Thermaltake MaxOrb EX (CL-P0467)

We are already familiar with Thermaltake MaxOrb cooler. This aluminum cooling solution tested a year and a half ago made very good impression having yielded just a little bit to Thermaltake Big Typhoon VX. Now Thermaltake believes time has come to launch a solid copper MaxOrb with “EX” lettering in the model name into mass production.

The cooler comes in the box of the same size and shape. Even the design has hardly changed: now the cut-out window is golden-framed and the model name is written is the same golden lettering:

The accessories bundle includes the same set of components: universal retention frame, backplate for AMD K8 and K10 processors, installation guide, four plastic clips for LGA775, thermal compound, spindles and screws.

I would like to remind you that the cooler heatsink is shaped as a cup composed of copper and aluminum plates sitting on six copper heatpipes. The heatpipes are 6 mm in diameter and come out of a solid copper base plate. The whole thing is cooled with a 110 x 25 mm fan:

The cooler is of the same size as its aluminum modification and measures 143 x 144 x 95.2 mm. However, it did become a little heavier and weighs 580g. It is a minor change.

The key modification in the design of the new Thermaltake MaxOrb EX is the use of copper heatsink find on external heatpipes instead of aluminum ones used before:

As you see, two central smaller loops still have aluminum heatsink plates. This cooler and the previous MaxOrb model have one common serious drawback. Two heatpipes coming out of the center of the cooler base that take over lion’s share of the thermal load form a small loop and hold only aluminum heatsink plates instead of copper. Besides, they are in the so-called “dead zone” right beneath the fan rotor. It would have made much more sense to have these heatpipes go through the external copper heatsink array with larger cooling surface and stronger airflow. I don’t know how they could actually implement it (maybe they could simply cross-run them right on exiting the base plate or on the way to the heatsink), but it could have definitely had a much greater effect than simple replacement of aluminum plates with copper ones (after 1.5 years).