ID Cooling has introduced its new CPU cooling system for ultra-thin computers, such as those that come in thin mini-ITX or mini-STX form-factors. The IS-30 cooler is only 30-mm tall and is designed to cool processors with TDPs up to 100 Watts. Formally, this means the IS-30 is rated ot handle even eight-core unlocked processors, such as Intel’s Core i9-9900K or AMD's Ryzen 2700X.

Typically, low-profile CPU coolers that are around 30 mm tall are rated for CPUs with a 35 W ~ 65 W TDPs. By contrast, the ID Cooling IS-30 can handle chips with a much higher thermal design power courtesy of its heat transfer design. The cooling system features four copper heat pipes, multiple aluminum fins, as well as a 92-mm PWM fan that spins at 800 ~ 3600 RPM and creates airflow of up to 40 CFM. This is a good bit of airflow for such a small cooler, and the manufacturer does list its maximum load noise level at 35.8 dB(A), which as you might expect is going to be louder than other low-profile cooling systems.

The IS-30 cooler from ID Cooling is compatible with all modern platforms from AMD and Intel, including the latest AM4 and LGA1155 sockets.

Both AMD and Intel have CPU coolers for miniature systems in their arsenals. However these coolers are not designed to handle high-performance processors, which is logical as miniature PCs tend to use energy-efficient chips with TDPs from 35 to 65 Watts. ID Cooling is among the first makers of coolers who offer a low-profile cooling system for 100-Watt CPUs, such as eight-core Intel’s Core i9-9900K or AMD’s Ryzen 7 2700X processors with an unlocked multiplier.

The ID Cooling IS-30 Specifications
  IS-30
CPU TDP 100 W
Material Copper center, aluminum fins
Dimension with Fan 100 mm (W) × 30 mm (H) × 93 mm (D)
Heat Pipes 4 × 6 mm heat pipes
Air Pressure ~ 2.2 mm H2O
Air Flow (CFM)  40 CFM
Speed  800 ± 200 ~ 3600 ± 10% RPM
Noise 17 ~ 35.8 dBA
Type of Bearing Ball bearing
Life Expectancy ?
Weight 310 grams
Compatibility AMD AM4/FM2+/FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2
Intel LGA1151/1150/1155/1156

ID Cooling quietly announced the IS-30 this week and did not touch upon its pricing. Though keeping in mind that we are talking about a small volume product, I'd expect it to carry a premium price tag, at least as far as low-profile CPU coolers are concerned.

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Source: ID Cooling (via Hermitage Akihabara)

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  • Qiasfah - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    Would love to see how this performs vs the Noctua NH-L9i, the SilverStone AR06, and the Scythe SCBSK-2100 BIG Shuriken 2.

    I built a ITX PC with an 8700k in an Fractal Design Node 202, and the biggest challenge was finding a cooler that for the low profile design.

    In my case the NH-L9i wasn't sufficient, the AR06 was better, but still caused throttling until I delidded and replaced the CPU's TIM with liquid metal.

    This IS-30 looks like a compelling option for such a system.
  • mga318 - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    Purely on the basis of CRM ratings, your experience with the Noctua (33.8 CFM) and AR06 (40.2 CFM) makes sense.

    If the IS-30 rating of 40 CFM is accurate and it's heat pipes are working well, seems like it ought to be close to the AR06.

    Of course, there's more to cooling than just the CFM rating...
  • PaNy - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    I put a DeepCool HTPC 200 CPU cooler on a 8600k in a Fractal Design Node 304 (ITX MB) last month. The DeepCool 200 reminds me of this cooler. It's rated for 95W TDP and has a low profile. Has worked out so far but I haven't really pushed the system.

    http://www.deepcool.com/product/cpucooler/2014-07/...
  • mode_13h - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    I've used Scythe Big Shuriken2 on a 130 W CPU w/ an aftermarket fan. It's not exactly the best cooling solution, but keeps the CPU well out of throttling territory.
  • zodiacfml - Sunday, February 17, 2019 - link

    More likely the same. This one will sound a bit louder.
    Heatpipe design for this compact is pretty dumb though, just reduces the surface area. Heatpipes are effective for quick heat transfer to large surface such as larger heatsinks.
  • quiet-cheese - Friday, June 19, 2020 - link

    IS-60 might be a better choice,
    if you don't like the fan comes with it, you can swap it with Noctua NF-A12x15
    it would still fit in the Node 202
  • wolrah - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    What motherboard is that in the last photo? Looks like thin-ITX with a side PCIe slot, which could be pretty awesome for a console-style HTPC build.
  • taz-nz - Saturday, February 16, 2019 - link

    Do a search for PIO motherboard.
  • akramargmail - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    100W? That means 50W Intel :-)
  • jrs77 - Friday, February 15, 2019 - link

    No way this thing can handle 100Watts without running into the thermal throttling of the CPU, when even the really good low-profile coolers from Noctua can't achieve that.

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