In the following graphs you see the results of the Akasa Nero cooler (blue bar) compared with the Intel's stock CPU cooler and two other solutions from Titan and GlacialTech.

We lest the Core i7-920 processor running at its default speed (2.66GHz). The Akasa Nero cooler kept the temperature down to 50 degrees Celsius (max), as the OCCT software reported. That's eight (8) degrees less than Intel's stock cooler. The higher priced Titan Fenrir was more efficient in this test with 46 degrees Celsius, mainly due to its more powerful fan.

The next step was to see how the coolers perform under overclocking conditions. We pushed the Intel Core-i7 920 at 3.60GHz. This means that its voltage was also increased and thus, the CPU was producing more heat.

Akasa's solution kept the temperature at 69 degrees Celsius, which is 21 degrees less than Intel's stock solution. Again, the Titan Fenrir performed better with 61 degrees C.

When it comes to active cooling solutions, keeping the right balance between cooling efficiency and produced noise is critical. As it was expected, the Intel stock CPU is the quietest CPU cooler in the test, but it lacks efficiency.

The Akasa Nero produced 47dB of noise and the Titan Fenrir around 52dB. All the test results are available here.