Intel Core i9 13900K Baseline test (temperatures and noise results)

Time for the i9’s results now. We ran the test at the default frequencies, but there should still be room for some OC.

The reviewed cooler performed as one of the best on the Intel platform.

Noise normalized results (35 dBA)

Twelve coolers, one of which was the Hyte THICC Q60, managed the heat generated by the Intel Core i9 13900K when the noise was normalized to 35 dBA.

Acoustic performance 

Processors and graphics cards can produce a lot of heat, which needs to be transferred away from the hot core as quickly as possible. You’ll often see massive, active-fan solutions that can eliminate the heat, yet all the fans these days make the PC a noisy son of a gun. Do remember that the test we do is highly subjective. We bought a certified dBA meter to measure how many dBAs originate from the PC. Why is this subjective, you might ask? There is always noise in the background from the streets, HDD, PSU, fan, etc. It’s an imprecise measurement by a mile or two. You could only achieve objective measures in a sound test chamber.   

The human auditory system has different sensitivities at different frequencies. This means that the perception of noise is not equal across all frequencies. Noise with significant measured levels (in dB) at high or low frequencies will not be as annoying as its energy concentrated in the middle frequencies. In other words, the measured noise levels in dB will not reflect the actual human perception of the loudness of the noise. That’s why we measure dBA levels. A specific circuit is added to the sound level meter to correct its reading concerning this concept. This reading is the noise level in dBA. The letter A is added to indicate the correction made in the measurement. Frequencies below 1 kHz and above 6 kHz are attenuated, whereas the A-weighting amplifies frequencies between 1 kHz and 6 kHz.  There are a lot of differences in measurements between websites. We measure noise levels in a completely enclosed room with the door closed. We can measure the lowest dBA level in this room without any equipment activated, roughly 30 dBA. We measure the noise 30 cm from the side panel. 

In idle, the Hyte THICC Q60 is very quiet. 

Under stress, it’s doing a great job, but the fans are quite noisy in the upper rpm range.