The Endorfy Fortis 5 Dual Fan CPU Cooler Review: Towering Value

Standard CPU coolers, while adequate for managing basic thermal loads, often fall short in terms of noise reduction and superior cooling efficiency. This limitation drives advanced users and system builders to seek aftermarket solutions tailored to their specific needs. The high-end aftermarket cooler market is highly competitive, with manufacturers striving to offer products with exceptional performance.

Endorfy, previously known as SilentiumPC, is a Polish manufacturer that has undergone a significant transformation to expand its presence in global markets. The brand is known for delivering high-performance cooling solutions with a strong focus on balancing efficiency and affordability. By rebranding as Endorfy, the company aims to enter premium market segments while continuing to offer reliable, high-quality cooling products.

SilentiumPC became very popular in the value/mainstream segments of the PC market with their products, the spearhead of which probably was the Fera 5 cooler that we reviewed a little over two years ago and had a remarkable value for money. Today’s review places Endorfy’s largest CPU cooler, the Fortis 5 Dual Fan, on our laboratory test bench. The Fortis 5 is the largest CPU air cooler the company currently offers and is significantly more expensive than the Fera 5, yet it still is a single-tower cooler that strives to strike a balance between value, compatibility, and performance.

Packaging & Bundle

We received the Fortis 5 Dual Fan in a brown cardboard box with schematics and text printed on it. There is a lot of information concerning the cooler printed on all sides of the box, as well as a few marketing catch phrases. Additional cardboard and foam packaging protect the cooler inside the box.

Unboxing the cooler reveals the essential mounting hardware and clear instructions, without unnecessary parts included. The only item worth mentioning is the syringe of premium Pactum PT-3 thermal paste, with enough amount for at least three applications. The provided mounting hardware supports a broad spectrum of CPU sockets, rendering the Fortis 5 Dual Fan compatible with several Intel (20xx / 1700 / 1200 / 115x) and AMD (AM5 / AM4) processors.

The Fortis 5 Dual Fan CPU Cooler

The Fortis 5 Dual Fan cooler is structured around a substantial single-tower design, measuring 159 mm in height. This dimension ensures compatibility with a wide range of PC cases, from mid-tower to larger ATX designs, without risking clearance issues that are common with taller coolers. The cooler weighs approximately 800 grams, striking a balance between effective cooling and manageable weight. This design choice is particularly important for users concerned about motherboard stress or who frequently transport their systems.

At the core of the Fortis 5's cooling efficiency are its six high-performance copper heat pipes. These heat pipes are designed to efficiently transfer heat away from the CPU, distributing it evenly across the cooler’s large aluminum fin array. The heat pipes are arranged in a way that maximizes the contact area with the fin stack, which should enhance thermal dissipation while maintaining a relatively compact form factor. The fins are serrated, a method used to reduce air turbulence and noise. A plastic cover shields the top of the fin array, mostly to improve the design’s aesthetics. While it does not feature RGB lighting, a common trend among modern coolers, its clean design appeals to users who prefer a more understated look. It is important to mention that the quality of the build is exceptional, meaning there are no flimsy fins or sharp edges anywhere around the cooler.

One of the defining features of the Fortis 5 Dual Fan cooler is its asymmetric dual-fan setup, which includes two Endorfy Fluctus PWM fans (140 mm and 120 mm). These fans are optimized for static pressure, a crucial factor when pushing air through dense fin arrays. Both fans have a range from 250 to 1400 RPM. The unique serrated blade design of the Fluctus fans is supposed to minimize turbulence and vibration, reducing noise output.

The base of the Fortis 5 is relatively simple, with most of the body made out of aluminum and a steel brace mounted at its top. The body provides the mechanical strength needed to hold the copper heatpipes together, which are formed to come into direct contact with the CPU. The aluminum part of the base has fins that form a tiny heatsink but will do very little compared to the entirety of the tower. We can notice that the base is shifted towards one side of the tower, which is meant to move the tower away from the RAM slots.