Introduction

So, when a so-called “alternative” becomes mainstream, how is it then still referred to as “alternative”? Believe it or not, there was a time, not all that long ago, that bands like the Cure, the Church, the Smiths, etc. weren’t played on mainstream radio stations, they were relegated to left of the dial college radio. Even bands that followed, like Nirvana, the Replacements, Husker Du, met the same fate. Yes, these platinum selling artists, and the forefathers of today’s mainstream, were once “alternative”.

Then there is the case of CPU cooling. There was a time that aftermarket coolers really weren’t anything more than a replacement for when your stock fan inevitably broke. Sure, companies like Thermaltake, Cooler Master and Arctic offered a few pieces for those outlaw-type overclockers, but they were expensive, few and far between. Then a funny thing happened….overclocking became a very common thing, thanks to processors having a bit more headroom, and the manufacturers making overclocking an easy proposition. Why wouldn’t you want to get more performance out of your existing system? At the same time, in case aesthetics actually became popular. LED fans, cold cathodes, neon tubing….and big, ornate CPU coolers. Naturally, along the way, the alternative cooler made for overclockers became the mainstream. Average priced coolers all brag about their OC capabilities. The thing being, some actually can do the job cooling, and some can only look the part.

Newly released from Arctic Cooling is their flagship CPU cooler, the Arctic Freezer 13 Pro. The Arctic Freezer 13 Pro brings some unique design features and promises advanced cooling, even on a 300 watt TDP CPU. Aimed at overclockers, the Freezer 13 Pro brings a 120mm fan with a unique sheath to direct air more concisely over the cooling fins and four 5mm heat pipes. The aluminum cooling fins form an enclosure on the sides for more air mass to remain passing through. A second 50mm fan is pointed downward, generating air movement to cool surrounding components. The Arctic Freezer 13 Pro is a larger tower cooler, standing at 159mm and weighing in at over 900gr. However, the design of the Freezer 13 Pro’s fins still leave easy access to existing motherboard components. With a variable 300-1350rpm fan, the Freezer 13 Pro is capable of quiet and efficient cooling, even under heavy loads.