When we published our Core i7-980X Review we showed the new cooler that comes with this CPU, named DBX-B. Some readers asked us for a complete review of this cooler, so here it is. See if the owners of this high-end six-core CPU need to buy a CPU cooler with a higher performance if DBX-B will do the trick if they want to overclock their CPU.

In Figure 1, you can see Intel DBX-B: it is a tower cooler, with four U-shaped heatpipes. Its general aspect is very good. The sample we benchmarked came with no thermal compound, but according to Intel the retail version of Core i7-980X will come with a good-quality thermal compound.

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Figure 1: Intel DBX-B CPU cooler.

In Figure 2, you can see the cooler from the front, with its 100-mm transparent fan featuring blue LEDs, which is protected by a metallic grill. This fan has a four-pin connector, which means it has PWM automatic speed control.

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Figure 2: Front view.