Today we are continuing our testing of the primary line of CPU coolers from Raijintek. In previous reviews we’ve already covered the low-profile Pallas and the smaller tower cooler dubbed the Themis Evo. Both of these coolers performed well, with the Pallas being our favorite thus far. We’ve been testing these coolers in order of size, working our way up to their monster cooler, the Nemesis. Today we look at the third out of four samples sent to us for testing, the Ereboss.
Installation:
My test system uses the Asus M5A99FX Pro motherboard coupled with a Phenom II 1100T processor and 4GB of Corsair Dominator RAM. The combination of heatsinks on the this board and on the memory serve to test clearance issues on most coolers. If it will fit in this setup, chances are it will fit in yours but as always, your own research is strongly recommended.
As mentioned, mounting for the Ereboss is again exactly the same as both the Pallas and the Themis Evo. Raijintek is consistent here if nothing else. I appreciate the efficiency; if it works leave it alone.
Our test system uses Corsair Dominator memory with the tall heat sinks installed to thoroughly test cooling systems for clearance issues. Unfortunately, I ran into the same clearance issues with the Ereboss that I had with the Themis Evo. Once the heat sinks were removed there was plenty of vertical clearance on the memory. Owners of tall RAM be warned.
When installing the Ereboss onto our test board, I was very happy to see that the team at Raijintek is still keeping the user in mind regarding access. The cutout in the side of the fins as well as the hexagonal hole in the center are both there for access to the final mounting screws, and both are perfectly placed. Thanks guys!
On to the mounting. When I first placed the Ereboss on the CPU I saw that I was going to run into the same problem with the fan mounts that I had with the Themis Evo: the holes for the rubber mounts are directly above the row of memory closest to the CPU.
Thankfully, during that previous testing I was able to figure out that by installing the rubber mounts before installing the cooler the fan can still be mounted. The problem isn’t getting the fan on the mounts. The problem is getting the mount into the bottom hole in the fins with the memory in the way. Feeling very smug, I happily installed the mounts and secured the cooler in place.
Unfortunately, this solution doesn’t work with the Ereboss cooler. The smaller fan on the Themis Evo allowed sufficient clearance for use. The larger 140mm fan on the Ereboss doesn’t clear the first row of memory when installed. Moving the RAM to the two rows further from the CPU solved the issue.
Once mounted the cooler looks impressive to be sure.
Even as large as it is, the Ereboss cooler fit perfectly in our full-tower test case. Clearance was tight though, be sure to check your case before you purchase. If there is an issue, also remember that the mounting setup for the Ereboss is actually spaced for a 120mm fan. The Aeolus fans are 140mm but mount in a standard 120mm spot. Since the fan is taller than the cooler, substituting a 120mm fan will give the user a tiny bit more clearance if needed. It will only be a few millimeters, given the height of the projecting heat pipes but sometimes that will make the difference.
It should be noted here that after our review of the Themis Evo was posted, we were contacted by Raijintek to let us know that a 90-degree adapter bracket is available for AMD users that works with all of their tower coolers. This makes the Ereboss and the Themis both much better choices, as the memory interference issues should be completely eliminated and also. We have not received a sample of this adapter bracket to show with the coolers we are testing but Raijintek did supply of with images of the bracket itself. It seems perfect for the application
I got the chance to ask the rep from Raijintek about these brackets and how much they cost. Turns out they’re free for the asking. If you run an AMD system and need one of these 90-degree brackets all you have to do is contact Raijintek and give them your shipping info. Of course I asked at the time why these weren’t included with the retail package if they were giving them away. It seems the mounting setup they are using is currently being redesigned and whatever they come up with to serve the function of this adapter bracket will be included in future revisions.
