice becomes whether that's worth the extra $8 when picking between the two.
 
David_Schroth said:
I didn't need the decibel meter to tell me that the AR01 was quieter when the fans were running at full speed - the choice becomes whether that's worth the extra $8 when picking between the two.
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The Hyper 212 was the 'done' choice back when a four core CPU was top-end; now that we can shove high-clocked, high core-count CPUs in the same form factor, a bit of refinement is definitely appreciated!
 
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