Much better than reference and cheaper too!

The provided cooler works very well, makes direct contact with not only the GPU but the memory (through an aluminum shim) as well as contact with the VRMs. When the fans ramp up it can get a bit loud but nowhere near as bad as the reference cooler. Kind of a downer that it doesn't come with a backplate but they are mainly for show anyways. I won't deduct from review since it is clear what you are getting from the photos. Mine has some minor coil whine in certain situations but it's not annoying.

Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New