X-bit labs

Four CPU Coolers from Thermaltake Tested (page 6)

Category: Coolers

by Vasily Melnik

[ 09/05/2005 | 10:40 AM ]

Thermaltake Sonic Tower (CL-P0071)

Next goes an original construction with a queer name, Sonic Tower. It is a large passive heat-spreader – a brave solution, in view of the level of heat dissipation of modern processors. Most manufacturers don’t take such risks but equip their products with low-speed fans at least. So why “Sonic” when the passive design is completely silent? The manufacturer must have just run short of names – an earlier product of the company got the more appropriate name “Silent Tower”.

The package is the same size as the Big Typhoon one:

The contents of the package are similar, too:

The only difference is the two additional brackets to mount a 120mm fan. These brackets didn’t fit into the cardboard box which contains a user’s manual and retention components:

The fastening system for this cooler is made in such a way that the heatsink clamping bar can be used for any platform. You even get fastening brackets for the K7 platform, but they use the mounting holes around the socket (the heatsink is very heavy, so it’s dangerous to fasten it to the socket). You get a special hexagon for the enclosed hex-headed screws.