X-bit labs

Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme vs. Super Coolers

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 07/11/2007 | 07:13 PM ]

Meet a new CPU cooling solution from Thermalright. We are going to compare its thermal and acoustic characteristics against seven top air coolers from such well-known manufacturers as Scythe, Thermaltake, Zalman and Enzotech. Guess who the winner will be!

Table of contents:

• Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme: Closer Look
  
• Package and Accessories
  
• Design
  
• Installation Tips
  
• Testbed and Methods
  
• Thermal Performance
  
• Noise Level
  
• Conclusion
  

Modern CPUs have stopped to generate more and more heat, but cooler manufacturers are still rolling out new products, some being modernized versions of older models and others completely novel. There is no stagnation in this field, this you can be sure of. And I think it means more fun and excitement for an overclocker since we can expect something exceptional in terms of cooling performance and noise from each more or less serious product that comes out these days.

This review is special. Not just because you’ll find the Ultra-120 eXtreme cooler from Thermalright examined and tested here. This new cooler has already gathered awards from hardware websites and earned recognition among overclockers. What makes this review special is that I tested five more super-coolers (and there were two more models that didn’t pass the qualification test). Besides checking the coolers’ performance and noise level, I also tested them by overclocking the same CPU to the highest frequency. You’ll find all of that in this very special review.

Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme: Closer Look

Package and Accessories

Frankly speaking, I had expected to see a more interesting package than an ordinary cardboard box, considering the proud name of the product.

You can learn what exactly is inside only by looking at the sticker on one of the sides:

This unassuming package design can hardly attract the eye of a casual shopper, but the packaging performs the protective function quite well. The heatsink is wrapped into a plastic pack and fixed in a polyurethane-foam jacket:

The following accessories can be found in the small box to the right of the main compartment:

• Steel plate to fasten the heatsink on Socket AM2 mainboards and screws for it
• Back-plate for LGA775 mainboards
• Two user guides to installing the heatsink on supported CPU sockets
• Two wire brackets to attach a fan to the heatsink
• X-shaped fastener for LGA775 mainboards
• Thermalright thermal grease
• Thermalright sticker

There is no fan in the box – you have to buy one separately.