Air Cooling

Category >> Air Cooling

Dynatron Genius G950 CPU Cooler 10-29-2009

Although Dynatron is certainly no stranger to the CPU cooling industry, their heatsinks and Top Motor brand fans have been more commonly found in OEM cooling solutions and have largely gone unnoticed among many in the enthusiast and overclocking community. They look to possibly change that perception with their Genius and Evolution series CPU coolers, which incorporate many of the features we come to expect in a modern cooler. What I have for review today is the Genius G950, an oversized twin-tower style heatsink with a definite serious approach to quiet CPU cooling.

Spire TherMax Pro CPU Cooler 10-09-2009

CPU cooling is a highly competitive market. Over the past 10 years we have seen a multitude of cooling innovations and breakthroughs in how to draw heat from our processors. It seems that lately all the newer coolers are getting bigger and some cases just don't have room for them. Lately I have seen an increase in coolers blocking memory slots and making cable management essential for good airflow. Not all CPU coolers need to be 8" tall and fill up half of your case interior to be effective. Case in point: the Spire TherMax Pro.

Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme CPU Cooler 09-28-2009

Being an avid overclocker means hundreds of hours and many different methods of cooling will be implemented in the quest for a cooler processor. This involves experiments in thermal interface materials, application of said pastes, lapping, airflow, and most importantly coolers. CPU coolers come in many shapes and sizes, and more often than not, those shapes and sizes have a direct bearing on the cooler's ability to draw away and dissipate the heat created by energy lost in your processor. Today we get to test the newest offering for Tuniq: the Tower 120 Extreme.

Zalman CNPS10X Quiet & Extreme CPU Coolers 09-10-2009

True to their company slogan "leading the world of quiet computing solutions", Zalman identifies each of their silent CPU coolers with CNPS in the model number. CNPS stands for Computer Noise Prevention System. The new 10X represents Zalman's first foray into the more conventional rectangular-fin tower style. There are two models to choose from, a basic no-frills Quiet version and the more advanced performance-oriented Extreme, both of which we will be looking at today.

Kingwin XT-1264 HTC Cooler 07-01-2009

New for 2009, Kingwin has replaced the RVT-12025 with a newer, updated tower cooler dubbed the XT-1264. Both models retain their machined individual copper heatpipe base with aluminum fin configuration coupled with a 120mm fan. The new cooler design is a few millimeters shorter than the old RVT but nearly 2½cm thicker for increased fin surface area. Heatpipe count has been increased from three to four for better performance and heat dissipation. Support for Intel's socket 1366 is also added.

Thermaltake TMG IA1 CPU Cooler 04-12-2009

Today, we have for review one of Thermaltake’s newest CPU coolers, the Thermaltake TMG IA1. TMG is Thermaltake’s “thermal maximum grade” product group, a series of computer hardware products aimed at the quiet computing audience. You can glean a little bit more information from the forgotten TMG website. In contrast to the brute-force approach of the Thermaltake BigTyp 14 Pro, which I had a chance to review a few weeks ago, the IA1 hopes to provide a more elegant and standard way to cool your CPU without a burden on your ears.

Thermaltake BigTyp 14Pro CPU Cooler 02-20-2009

Today, we’re going to have a look at Thermaltake’s latest air cooler, the BigTyp 14Pro. The BigTyp 14Pro is the newest generation of Thermaltake’s legendary Big Typhoon air cooler, which was met with great reactions back in its day. The Big Typhoon’s large footprint and excessive heat-pipes worked as a brute force solution to the problem of a hot processor, and did a great job of it. The BigTyp 14Pro hopes to do the same.

Cooler Master V10 Hybrid TEC CPU Cooler 02-04-2009

But what will come as a surprise to most people is the direction Cooler Master opted to go with the V10. While externally it appears very similar to the air cooler on display at the CES booth, the original consisted mainly of a V8 cooler with an extra bank of fins and a second 120mm fan. But that's not the version we have received for review... oh no. A close look at the product packaging reveals the V10's trump card, 200W HYBRID TEC cooling.

Thermaltake RamOrb Memory Cooler 11-20-2008

Heat spreaders on memory modules are nothing new; they first saw use on RAMBUS memory back around the turn of the century, and quickly caught on in the enthusiast memory market as a means to help dissipate extra heat brought on through higher performance. More recently manufacturers have taken to incorporating heatpipes and additional banks of fins to provide even better cooling capacity. The Thermaltake RamOrb takes this idea one step further by adding a fan directly to the heatsink.

NorthQ NQ-3360A Max Tower Extreme CPU Cooler 11-12-2008

While the Denmark-based NorthQ has been making a variety of computer hardware products for the past few years, the availability of their merchandise has always been limited to non-existent in the United States. NorthQ not only manufactures a broad spectrum of computer equipment, from cases to power supplies to CPU coolers (water and air), but also home and car electronics. Their name may not be big in the USA, but we have seen their products before with good results.

Thermaltake MaxOrb EX CPU Cooler 11-06-2008

The six heatpipes travel up out of the base and around the circumference of the fins, with the outermost pipe routed through the copper section and the inside two pipes traversing the inner aluminum fins. As the heatpipes begin and end in the base it could be said there are really only three pipes, but each capable of bidirectional heat dispersal. The control knob is conveniently mounted in a space between the fins on the opposite end of the cooler.

Gelid Silent Spirit CPU Cooler 11-04-2008

You may not have heard it used before, but gelid can actually be found in a dictionary. The word literally means very cold or icy. How fitting for a company who specializes in PC cooling components to use it as their corporate name. Gelid Solutions originated earlier this year as a Hong Kong based company under Swiss management. They manufacture CPU coolers, fans and other thermal-related computer hardware for gamers and silent enthusiasts. Today they have sent us a product sample for review, the Gelid Silent Spirit.

Cooler Master V8 CPU Cooler 10-13-2008

One of the perks of my job is getting to look at some of the coolest new computer and consumer electronics, often times before they are even released to the public. Back in January at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we got a sneak peek at Cooler Master's upcoming product line. There were several new and exciting products on display, from cases and power supplies to new CPU and GPU cooling solutions. Today we will be taking a look at one of the CPU coolers we saw on display, known simply as the V8.

Zalman CNPS9300 AT CPU Cooler 08-01-2008

Like most of their recent coolers, the Zalman CNPS9300AT uses a circular heatsink design, and just like previous 9000-series coolers the CNPS9300 uses an upright orientation with heatpipes connecting it to the base. CNPS stands for Computer Noise Prevention System, and Zalman uses this designation on all products designed for noiseless operation. Can an air cooler designed to be "noiseless" really provide enough cooling for modern processors?

Thermalright TRue Black 120 06-27-2008

Thermalright is now set to further capitalize on the success of the Ultra-120 eXtreme with the release the TRue Black 120. While physically identical to the Ultra-120 eXtreme, other than the new black nickel finish, the TRue Black comes with another set of clips to attach a second fan in a push/pull configuration and Thermalright has thrown in a small tube of their improved thermal compound, Chill Factor 2.

Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freeze HSF 05-16-2008

More and more I get people approaching me asking about cooling their rig. Sunbeamtech never really crossed my mind when people ask me. I tend to go with Thermalright, Zalman, Noctua, or Tuniq myself. After having my hands on the Core-Contact Freezer from Sunbeamtech, I might have to start adding them to the list of viable solutions to today's cooling needs.

OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler 04-20-2008

OCZ has never been a major player in the CPU cooling industry, but lately they have moved in strong. CES 2007 was their big opening, where they showed off preliminary models of their Cryo-Z phase change cooler, as well as some of their soon-to-be-released air coolers. A little more than a year later now, they have released four air coolers: the Vanquisher, the Vindicator, the Vendetta, which we reviewed back in November, and the Vendetta 2, which we have for review today.

Thermaltake DuOrb CPU / Memory Cooler 04-14-2008

Thermaltake has now carried that same patented design over into the processor realm with its DuOrb CPU Cooler. Utilizing twin 80mm fans just as the VGA Cooler did, this time surrounded by six copper heatpipes rather than two, and both an inner aluminum fin and outer copper fin configuration, the DuOrb CPU Cooler takes advantage of the wide wingspan of the DuOrb design to cool not only the processor but also the memory and surrounding socket area.

OCIA.net Forum Grand Re-Opening Giveaway !! 03-12-2008

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Cooler Master Sphere CPU Cooler 02-27-2008

The Sphere is an all-copper, quad heatpipe and fin CPU cooler shaped like, you guessed it, a ball. It comes with a single-speed radial fan built in, instead of the typical axial fan you find on most CPU coolers. The radial output of the fan helps to cool other components in the immediate vicinity of the CPU socket. This combination of round-shaped fins and radial output fan put the sphere into a fairly unique class of cooler.

Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooler 02-14-2008

I've used more than a few Thermaltake CPU coolers over the years; no surprise considering they've been in business since 1999. Today I'll be taking a look at another of their latest products, the Max Orb. Following the progression of orb coolers, from the Golden Orb II through the Blue Orb and Ruby Orb, the Max Orb represents yet another level of advancement in design for Thermaltake.

Kingwin Revolution Heatpipe Direct Touch RVT-12025 CPU Cooler 01-28-2008

Kingwin is one of those companies that many enthusiasts often overlook. The name has not previously been associated with higher quality and performance hardware, but lately they have really stood out with their upper-end SLI certified PSUs, high-tech CPU coolers and very attractive HDD enclosures.

Thermalright HR-09 Mosfet Cooler 11-29-2007

With the latest designs, many motherboard manufacturers have started producing boards with chipset/mosfet heatsinks onboard, linked together with heatpipes. The HR-09 mosfet cooler was designed for those users with motherboards that either have an ineffective stock chipset/mosfet cooling system, or that don't have one at all.

OCZ Vendetta CPU Cooler 11-20-2007

As I mentioned earlier, the base is designed so that the three heatpipes will directly touch the CPU's heatspreader. I'm not a thermal engineer, but I do realize that there is some efficiency loss when transferring heat from one substrate to another, such as from the heatsink base to the heatpipes contained within.

Thermaltake V1 CPU Cooler 11-17-2007

The Thermaltake V1 is a copper base, copper heatpipe/fin CPU cooler compatible with Intel LGA775 and AMD 754/939/AM2 sockets. It has a strange sort of "flower" fin design that resembles something that could have come from the folks over at Zalman.

Thermalright SI-128 SE Heatsink 11-13-2007

Thermalright combines the best of their blow-down coolers with the unique design of the high-riser series to bring us the SI-128 SE. Instead of "Second Edition" as you might think, the S in SE is for Silent, something their HR line of coolers was quite good at.

GlacialTech Igloo 5710 Silent & PWM 11-12-2007

Following the release last month of their 5610 series of 80mm upright coolers, GlacialTech announces their latest 92mm 5710 Silent and PWM designs. If you're thinking to yourself, "Glacial-who?" then you should definitely sit up and pay attention, we're about to blow your socks off.

Zalman CNPS8700 NT CPU Cooler 11-11-2007

The major selling points of the CNPS8700 NT are its noise levels and its size, making it the ultimate HTPC companion. With these two features at Zalman’s focus, will the performance take a hit or stay true to the Zalman name? Continue as we find out…

Kingwin RVT-9225 Heatpipe Direct Touch CPU Cooler 10-15-2007

The idea of exposed heatpipes makes sense. Besides the transferal of heat between the heatsink and heatpipes, the heatsink itself can be made of aluminum…allowing lower manufacturing cost, and less weight. We’ll see just how well this new idea works.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler 09-22-2007

Cooler Master has been releasing a lot of new products lately. From cases to peripherals, I’m starting to see their name everywhere. One of their most recent products to hit their website is the Hyper 212 CPU cooler. With support for all platforms, four heat pipes, and a silent, blue LED 120mm fan, this cooler has a lot of things going for it.

Tuniq Tower 120-LFB Heatsink 06-16-2007

It has very thin, tightly packed fins for high airflow situations. They are also folded down on the ends to keep the air flowing directly through the heatsink. The blackplate on the top of the cooler is attached to the blue LED fan and slides out with some encouragement, making it possible to put in a higher powered or lower noise fan.

Ultra Products ChillTec Thermo Electric CPU Cooler 03-13-2007

Here we get a look at the heatpipes and the TEC which is sandwiched between two copper plates. Each plate has four heatpipes leading to the upper deck of aluminum fins that are cooled by the 92mm fan. Initially, the CPU is cooled by the "heatsink" - that is, the heatpipes and aluminum fins.

EnzoTechnology Ultra-X Heatsink 02-20-2007

I will be installing the Ultra-X heatsink in my Intel test system. You can see just how large the Ultra-X is compared to the stock Intel cooling solution. The hardware needed for this install includes the backplate, four spring-loaded thumb-screws and four clear washers. Be extra careful when handling these washers, since they are very difficult to see.

Cooler Master Blue Ice Pro Chipset Cooler 09-25-2006

The thin copper fins are skived, meaning they're actually sliced from the base during the manufacturing process. Because the fins are still attached at the bottom there is better heat transfer than if the fins were soldered. It appears that this heatsink has a missing fin at the far left, there is a ridge on the base as if there was once a fin there, and there is certainly room for one. The fan bracket also appears slightly bent.

OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler 08-03-2006

It also includes a quiet 95mm LED fan and hardware for mounting to Socket 939, AM2, 478 and 775. With this impressive feature list it's hard to imagine that the Tempest would not perform well, however given the length of time since their last HSF offering, can OCZ hit a home run right out of the box? Or is the Tempest more likely to go down swinging?

Thermalright Ultra-90 Heatsink 06-13-2006

The Ultra-90 encompasses the same basic features as the XP-90's and XP-120; heatpipes through an array of fins connecting to a base for contact, but the Ultra-90 is a tower design. Thermalright claims it can outperform it's predecessor, the XP-90, using a lower CFM fan. Today we'll see how it compares to the XP-90C using the same fan.

Noctua NH-U12 & NH-U9 Heatsinks 05-10-2006

Both coolers feature four dual heat-pipes through 38 aluminum cooling fins mounted to a copper base, all soldered for maximum thermal convectivity. The NH-U9 is designed to be used with 80mm and 92mm fans; the NH-U12 with 120mm fans. Both coolers can mount two fans at once and are compatible with Intel Socket 478, LGA 775, and AMD K8.

Spire VertiCool II & DiamondCool II Heatsinks 03-28-2006

As I noted before, the DiamondCool is constructed primarily of copper. It has 55 micro (0.40mm) fins soldered to a very thick base (8.5mm). It uses four copper heat pipes to help draw the heat away from the base and transfer it to the copper fins above. In theory this should work very well, but the proof is in the testing.

Thermalright HR-01 High Riser Heatsink 02-02-2006

Today I will be taking a look at the new HR-01, an aluminum heatsink incorporating 8, count them, 8 heatpipes in an all-new (for Thermalright) tower design. Thermalright claims the HR-01 is so efficient, it can be used solely as a passive radiator, meaning it requires no fan attached directly to the heatsink. Many companies before have tried the passive tower design... tried and failed to produce a heatsink that even comes close to equaling the performance of a traditional fan-cooled heatsink.

Thermalright SI-120 Heatsink 11-18-2005

The heatpipes pass through the center of the fins and are soldered in place. A total of 52 fins provide for a large surface area for cooling. As with Thermalright's other coolers, the finned portion of the heatsink overhangs the base by a good margin and should provide indirect cooling for components surrounding the CPU socket.

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