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Product:
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Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler |
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Price:
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$45 (CDN) / $40 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Thermaltake
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Author:
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Skaal-Tel
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Date:
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February 9th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The core of the heatsink appears to be solid copper, and is fairly reflective, though not as good as some I've seen on rival designs.
Lapping is of course always an option, but I doubt that much benefit would be had. The fins are made of aluminum, and while numerous,
are rather thick, reducing surface area for heat transfer. Presumably this is done to avoid the brittle nature of aluminum, but on a
heatsink which shouldn't be moved very often, it simply increases weight and reduces cooling potential.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Installation of the Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler is very straightforward, consisting of either replacing the AMD bracket with a
back plate and 2 standoffs, or attaching a pair of brackets and standoffs to the Intel system. AMD motherboards must be removed from
the case for installation, while Intel users get off easy. Be aware that if you have a socket A or 478 (P4) system, this heatsink has
no method of securing itself to your system. My suggestion is to install the back plate and standoffs, place the motherboard into the
case, plug everything in, and then install the heatsink. The Blue Orb II is so large that I found it impossible to plug in the P4 AUX
connector with the heatsink installed.
Testing:
The obvious comparisons between the Blue Orb II CPU Cooler, and its predecessor, the Zalman CNPS 7700 are that they are both integrated
120mm fan heatsink designs. Zalman was of course the first on the scene but let's see if Thermaltake has managed to build a better mousetrap.
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Click image for larger view
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Testing was done with an A8N-SLI motherboard, AMD64 3500+ processor, ASUS PC Probe software, and a 15 minute idle and load period.
Motherboard ambient temperatures were approximately 32 degrees Celsius for all tests. The test was repeated twice for each heatsink and
results averaged. Both heatsinks were applied with AS5 compound, and both of the heatsink's max fan speed appeared to be around
1900 RPM.
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Conclusion:
I was surprised by the ability of the Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler. Despite being somewhat louder than the Zalman heatsink, it
easily trumped it in cooling ability. The slightly longer fins and perhaps larger copper core may have contributed to the success. If
your case has a blue theme, this is certainly a nice addition to the setup, with a strong blue glow provided by the LEDs at the center
of the heatsink. It doesn't really jive with my red setup, and may be a little bright for an otherwise tame setup but your results may
vary. Straightforward installation and extremely clear instructions are a big plus to any product, and Thermaltake certainly gets this
done right, make no mistake. While some form of fan speed control would have been nice, or at least a 3-pin to 4-pin adapter, if your
motherboard has a Q fan controller or equivalent, noise can be kept to an acceptable level. The Blue Orb II's design is nothing new,
but being able to trump the best of Zalman's line up of similar coolers speaks volumes. It seems that in this case, Thermaltake has a
winner on their hands. Overall, I was pleased with the Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler and award a final rating of
8.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this
review be sure to visit the Thermaltake website for more information or
discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Simple and well documented installation
- Efficient cooler
- Very cool blue theme
- Effective for motherboard cooling
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Cons:
- Heavy
- Can be loud and offers no fan speed control options
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