Conclusion

The good news is that ARCTIC's Freezer 13 PRO and Freezer i30 coolers are both much better than the stock Intel coolers.  The fans that both coolers use are very similar in specs, and they are quiet even when running at full speed (think whisper level).  Supporting PWM, these fans can be run at a very low speed which makes them even quieter.  Comparing fan noise to the other coolers we've tested, the Freezers are slightly louder compared to the SilenX cooler at full speed, but a little quieter with speed regulation enabled (at idle speeds).

In terms of the performance, the temperatures achieved were a bit disappointing.  The only time the Freezer 13 PRO kept up with the pack was with a non-overclocked configuration.  Otherwise, the both of the Freezers fell behind.  They both however were much better than the stock Intel cooler at idle speed, and were able to cool our overclocked configuration enough that they were fully stable (which the Intel cooler could not achieve).

On a related note, I think the mounting system for the Freezer i30 is holding back its potential.  The heatsink is essentially the same as the Freezer 13 PRO, and the fans are both very similar.  The main differences are in the  base design and the mounting system.  And a few of the other coolers we reviewed have a direct contact style base, and they performed well.

In the end, what really impacts our recommendations for these coolers is price.  The retail price of the Freezer 13 PRO is $55USD (as per ARCTIC's website).  At this price point, there are better coolers to be had.  However, we found the actual retail selling price of the Freezer 13 PRO to be in the $30-35 range.  This price point puts it on our list of suggested value coolers to buy (but at the top).  ARCTIC's Freezer 13 PRO earns our Bronze award.

The Freezer i30 is a mixed bag.  It didn't perform as well as the Freezer 13 PRO, but it's still an upgrade compared to the stock Intel cooler, and a quieter one at that.  As this is a new product and not widely available on shelves, we don't have much in the way of retail pricing.  It's retail price is $50USD, which is high considering its cooling performance.  If the actual selling price ends up being cheaper than the Freezer 13 PRO, then it could be a cooler to consider.  But we'll have to wait and find out.