Antec A20 CPU Cooler

Antec A20 is a budget but powerful cpu cooler. It is sold for Rs.734 on Snapdeal. There are chances you might get cheaper it in the local market. I am really impressed with the performance. Compare a stock fan, Antec A20 is bit powerful due to its aluminum copper component. It is the cheapest air cooler that comes with copper pipes that add more to the cooling. I had tested this fan on a old Quad Core pc which was having heating problem. On Intel's stock fan the temperature was between 60 to 70 degree and after installing Antec A20 the temperature remained below 30 to 40 degree at maximum usage. A20 might be small but it works quiet fine compare to a regular fan. That is because of the heat sink design holding copper pipes and a 80mm fan. To extend the cooling you can add one more fan to the opposite side. It is deal for entry level and mid range desktop. You can also use it on a gaming pc if you have no plan for overclocking. 80mm fan does not means it will make much noise. it is quiet.

Features

• Innovative Cartoon Style
• Bigger Aluminum Base
• Easy-installation
• Multi-angle installation

Specification

• Net Weight - 290g
• Unit Dimensions - 66(L)x87(W)x115(H)mm
• Copper heat pipes - 2 x 6mm
• Fan Dimension - 80 x80 x25mm
• Fan spindle bearing - Liquid State Bearing
• Fan Speed - 2200RPM
• Noise - <25dba
• CFM - 36
• Sockets Compatible - Intel LGA 1366/1155/1156/775 and AMD FM1/AM2/AM2+/AM3

Design:

Antec A20 has a less attractive design compared a another budget model Deepcool Gammaxx 200. This one has a bigger fan and a bit flashy look. But also it is costlier compared to Antec A20. The box features Antec's innovative Cartoon Style. The art itself reflect a less costly and powerful product. The package comes with only required elements. Thermal pastes is pre-applied on Antec A20.

It is big compared to a regular Intel's stock fan . 80x80x25 mm fan lies on the front side. Instead of pushing air on the top side like other stock fan do, this one push air towards the sides. It can be placed easily in any angle. You can add it with or without alignment to the processor. It is capable of keeping the cpu cool from all corners. it also not very large. I found the size perfect. It fits well on the board through a retention ring that comes in package. To install you have to place the ring first and then over that A20 sits with a fan hook. In the below image you can see the base of Antec A20. Perfect for any processor.

The socket this is not a problem here. The clip that hold the fan has different socket cutouts. Intel users you can use this fan on LGA 1366, LGA 1155, LGA 1156 and LGA 775 sockets. AMD users can use the fan on LGA FM1, LGA AM2, LGA AM2+ and LGA AM3 socket. To change the socket type you just have to use the locks on right cutouts.

Like for example in the below image I had attached the ring on LGA 775 socket. It is extremely easy to fit. The installation is very simple and hassle free. Once the ring is placed you have to use the heat sink lock to fix it permanently. It is not like rotating clips that comes in stock fan. But a more easier one that only needs a bit pressure to fix. Just hook the lower panel over the ring edges and done. The fan is placed.

Performance :

Antec A20 works great on any system. It ideal for everyone. If you are not satisfied with your existing cooler than this one is a good choice to upgrade. My system configuration is listed below. I was facing heating issue from last two months where the system sometime cross 80degree and turns. This was because of damage stock cooler. After adding Antec A20 you can see the test results below in different mode. I had tested the temperature through HWMonitor.

Test Machine

• CPU Cabinet - CoolerMaster Cosmos
• Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83GHz (LGA 775)
• RAM - 4GB GSkill RAM (2x2) 667Mhz
• Motherboard - Asus P5E3 Deluxe
• Hard Drive 1 – Western Digital 2TB Internal Hard Drive
• PSU – Antec NeoEco 620C PSU

Testing -

Idle Mode - Temperature

Gaming -

Video Conversion -

File Compression -

Conclusion:

Antec A20 is an amazing budget cooler. At a cost of Rs.734 it is a value for money product. If you just need a good cooler for your pc and do not want to spend much on big fans, then go for Antec A20. It works really well on all type of processors and gives a decent performance. It does not produce much noise also. At the time of high usage also the fan remain enough quiet and vibration free. Antec A20 really hold abilities to beat other costly coolers in the market. With 80mm fan and copper pipe component it keep the cpu protected from getting overheated. For better performance you can add one more fan on the same. Installation is very simple. Only thing this cpu fan lack is a entry level support for overclocking. I had seen rising temperature when Turbo boost or similar application is active. Where a cpu clock rate is automatically pushed to give more processing power. While on regular mode it works fine.

Pros:

• Easy to Setup
• Good Performance
• Budget Price

Cons:

• Not for Overclocking