SilverStone IceGem 280 ARGB AIO Cooler Review

The SilverStone IG280-ARGB IceGem are designed to fit AMD socket TRX4/TR4/SP3 processors.  It will also fit Intel Socket LGA2066 / 2011 / 1156 / 1155 / 1150 / 775 and AMD processors including AM4 Ryzen. Here is an overview of the system and testing methodology.

ROG STRIX TRX40 E-Gaming – TRX40 Chipset
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X (3.8Ghz) 24 Core 24 x 512KB L2 Cache 8x 16MB L3 Cache

Coolers and Variations
SilverStone IG280-ARGB - 280mm x 28mm Radiator
Generic Asetek Gen4 570LX - 240mm x 38mm Radiator

The CPUID System Monitor was used to obtain and record system temperature data and being that this is a 24 core processor we need something that will work across all of the cores at once.  For this task we're using a new version of Prime95 (p95v2810) that will allow you to spawn (n) instances to test with.

Editors note: Even though the Windows 10 task manager reported 100% processor usage we could never attain a 100% of the rated heat output as documented by Intel when using Prime95 as a basis for that heat production. Knowing this we ran the stress test until the maximum temperature was attainted and stabilized.

Other things to consider when judging software induced heat output.
a) Clock throttling by the processor at high temperatures.
b) Normal software isn't designed to produce maximum heat output.
c) Variances of cooling temperature.
d) Variances in CPU load.
e) Inaccuracies in thermal diode readouts.
Of course the list goes on..

Our testing methodology is aimed to provide a real world look into this heatsink given the test system provided.

A C/W rating can quickly be calculated using this formula.

C/W = (CPU temp - Ambient temp)/(Variance(%) * CPU Watts)
Allowed variance for this test = 85%
CPU Watts = 280W

IceGem 280 ARGB
0.12 C/W = (52C - 23C)/(.85(280W))

In our heatsink and waterblock tests we don't really focus on overall load temperatures but rather how well the product can remove heat given a specified heat load. Since this is a real-world testing method, we need to take into consideration real world variables and estimate tolerances. This is why we normally only apply 85% of the total wattage output to our heat calculations.

The resulting C/W number is used to rate how efficient a heatsink or waterblock is based on the given heat load. These numbers can be used to determine heat capacity, the larger the difference the less efficient the heatsink is. (aka not good for overclocking)

With Threadripper we elected not to do any overclocking tests.  The platform is already heat bound and while we can get an extra 300Mhz the end result wasn’t all that dramatic.  It should also be noted that during the test the entire CPU was clocked at 4.1Ghz and remained that way until the test concluded.  Given that the CPU didn’t need to throttle is a good indication that this cooler can provide a good performance cross section independent of what you plan to use your build for.

Sadly the reference system didn't do so well and while the cooler can handle a good amount of heat it didn't cover the IHS very well causing it to lose efficency.

Keep in mind these calculations are provided for demonstration purposes only and may not reflect the actual lab tested C/W rating, but we're pretty close.