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Mega-Heatsink Roundup - 0407

Big bucks for big units! We pull out the stops and put 10 big bad cooling systems and heatsinks to the test. What coolers deliver you the best temperature drop for your hard earned dollar? We spell it out for you on a unit by unit basis.

THERMALRIGHT ULTRA-120 EXTREME

Thermalright is on the few competitors here today that cater only to the cooling needs of enthusiasts. You could make the argument that this allows them to focus their research and development into one specific area and looking at the heatsinks they have released over the years would certainly seem to prove this method successful. Of course, the past is nice for telling stories and those nostalgic moments but utterly useless to us enthusiasts. “What have you done for me lately?” is the stance I take when looking at new products from companies and so far it has served me well. This brings us to the Ultra-120 eXtreme from Thermalright. With six heatpipes and an all aluminum design, this cooler is all business. Let's break it down a little more.

Package & Specs

Coming packaged in a very unassuming cardboard box, Thermalright has become famous for taking a different route with its packaging. Rather than adorning its coolers with all sorts of colorful images and overzealous propaganda, Thermalright elects to let its cooler do the talking and save on all the marketing. I for one approve. Inside the box the heatsink and contents are safely kept in a Styrofoam padding preventing any damage from mishandling.

Dimensions: 63.5 (L) x 133 (W) x 160.5 (H) mm

Weight: 790g (Without fan)

Heat Pipes: 6 Full length

Compatibility:

• Intel LGA 775
• AMD AM2
• AMD 754
• AMD 939
• AMD 940

Fan:

• No fan included

Contents & Finish

Thermalright includes all the necessary mounts and clips to get you up and running. They even include a relatively large syringe of thermal paste. By not including a fan Thermalright is able to keeps costs down and in the end most enthusiasts will probably swap out the fan for their own favorite.

The base of the heatsink does not have a polished base and while many users equate a polished base to a flat base these two are completely different. Thermalright's web site assures users that even though the base does not have a mirror finish to it, it is machined flat which will give the necessary contact for optimal performance. A quick trip to some forums and we see many people describing their Ultra-120 eXtreme as not having a flat base resulting in poor performance.

Installation & Contact

To install the heatsink, you will have to remove the motherboard which is never fun. In our case here the heatsink was mounted in a different position due to the tall cooler on the Northbridge. If you have a similar setup thank you can expect the same issues with your installation.

Even though the mounting system uses screws, the contact patch on the base was very good. This is due to the way the screws are tightened. After a certain amount of tightening the screws stop turning which lets you know you've reached the end. This way you can be sure each of the four screws have been fully tightened ensuring equal pressure across the base.