Arctic Freezer 4U-OneX Performance with an Ampere AmpereOne A192-32X Noise
We are using the high-TDP Ampere AmpereOne A192-32X. This 192-core CPU is a 400W TDP part. As a result, the cooling for it takes careful consideration. At idle, we were in the 49C range in terms of package temps.
Under load, we were only getting into the 59-60C range, and it just sat there when we hit the 20-minute mark. As a point of comparison, the Dynatron 3U unit was already at 67C after a minute and hit 71C. You could argue that these chips are unlikely to run 100% across all cores. What seems clear, however, is that the much larger 4U heatsink and dual fans are performing better.
Arctic Freezer 4U-OneX Performance with an Ampere AmpereOne A192-32X Noise
Just to give you some sense of noise, running at idle, we measured 35dba at 1m in our 34dba noise floor studio. That was not bad at all.
Under load, we were in the 38-40dba range, which is great. This is notably quieter with the 4U cooler versus the 3U cooler we used in our original review of this motherboard.
Final Words
There are only so many coolers available for AmpereOne, especially if you are building your own system. Most servers will come with their own passive heatsinks designed specifically for their server. For those buying motherboards like the ASRock Rack AMPONED8-2T BCM, and who want to build their own servers, this seems to be the winner if you can fit a 4U cooler. If you can only fit a 3U cooler, the Dynatron worked. Also, it would have been nice if the thermal paste and pads were pre-applied since that would make installation safer and easier on a bare CPU package die, as AmpereOne uses.
Overall, the 4U-OneX provided great cooling, comparatively low noise, and a very reasonable price. It would have been nice if the TIM had been pre-applied, as that would have saved time during installation, but at $58, we can live with that.
Where to Buy
Here is an Amazon Affiliate Link to where you can purchase one of these.
