In the world of quiet PC builds, you often are faced with the compromise of either quiet operations or performance.But nowadays, companies are starting to design products that offer what is known as �quiet performance�; that is, a combination of both worlds.AcousticPC.com, a well-known retailer of quiet/silent performance components, sent us one of their popular quiet CPU coolers they offer: the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme CPU Cooler.Will this product deliver that combination without some other sacrifice?Read on to find out.
About Thermalright:
Check out their website- www.acousticpc.com
Tired of PC noise disturbing your concentration? Trying to put together a home theater PC? Would you like to be able to leave your computer turned on all the time without all the racket? You have found the Internet's best of class selection of components for building ultra low noise computers.
Acoustic PC was formed in June 2005 to become The Silent PC Enthusiast's premier source for quiet and silent computer parts and accessories. We specialize in offering hard to find and difficult to obtain products from around the world. Many of the parts we offer are unavailable anywhere else North America. Some of the most prestigious organizations in the world come to Acoustic PC for their silent computing needs, including Microsoft, AMD, Intel, Motorola, professional as well as Amateur Musicians, IT Professionals and countless Universities across the nation. We are pleased to have customers from all over Europe, Australia and South America. Our components and expertise have been tapped for use in everything from supercomputing clusters submersible computers.
Acoustic PC is a company that offers a level of product expertise and customer service that is unavailable from the competition. We know silent computing better than anyone and we want our customers to take advantage of that.
Acoustic PC is more than just a retailer. Before a product can be offered in our store it has to go through our evaluation lab. Using specialized instrumentation and custom built testing apparatus we can perform objective thermal and acoustic analysis on a wide range of PC components. This capability enables us to recommend highest quality and most effective products available.
Features:
Quiet and powerful cooling due to multiple heat pipes and large aluminum fin area
Proprietary bent winglet design to minimize airflow resistance
Heat pipes soldered to base (nickel plated)and fins for optimum heat transfer
Include both bolt-thru-board retention brackets for Intel and AMD**
Specifications:
Dimension: L63.44 x W132 x H160.5 mm (heatsink only)
Weight: 790g (heatsink only)
Recommended Fan : All 120mm Fan
Compatibility:
INTEL: All Intel LGA775 processors
AMD: All AMD Socket AM2 Processors
The product:
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Like all the products I�ve received from AcousticPC.com, the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme CPU cooler came well packaged in a sturdy yet plain-looking box with a simple logo.No cheesy marketing pictures or anything.Inside, the package contents were well-secured in custom foam inserts.AcousticPC.com was also generous to send us a tube of Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste, which is a great product we�ve used in many tests.
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Our test sample came with the cooler, mounting brackets for 2 different CPU sockets (LG 755 and AM2), fan mounting brackets, thermal paste, and an instruction manual.One notable item that is missing from the package is a 120mm fan, which is needed for this cooler.This is a little disappointing at first, but I�d rather have the option of choosing my own high-end fan (like the Noctua, Silenx, or AcoustiFan brands) instead of paying the market-up for some no-name one.
Note that the cooler is not compatible out of the box with older CPU socket-types like AMD 939 nor with motherboards that use �push-pin method� to secure the cooler to the CPU.However, you can purchase rather inexpensive mounting hardware to make it work if needed.
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The first thing I noticed about the Ultra-120 eXtreme is its size; it�s quite possibly the biggest cooler I�ve come across.The cooler is designed to accommodate is a 120mm fan, which is pretty large considering most fans are either 80 or 100mm for CPU coolers.Obviously, with its large size comes added weight; the cooler is 790g (heatsink only), which actually exceeds the 450g weight specification established by Intel and AMD.To compensate the cooler has a pretty hefty mounting system to ensure good contact with the processor.
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The heat sink is made of a machined base (nickel plated) that interfaces with the CPU and a set of aluminum fins connected by 6 heat-pipes.If you�re a follower of Thermalright products, they also offer a CPU cooler called the Ultra-120 (non-extreme version); that version has fewer (4) heat pipes which means less heat transfer.The large fin area has a wing-type design, which is designed to minimize airflow resistance.
