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Product:
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Thermalright Ultra-90 K8 CPU Cooler |
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Price:
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$39 (CDN) / $36 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Crazy PC
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Author:
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Mars
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Date:
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May 31st, 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 Ultra-90 K8 CPU Cooler has the ability to support two cooling fans, although only a set of clips for one fan are included in
the kit.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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For consumers looking to upgrade their CPU cooler without having to dismantle most of their system to do it, the Ultra-90 K8 uses
the conventional clamp retention method and does not require the motherboard to be removed for installation.
Testing:
I will test the Thermalright Ultra-90 K8 on the following platform, and record the various temperature readings using SysTool
ver.662.
- AMD XP3500 (Venice Core) OC’d to 2.4
- MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum
- Kingwin Supernova HTPC Case
- Panaflo FBA09A12M (Medium) 92mm fan
- Silenx IXP-64-14 92mm Fan
- Spire SP601B3 VertiCool II CPU Cooler
I decided to use the Spire cooler instead of the stock heatsink and fan, and compare it to the Ultra-90 K8 and see if the larger
size of the heatsink and fan holds a bigger advantage. I did not use the stock CPU cooler as a base given my past review results
of the Spire cooler, if the Ultra can do better than the Spire VertiCool II it will definitely out perform the stock cooler. I
tested the Ultra 90 with the Panaflo and SilenX fans, as well as the Spire cooler using the CPU load test found in the SysTool
options. The CPU was tested under 100% load of ten minutes for each cooler, and the results were recorded using the on chip
reading from the motherboard. The specifications for each of the test fans are as follows:
Spire:
- Bearing: Ball bearing
- Rated speed: 2300 RPM +/-10%
- Noise level: 19.0 dBA
- Air flow: 25.78 CFM at 2,300 RPM
- Current: 0.13 A
Panaflo:
- Bearing: Hydro Wave
- Rated Speed: 2450 rpm
- Noise Level: 30.0 DBA
- Air Flow: 48 CFM (MAX)
- Current: 0.15 A
SilenX
- Bearing: Hybrid Sleeve
- Rated Speed: 1700 RPM +/- 15%
- Noise Level: 14 DBA
- Air Flow: 38 CFM (MAX)
- Current: 0.09 A
As we can see by the specifications for the fans the Panaflo has the performance advantage among the three, but is the potential
noise increase worth the performance gained? For the test the fans were plugged directly into a 12 volt feed from the PSU using a
4-pin to 3-pin adapter. The testing was performed with the top removed as the Ultra 90 is too tall for my case.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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As we can see the picture on the left shows the SilenX fan at 2000 RPM, with a CPU temperature of 38 degrees, and a board temperature
of 33 degrees with a 100% CPU load for ten minutes. The picture on the right shows the Panaflo fan at 2450 RPM (determined by
specifications), with a CPU temperature of 35 degrees, and a board temperature of 29 degrees with a 100% CPU load for ten minutes.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The above picture on the left shows the Spire VertiCool II at 2100 RPM, with a CPU temperature of 38.5 degrees, and a board
temperature of 35 degrees with a 100% CPU load for ten minutes. With the top cover off affecting the internal cooling of the
case we can see that the motherboard temperature benefits from the larger 92mm fans used on the Ultra versus the 80mm fan
used on the Spire. Looking at the results we can see that the Ultra does outperform the Spire when using the Panaflo, but with
the SilenX the temperatures are almost the same.
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Conclusion:
Thermalright has produced quite few well performing CPU coolers, and the Ultra-90 K8 is no exception. It is a top quality well
performing product worthy of the Thermalright name. The cooler performed quite well when used with the recommended Panaflo fan,
but barely nudged out the performance of the Spire VertiCool cooler when used with the SilenX fan. Given the larger size of both
the heatsink, and the fan as well I expected the Ultra-90 to out perform the smaller Spire cooler by a couple of degrees. If you
want all out maximum cooling and do not mind a small amount of extra noise using the Panaflo fan is the way to go with the Ultra.
The balance of performance versus noise is a delicate one, and I feel that quiet and performance do not go hand in hand. The
Panaflo fan can be turned down by way of a fan controller when quiet is needed, but can be cranked up when gaming or benchmarking.
Overall, I was pleased with the Thermalright Ultra-90 K8 CPU Cooler and award MTB's Seal of Approval with a final rating of
9.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review
be sure to visit the Crazy PC website for more information or
discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Top Quality
- Good performance
- Easy to follow manual
- Additional cooling for the CPU area as well
- Versatile fan options
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Cons:
- Not an option for desktop or HTPC cases
- Lightweight for its size
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