Thermalright HR-03 GTX Aftermarket Cooler Review

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 12:52 AM

Thermalright has always been a staple in the world of computer modding. A well known item from them is the “TRUE” 120mm cooler. To me, that was a great cooler that could still be named as “King” of all CPU coolers. Now, can they make the King of the VGA too? One can only debate on who is ruler. But, I am here to shed light onto their HR-03 GTX cooler. Since, by design of the GTX260/280 (65nm) series cards, it shows that it shouldn’t need one… Now, are they right?
The Thermalright HR-03 GTX cooler can be found at numerous places online, and to be sold at $59.99us.

* For this review I will be doing the following set up*

Maximus Formula x38 Board
Q6700 CPU
4gbs (2x2gb) G-Skill Pi 1100mhz Ram
Custom Water set up for CPU
Western Digital 250gb Sata 3.0 hdd
Vista Ultimate x64
Auzen X-plosion 7.1 sound card
GTX280 video card
Cooler Master Real Power 750w

The Features of the Cooler is of followed:

6 quality heatpipes for maximum amount of heat transfer to work with 120mm*25mm fan for best configuration to suit your needs (fan not included).
Nickel-plated heatpipes to reduce oxidation effect, maintaining top performance for long term usage.
Proprietary through holes on fins for efficient ventilation and proficient cooling.
Heatpipes soldered to every heatsink fin to increase heat transfer efficiency.
Includes the VRM heatsink with proprietary thru holes adapted from the High Riser Series for best heat dissipation.
Sleek and stylish appearance.

Technical Specs:

Dimension: L133 x W156 x H38 mm Weight: 410g
Recommended Fan: 120 x 120 x 25mm fans
Heat pipes: Six heat pipes Nickel Plated
Base material: copper

While the Package components are:

1-HR-03 GTX Heatsink
1-VRM-Heatsink
1-HSI Heatsink
1-Bracket Mount
1-Backplate
6-Ram Heatsink A
2-RAM Heatsink B
2-RAM Heatsink C
2-120mm Fan wire clip
4-Screw Cap
4-Screw
4-Washer
1-Chill Factor
1-Thermal pad

They give you everything for the card, but the fan itself. In this review, I go with two different CFM fans and then throw out the “warning” that they say with using the cooler. Try out how good it is, via passive!

Now for a close look of the cooler, and everything that comes with it.

Once open, you can see that it comes all polished and with a famous “sticker”.

Then, when you take out the cooler, there is a trap on the bottom where all the rest of the cooler components are at.

Here is a comparison shot of the size of it compared to a Mountain Dew can

To take off the protective cover of the GTX 280 you’ll need the following tools:

A small Philips screw driver
Knife/ Flat Head screw driver
Needle Nose Pliers

I say a knife for the fact that it’s easier to pry the case off. Due to the fact that it was a huge pain in the behind to even take it apart. I guess it is the fact that nVidia believes that there will never be a reason for you to take off that case around the video card. I do want to note that when you do take off the cover, that you start taking off the cover at this section of the card.

Since there won’t be any components there to mess up.

Here is what I have found to make it easier to take off the casing of the card:

Start with a knife or a flat head screw driver to start the prying of the card
When you start to fully ply the cover off, it’s best to use your hands with it.
Also do it a slow pace. If you do it fast, you could tear the memory chips off due to the tape.
It is also better to take off the back of the card first.
At the end of the card is the fan connector, so I suggest when you have it taken apart enough, just pull it off. You might need to use the needle nose pliers to do that.

Then once done with the back end, just follow do the same you did with the back side to the top cover. It took around 10 minutes to fully take it apart. I also suggest that you clean all the chips, besides the GPU and Ram Chips. That way you make sure it’s all clean and ready to go.

Now, after the fun of taking it a part, we get to put on the cooler! As you can see from the pictures below, it has some nice silver heat sinks for it.

And the reason I got it!!!

Now, I won’t go into detail on putting it together. If you can’t read instructions, then I suggest that you shouldn’t even be modding. But, I do want to forewarn people on the ram sinks. You do have to apply some pressure on them, or they may fall off, like so.

Now, once it is done, you can bask it its glory, like I did.

There is a warning that I do have to throw out now. Once you put it in the computer, it becomes a 3 slot cooler with the fan on it… So, I had to take out my Physx card in order to even place it in my Maximus Formula board. Then, the other warning is that I had to move my sound card to the top of the motherboard so that the fan doesn’t dig into it. Dig in it I said. Yeah, I’ve found one thing that makes this cooler, besides it taking up 3 slots, a problem. It tends to bend the PCB of the card if it’s in a case. So, for myself, I threw some Styrofoam covers of a power supply tv connector, to give it proper stability.

It’s finally in the case. So, what to do next? Do I say temperature workout!? To me, I feel that if you use Furmarks with its stability test for 120secs, then you have reached the max temps of what it will get at while gaming and so forth. I may be wrong in it, but to me, it seems right on the numbers. Before I threw on the cooler, I was reading temps of: 48c at idle and 76c load.

Those are some good temps since I’m in a tropical area and the house is kept at 24c. But, I’m always looking for something to give me “better” temperatures! In the review start, I said I was going to do passive and a few other ways. Those where not a lie.

I used two different types of fans on the HR-03 GTX cooler. The first fan that I will show is the fan that comes with the Xigmatek HDT-RS1284 cooler. It has 61cfm at 20.1dbs, so it pushes a pretty good amount of air, and is silent. The fan does do pretty good for it. The temps went down to 40c on idle (8c drop) and was at 71c load (5c drop).

Xigmatek fan at idle

Xigmatek fan at fur load

For a small db/cfm type fan, the temps are pretty good. But, still not good enough for me! Since I know there is still a good db/cfm rated fan out there! So in walks the Scythe Kaze-Juni “Slip Stream” 1900rpm fan. It comes in at 37dbs and 110 cfms.. That’s pretty good since the “Ultra Kaze” 3000rpm fan comes in at 45dbs and 133cfm. It’s a nice difference. But how nice you may ask? Pretty nice to spend about $10 at most places. It drops a total of 2c more than the Xigmatek at idle (38c), but a whopping 13c (58c) off from the Xigmatek’s fur. I know it may look strange. And some may say it is fubar, but after doing the test 3 times over a week, It’s true.

Scythe Kaze-Juni at idle

Scythe Kaze-Juni at fur load

So, the winner in that is the Scythe Kaze-Juni fan. It’s still silent over my radiator fans. But, there is one thing I wasn’t kidding about… That is passive cooling. Now there is only a few reasons why a person would go passive. They have great air circulation, or is trying to get something for a HTPC. How were the temperatures? They weren’t what I cared to have it as… The card didn’t want to boot right when I was starting with the fan off, so I had to pull the power on the fan, and let it sit for 30 mintues before I took the temps. So, after 30 mintues of it being off, It read at 58c. That’s pretty high for the card. Not even having my stock cooler on, did it get that high on idle. So, I was a tad scared to even try fur. But, you gotta do what you gotta do. So, Fur for 120secs. Scary tempetaures happened. It got to 110secs before it started to slow down on fur, so heat was getting to be a issue. But, after 120secs it hit 104c. Almost double idle…

Passive at idle (30 mins after unplugging the fan)

Passive at 120secs fur

It wasn’t something I would love to see. In today’s building of HTPC’s there really isn’t a need to take the stock cooler off, unless it’s really needed to have a aftermarket cooler added on. You can get great air flow due to the types of fans you can get.

Price: $59.99 USD

Pros:

Great looking cooler to have
With the right set up on fan, you can get it as cool as you want and as silent as you want.
Includes everything to set it up yourself but the fan

Cons:

Can take some time to get the case cover off.
Tends to bend the PCB if you have it in a case.
Takes up 3 slots of your motherboard
No way it can be passive cooler

To me, to say if the Thermalright HR-03 GTX could be king isn’t really a right thing to say. The Arctic-Cooling Accelero XTREME cooler isn’t out yet. So, this is the only one that is out besides you going water. But, with the ability to set up this cooler the way you want it, sound and pull wise, then it’s a great thing to buy. But, only, if you don’t mind the few little cons that some may think it’s not worth it.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 12:54 AM

I want to add something to me, as being special.. I do want to thank Random Murderer, my unblood blood brother, for helping me with this review. If I didn't ever meet him, or Thought Disorder, I would never of been a Computer Geek again. They got me the cooler for Christmas, and I know I've gotten everything I have learned, besides from here, threw Random. Thanks Bro, your the brother I never had.

kiriakost · Jan 20, 2009, 01:07 AM

Well you got me right on time , selecting VGA cooler for my new HD3850 AGP .

True Thermalright its a respectable company,
and i am one happy customer of them,
complete satisfaction over five years now with their legendary CPU cooler.

But about this one , its a bit too much for my taste.

The only powerful argument , are if you truly need that to cool something like the latest BIG VGA players.

I will not bother to debate about the size of it , i have select Zalman solution, due the fact that i do not need anything as extremely powerful cooler on air.

BrooksyX · Jan 20, 2009, 01:10 AM

Looks nice but honestly its just looks way to big to be practical to most people. I use most of the pci/pci-e ports on my motherboard.

LittleLizard · Jan 20, 2009, 01:27 AM

thx, i already read a review of that one but the version non gtx, as i said before, u should do reviews here at tpu

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 01:31 AM

The cooler is a massive one. I won't lie about that. If your one that used all their slots, then it's not worth the buy. The Gtx 260/280 cards don't even need the thought of a aftermarket cooler. To be honest about it. The only reason one would put on this cooler is to see if they can cool the card better and not as loud as the card's at 100%... And to me, it did just that with the fact of setting up the cooler you want.
I used the Zalman cooler on my 3870 and loved it. Just had to make sure, to dust it ever more so then when I had the stock cooler on it...

I told trt that once he showed me that link, I would try it. Why not? it's all ways fun to mod anything and everything of your system!!

DonInKansas · Jan 20, 2009, 01:36 AM

I'm pretty surprised your temps were as high as they were running passively. Isn't this cooler designed to run at good temps passively?

kiriakost · Jan 20, 2009, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

I used the Zalman cooler on my 3870 and loved it.

GV-1000 ?

23C down than stock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

Isn't this cooler designed to run at good temps passively?

Well that box looks overpopulated to me

.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

I'm pretty surprised your temps were as high as they were running passively. Isn't this cooler designed to run at good temps passively?

Well, via the Thermalright.com, it shows that you should have a fan on it. Every place you can order one, has the same "warning" of factor...

I believe going passive with the low end cards that are made for HTPC's are the right thing to do But, cards like this, shouldn't even be thought. Since it's a high end card.. Those should be cooled as much as possible.. But, those are my beliefs.. And since my house is all was 80*f it really hurts going passive...

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiriakost

GV-1000 ?

That's a pretty nice cooler for the card. I have one of the old style ones..

Well that box looks overpopulated to me

Overpopulated? Just have my soundcard and water set up.. Nothing else. Fan's set up all for cooling...

LittleLizard · Jan 20, 2009, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonInKansas

I'm pretty surprised your temps were as high as they were running passively. Isn't this cooler designed to run at good temps passively?

when someone design a cooler that is capable of run a gtx 280 passively, it also discovered the way to freezing humans to the eternity

kiriakost · Jan 20, 2009, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

Overpopulated? Just have my soundcard and water set up.. Nothing else. Fan's set up all for cooling...

Your picture , your camera , your hand ... next time do your best on it .

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiriakost

Your picture , your camera , your hand ... next time do your best on it .

huh? I don't get what your going at???

kiriakost · Jan 20, 2009, 01:57 AM

look , you zoomed too much , no one can see the total picture of the box,
i gave a friendly advice , that possibly lost in the translation.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiriakost

look , you zoomed to much , no one can see the total picture of the box,
i gave a friendly advice , that possibly lost in the translation.

But it was on the CARD, not the CASE... so why should I have done my full case???

Random Murderer · Jan 20, 2009, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

I want to add something to me, as being special.. I do want to thank Random Murderer, my unblood blood brother, for helping me with this review. If I didn't ever meet him, or Thought Disorder, I would never of been a Computer Geek again. They got me the cooler for Christmas, and I know I've gotten everything I have learned, besides from here, threw Random. Thanks Bro, your the brother I never had.

thanks man.
nice review, btw.

kiriakost · Jan 20, 2009, 02:00 AM

My personal interest was to see if it is spacy enough .

Passive cooling needs space . Lots of it .

Binge · Jan 20, 2009, 02:02 AM

Love the review

Keep it Cold!

Thermopylae_480 · Jan 20, 2009, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

But it was on the CARD, not the CASE... so why should I have done my full case???

If you're doing a review where temperature is an issue the computer you use and how it is set up is important. Temperature results vary depending on how the air can flow through the case.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 02:26 AM

Well for the passive part of it, I still have the 88cfm fan blowing towards the card like all ways, and two 40mm fans doing the exhaust of the air.

Thermopylae_480 · Jan 20, 2009, 02:29 AM

Not a huge deal. Interesting, and glad you shared.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 02:34 AM

I just don't get why it was even hit up. Most reviews will never show the set-up of the system. You see what the system is, word wise, but then that's it. No matter if it's passive or not.. That's the only reason I was asking the guy why do I need a picture of the case itself.. It's of a product... We don't egg on the reviews here because they don't show the whole set up... I'd trust a review here, over any one's review..

trt740 · Jan 20, 2009, 03:02 AM

very nice review, very nice

To heck with anyone who says different, not a single review I have seen on this forum does a better job than his.

Cold Storm · Jan 20, 2009, 03:07 AM

Thank you Trt. I do want to stress that I'm not trying to go at anyone. I just don't see how taking and showing your case is part of a review. The people on here, and of other sites do great jobs on reviews, and from them I try to make my own...

trt740 · Jan 20, 2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

Thank you Trt. I do want to stress that I'm not trying to go at anyone. I just don't see how taking and showing your case is part of a review. The people on here, and of other sites do great jobs on reviews, and from them I try to make my own...

well I am bias since you are my bud

Still the truth is the truth great review

I'm getting one, Thermalright and Noctua are by far the best air cooling companies for quality, looks, performance and when price is no object . For value and performance it is Arctic cooler but in most cases they cannot match the quality or looks.(not always but most times).

thoughtdisorder · Jan 20, 2009, 12:36 PM

Excellent Review CS! Very well written and thorough!

Glad it worked out in your set up!

Jan 20, 2009, 12:52 AM	#1
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	Thermalright HR-03 GTX Aftermarket Cooler Review Thermalright has always been a staple in the world of computer modding. A well known item from them is the “TRUE” 120mm cooler. To me, that was a great cooler that could still be named as “King” of all CPU coolers. Now, can they make the King of the VGA too? One can only debate on who is ruler. But, I am here to shed light onto their HR-03 GTX cooler. Since, by design of the GTX260/280 (65nm) series cards, it shows that it shouldn’t need one… Now, are they right? The Thermalright HR-03 GTX cooler can be found at numerous places online, and to be sold at $59.99us. * For this review I will be doing the following set up* Maximus Formula x38 Board Q6700 CPU 4gbs (2x2gb) G-Skill Pi 1100mhz Ram Custom Water set up for CPU Western Digital 250gb Sata 3.0 hdd Vista Ultimate x64 Auzen X-plosion 7.1 sound card GTX280 video card Cooler Master Real Power 750w The Features of the Cooler is of followed: 6 quality heatpipes for maximum amount of heat transfer to work with 120mm25mm fan for best configuration to suit your needs (fan not included). Nickel-plated heatpipes to reduce oxidation effect, maintaining top performance for long term usage. Proprietary through holes on fins for efficient ventilation and proficient cooling. Heatpipes soldered to every heatsink fin to increase heat transfer efficiency. Includes the VRM heatsink with proprietary thru holes adapted from the High Riser Series for best heat dissipation. Sleek and stylish appearance. Technical Specs: Dimension: L133 x W156 x H38 mm Weight: 410g Recommended Fan: 120 x 120 x 25mm fans Heat pipes: Six heat pipes Nickel Plated Base material: copper While the Package components are: 1-HR-03 GTX Heatsink 1-VRM-Heatsink 1-HSI Heatsink 1-Bracket Mount 1-Backplate 6-Ram Heatsink A 2-RAM Heatsink B 2-RAM Heatsink C 2-120mm Fan wire clip 4-Screw Cap 4-Screw 4-Washer 1-Chill Factor 1-Thermal pad They give you everything for the card, but the fan itself. In this review, I go with two different CFM fans and then throw out the “warning” that they say with using the cooler. Try out how good it is, via passive! Now for a close look of the cooler, and everything that comes with it. Once open, you can see that it comes all polished and with a famous “sticker”. Then, when you take out the cooler, there is a trap on the bottom where all the rest of the cooler components are at. Here is a comparison shot of the size of it compared to a Mountain Dew can To take off the protective cover of the GTX 280 you’ll need the following tools: A small Philips screw driver Knife/ Flat Head screw driver Needle Nose Pliers I say a knife for the fact that it’s easier to pry the case off. Due to the fact that it was a huge pain in the behind to even take it apart. I guess it is the fact that nVidia believes that there will never be a reason for you to take off that case around the video card. I do want to note that when you do take off the cover, that you start taking off the cover at this section of the card. Since there won’t be any components there to mess up. Here is what I have found to make it easier to take off the casing of the card: Start with a knife or a flat head screw driver to start the prying of the card When you start to fully ply the cover off, it’s best to use your hands with it. Also do it a slow pace. If you do it fast, you could tear the memory chips off due to the tape. It is also better to take off the back of the card first. At the end of the card is the fan connector, so I suggest when you have it taken apart enough, just pull it off. You might need to use the needle nose pliers to do that. Then once done with the back end, just follow do the same you did with the back side to the top cover. It took around 10 minutes to fully take it apart. I also suggest that you clean all the chips, besides the GPU and Ram Chips. That way you make sure it’s all clean and ready to go. Now, after the fun of taking it a part, we get to put on the cooler! As you can see from the pictures below, it has some nice silver heat sinks for it. And the reason I got it!!! Now, I won’t go into detail on putting it together. If you can’t read instructions, then I suggest that you shouldn’t even be modding. But, I do want to forewarn people on the ram sinks. You do have to apply some pressure on them, or they may fall off, like so. Now, once it is done, you can bask it its glory, like I did. There is a warning that I do have to throw out now. Once you put it in the computer, it becomes a 3 slot cooler with the fan on it… So, I had to take out my Physx card in order to even place it in my Maximus Formula board. Then, the other warning is that I had to move my sound card to the top of the motherboard so that the fan doesn’t dig into it. Dig in it I said. Yeah, I’ve found one thing that makes this cooler, besides it taking up 3 slots, a problem. It tends to bend the PCB of the card if it’s in a case. So, for myself, I threw some Styrofoam covers of a power supply tv connector, to give it proper stability. It’s finally in the case. So, what to do next? Do I say temperature workout!? To me, I feel that if you use Furmarks with its stability test for 120secs, then you have reached the max temps of what it will get at while gaming and so forth. I may be wrong in it, but to me, it seems right on the numbers. Before I threw on the cooler, I was reading temps of: 48c at idle and 76c load. Those are some good temps since I’m in a tropical area and the house is kept at 24c. But, I’m always looking for something to give me “better” temperatures! In the review start, I said I was going to do passive and a few other ways. Those where not a lie. I used two different types of fans on the HR-03 GTX cooler. The first fan that I will show is the fan that comes with the Xigmatek HDT-RS1284 cooler. It has 61cfm at 20.1dbs, so it pushes a pretty good amount of air, and is silent. The fan does do pretty good for it. The temps went down to 40c on idle (8c drop) and was at 71c load (5c drop). Xigmatek fan at idle Xigmatek fan at fur load For a small db/cfm type fan, the temps are pretty good. But, still not good enough for me! Since I know there is still a good db/cfm rated fan out there! So in walks the Scythe Kaze-Juni “Slip Stream” 1900rpm fan. It comes in at 37dbs and 110 cfms.. That’s pretty good since the “Ultra Kaze” 3000rpm fan comes in at 45dbs and 133cfm. It’s a nice difference. But how nice you may ask? Pretty nice to spend about $10 at most places. It drops a total of 2c more than the Xigmatek at idle (38c), but a whopping 13c (58c) off from the Xigmatek’s fur. I know it may look strange. And some may say it is fubar, but after doing the test 3 times over a week, It’s true. Scythe Kaze-Juni at idle Scythe Kaze-Juni at fur load So, the winner in that is the Scythe Kaze-Juni fan. It’s still silent over my radiator fans. But, there is one thing I wasn’t kidding about… That is passive cooling. Now there is only a few reasons why a person would go passive. They have great air circulation, or is trying to get something for a HTPC. How were the temperatures? They weren’t what I cared to have it as… The card didn’t want to boot right when I was starting with the fan off, so I had to pull the power on the fan, and let it sit for 30 mintues before I took the temps. So, after 30 mintues of it being off, It read at 58c. That’s pretty high for the card. Not even having my stock cooler on, did it get that high on idle. So, I was a tad scared to even try fur. But, you gotta do what you gotta do. So, Fur for 120secs. Scary tempetaures happened. It got to 110secs before it started to slow down on fur, so heat was getting to be a issue. But, after 120secs it hit 104c. Almost double idle… Passive at idle (30 mins after unplugging the fan) Passive at 120secs fur It wasn’t something I would love to see. In today’s building of HTPC’s there really isn’t a need to take the stock cooler off, unless it’s really needed to have a aftermarket cooler added on. You can get great air flow due to the types of fans you can get. Price: $59.99 USD Pros:* Great looking cooler to have With the right set up on fan, you can get it as cool as you want and as silent as you want. Includes everything to set it up yourself but the fan Cons: Can take some time to get the case cover off. Tends to bend the PCB if you have it in a case. Takes up 3 slots of your motherboard No way it can be passive cooler To me, to say if the Thermalright HR-03 GTX could be king isn’t really a right thing to say. The Arctic-Cooling Accelero XTREME cooler isn’t out yet. So, this is the only one that is out besides you going water. But, with the ability to set up this cooler the way you want it, sound and pull wise, then it’s a great thing to buy. But, only, if you don’t mind the few little cons that some may think it’s not worth it. __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware Last edited by Cold Storm; Jan 20, 2009 at 02:55 AM.

System Name:	Haru
Processor:	i7 3770k @ 4.5ghz
Motherboard:	Biostar Tz77xme4
Cooling:	Koolance C370si loop
Memory:	8gb G. Skill Trident X 2400mhz at 10-11-11-28
Video Card:	XFX Double D 7950 / Zotac 620 for physx
Hard Disk:	Samsung 830 128gb (os)Muskin Chronos 120gb, Pyro 120gb
Optical Drive:	Asus Blu-Ray (SBW-06C1S-U)
CRT/LCD Model:	Testing: Vizio 37" lcd tv / Viewsonic VX2450WM-LED 24" & Hanns G 28"
Case:	Cooler Master Cosmos II
Sound Card:	Auzentech X-fi Forte 7.1 Opamp modded
PSU:	Silverstone Strider Plus 1000w pp05 cables
Software:	Win7 Pro64
Benchmarks:	i5 750 4.62ghz pi runs // Evga FTW p55

Jan 20, 2009, 12:54 AM	#2
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	I want to add something to me, as being special.. I do want to thank Random Murderer, my unblood blood brother, for helping me with this review. If I didn't ever meet him, or Thought Disorder, I would never of been a Computer Geek again. They got me the cooler for Christmas, and I know I've gotten everything I have learned, besides from here, threw Random. Thanks Bro, your the brother I never had. __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware

System Name:	Haru
Processor:	i7 3770k @ 4.5ghz
Motherboard:	Biostar Tz77xme4
Cooling:	Koolance C370si loop
Memory:	8gb G. Skill Trident X 2400mhz at 10-11-11-28
Video Card:	XFX Double D 7950 / Zotac 620 for physx
Hard Disk:	Samsung 830 128gb (os)Muskin Chronos 120gb, Pyro 120gb
Optical Drive:	Asus Blu-Ray (SBW-06C1S-U)
CRT/LCD Model:	Testing: Vizio 37" lcd tv / Viewsonic VX2450WM-LED 24" & Hanns G 28"
Case:	Cooler Master Cosmos II
Sound Card:	Auzentech X-fi Forte 7.1 Opamp modded
PSU:	Silverstone Strider Plus 1000w pp05 cables
Software:	Win7 Pro64
Benchmarks:	i5 750 4.62ghz pi runs // Evga FTW p55

Jan 20, 2009, 01:07 AM	#3
kiriakost Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Volos, Greece Posts: 848 (0.53/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 72 Times in 65 Posts System Specs	Well you got me right on time , selecting VGA cooler for my new HD3850 AGP . True Thermalright its a respectable company, and i am one happy customer of them, complete satisfaction over five years now with their legendary CPU cooler. But about this one , its a bit too much for my taste. The only powerful argument , are if you truly need that to cool something like the latest BIG VGA players. I will not bother to debate about the size of it , i have select Zalman solution, due the fact that i do not need anything as extremely powerful cooler on air. Last edited by kiriakost; Jan 20, 2009 at 01:16 AM.

System Name:	ATLAS
Processor:	Q6600 QUAD
Motherboard:	ASUS P5QC
Cooling:	ProlimaTech Armageddon
Memory:	HYPER-X KHX1600C8D3T1K2 /4GX PC3-12800 1600MHz
Video Card:	Sapphire HD 5770 VAPOR-X
Hard Disk:	Raptors 73Gb - Raid1
Optical Drive:	Plextor 4012TA_ Samsung SH202N
CRT/LCD Model:	DELL U2311H
Case:	HEC Special moded ..
Sound Card:	X-Fi Music + mods Audigy front Panel (full working)
PSU:	HIPER 4M780 PE 980W Peak
Software:	XP PRO SP3

Jan 20, 2009, 01:10 AM	#4
BrooksyX Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 3,572 (1.82/day) Thanks: 511 Thanked 570 Times in 527 Posts System Specs	Looks nice but honestly its just looks way to big to be practical to most people. I use most of the pci/pci-e ports on my motherboard.

System Name:	Main / Home Media Serever
Processor:	Intel i5 2500k @ 4.75ghz / AMD AM3 5200+ x2
Motherboard:	ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Performance / Biostar 790GX
Cooling:	Xigmatek Dark Knight / XIGMATEK Apache
Memory:	16gb of G.Skill Value Series DDR3 / 4x 1gb DDR2
Video Card:	XFX Radeon 6870 1gb / Asus Radeon 5450 512mb
Hard Disk:	2x Samsung 830 64gb SSD Raid 0 & 750gb WD Blue HDD / OCZ Vertex 30GB & 8TB of HDD Space
Optical Drive:	Blu-ray Rom & DVD-RW / DVD-RW
CRT/LCD Model:	2x Acer 20" LED 1600x900 / Samsung 40" LED
Case:	Xigmatek Asgard II / APEX PC-389-C
PSU:	OCZ Stealth Power 500w / Antec EArthwatts 380w
Software:	Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 / XBMCBuntu 11.10

Jan 20, 2009, 01:27 AM	#5
LittleLizard Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Latin America, Uruguay Posts: 3,380 (2.06/day) Thanks: 339 Thanked 584 Times in 516 Posts System Specs	thx, i already read a review of that one but the version non gtx, as i said before, u should do reviews here at tpu __________________ "oh no, i make a very good person. I eat poop and sleep just like everyone else. My sense of humour just happens to fall under the DnD category of Chaotic Evil." - Mussels "I was expecting a line of EVGA FTW condoms or something like that." - DrPepper "I like my sex like my basketball, one on one, and with as little dribbling as possible" - Robert-The-Rambler

System Name:	The Lizard
Processor:	Intel Core 2 Duo E4600
Motherboard:	Zotac G41 MAT-A-E
Cooling:	Intel Stock Fan
Memory:	2GB Kingston Value DDR2 @ PC2 5300
Video Card:	XFX GeForce 8600 GT 512mb DDR2
Hard Disk:	160GB Samsung F1 Sata
Optical Drive:	Samsung WriteMaster DVD R/RW
CRT/LCD Model:	AOC 917Sw 19' LCD
Case:	Generic Black Case
Sound Card:	Onboard Realtek
PSU:	Biswal 500W
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Jan 20, 2009, 01:31 AM	#6
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	The cooler is a massive one. I won't lie about that. If your one that used all their slots, then it's not worth the buy. The Gtx 260/280 cards don't even need the thought of a aftermarket cooler. To be honest about it. The only reason one would put on this cooler is to see if they can cool the card better and not as loud as the card's at 100%... And to me, it did just that with the fact of setting up the cooler you want. I used the Zalman cooler on my 3870 and loved it. Just had to make sure, to dust it ever more so then when I had the stock cooler on it... I told trt that once he showed me that link, I would try it. Why not? it's all ways fun to mod anything and everything of your system!! __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware

Jan 20, 2009, 01:36 AM	#7
DonInKansas Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 4,261 (1.95/day) Thanks: 779 Thanked 1,273 Times in 1,007 Posts System Specs	I'm pretty surprised your temps were as high as they were running passively. Isn't this cooler designed to run at good temps passively? __________________ Sneekypeet on my disappearance from TPU: "He went to school for a while to learn how to deal with douchebags and delight in pastries and exotic coffees....or in English, he is a cop now." You know what time it is......

Processor:	Core i5 750
Motherboard:	Gigabyte p55-ud3r
Cooling:	Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
Memory:	Geil 2133mhz DDR3
Video Card:	XFX 6870
Hard Disk:	120GB GSkill Phoenix Pro, 640GB WD Black
Optical Drive:	Sony DVDRW SATA
CRT/LCD Model:	LG 23" 1920x1080
Case:	Antec One
Sound Card:	Onboard
PSU:	Antec HCG 620W
Software:	Windows 7 Pro x64

Jan 20, 2009, 01:57 AM	#13
kiriakost Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Volos, Greece Posts: 848 (0.53/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 72 Times in 65 Posts System Specs	look , you zoomed too much , no one can see the total picture of the box, i gave a friendly advice , that possibly lost in the translation.

System Name:	Shut up and take my money! \| Fatal Error
Processor:	Core i7 3820 @ 4.9GHz, 129 x 38 \| Core2 Duo E8400 E0
Motherboard:	Asus ROG Rampage IV Extreme \| EVGA 790i Ultra SLI
Cooling:	Corsair H100i \| Q6600 Stock cooler
Memory:	4x 4GB Samsung 30nm LP HYK0 DDR3-1600 @ 2408 1T \| 2x 2GB A-Data DDR3-2000
Video Card:	2x AMD HD7970 flashed to XFX Black Editions, EVGA GTS250 for Physx \| Zotac 9800GTX+
Hard Disk:	Samsung SSD 830 256GB \| Too many, lol.
CRT/LCD Model:	Achieva Shimian QH270-IPSI 27" 2560x1440 \| HP w2207h 1680x1050
Case:	Silverstone Kublai 04 \| Chenming 601ae-BLU
Sound Card:	RM-DAC -> Xiang Sheng 708b -> Sennheiser HD650
PSU:	Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1200w \| Enermax Liberty 620W
Software:	Win 7 64
Benchmarks:	9001 BungholioMarks, "Bitchin' Fast"

Jan 20, 2009, 02:00 AM	#16
kiriakost Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Volos, Greece Posts: 848 (0.53/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 72 Times in 65 Posts System Specs	My personal interest was to see if it is spacy enough . Passive cooling needs space . Lots of it .

Jan 20, 2009, 02:02 AM	#17
Binge Overclocking Surrealism Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PA, USA Posts: 6,065 (3.55/day) Thanks: 948 Thanked 1,768 Times in 1,308 Posts System Specs	Love the review Keep it Cold! __________________ I UNITE streamers and content providers on TPU! My Heatware Matias Quiet Pro (PC) / KBTalking Pro / Das Keyboard Professional S

System Name:	Molly
Processor:	i5 3570K
Motherboard:	Z77 ASRock
Cooling:	CooliT Eco
Memory:	2x4GB Mushkin Redline Ridgebacks
Video Card:	Gigabyte GTX 680
Case:	Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced
PSU:	Corsair HX-1000

System Name:	Monolith
Processor:	Intel Xeon E3110 Wolfdale@3.5GHz
Motherboard:	MSI P35-Neo
Cooling:	Active Air
Memory:	4GB DDR2 800
Video Card:	Sapphire HD 3850 512MB PCI-E
Hard Disk:	1 x 80GB Internal, 1 x 250GB Internal, 1 x 40GB External
Optical Drive:	Asus CD/DVD Burner, 1.44MB Floppy Drive!!!!!!!
CRT/LCD Model:	Acer X203w
Case:	Generic black case with locking front bezel
Sound Card:	Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS
PSU:	500 Watt Seasonic M12
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Jan 20, 2009, 02:26 AM	#19
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	Well for the passive part of it, I still have the 88cfm fan blowing towards the card like all ways, and two 40mm fans doing the exhaust of the air. __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware

Jan 20, 2009, 02:29 AM	#20
Thermopylae_480 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Little Rock Arkansas, United States Posts: 2,656 (0.91/day) Thanks: 40 Thanked 417 Times in 287 Posts System Specs	Not a huge deal. Interesting, and glad you shared. __________________ All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.

Jan 20, 2009, 02:34 AM	#21
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	I just don't get why it was even hit up. Most reviews will never show the set-up of the system. You see what the system is, word wise, but then that's it. No matter if it's passive or not.. That's the only reason I was asking the guy why do I need a picture of the case itself.. It's of a product... We don't egg on the reviews here because they don't show the whole set up... I'd trust a review here, over any one's review.. __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware

Jan 20, 2009, 03:02 AM	#22
trt740 Eligible for custom title Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 10,186 (3.97/day) Thanks: 1,578 Thanked 1,135 Times in 960 Posts System Specs	very nice review, very nice To heck with anyone who says different, not a single review I have seen on this forum does a better job than his.

Processor:	Intel 2500K Sandy Bridge 4.9ghz 1.384v 24/7 5.0ghz whenever
Motherboard:	Asus Sabertooh 1155 motherboard rev.3.0
Cooling:	Pro Meg 79CF120mm x2 fans,200mm front intake fan, 200 mm top fan, 120mm rear fan,140 mm PSU fan
Memory:	8GB Mushkin Redline 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 6 8 6 24 t1
Video Card:	OEM GTX660 1.5GB
Hard Disk:	Wester Digital Black Edition 32MB 7200 RPM 1TB SATA 3.0 ,CAVALIER SE 16MB 640GB SATA 3.0 DRIVE
Optical Drive:	1 BLACK LG DVD BURNERS
CRT/LCD Model:	BLACK ASUS LCD 24 inch monitor 1080P x1920
Case:	Corsair Obsidian Series 650D black brushed aluminum and steel case
Sound Card:	Sound Blaster Live 24 bit 7.1
PSU:	Thermaltake 850 watt SLI 140mm silent fan Tough Power
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate 64

Jan 20, 2009, 03:07 AM	#23
Cold Storm Battosai Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In a library somewhere on this earth Posts: 10,566 (5.15/day) Thanks: 4,239 Thanked 3,047 Times in 2,493 Posts System Specs	Thank you Trt. I do want to stress that I'm not trying to go at anyone. I just don't see how taking and showing your case is part of a review. The people on here, and of other sites do great jobs on reviews, and from them I try to make my own... __________________ The only way success is before work, is in the dictionary Support for the mind. Support for your hardware

Jan 20, 2009, 12:36 PM	#25
thoughtdisorder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Just South of Mars Posts: 1,168 (0.59/day) Thanks: 194 Thanked 287 Times in 248 Posts System Specs	Excellent Review CS! Very well written and thorough! Glad it worked out in your set up! __________________ “The Illuminati stole my puppy and locked my DDR2 at 800 Mhz. The bastards.” -TheMailMan78 Help Nirvana Beach grow! BSOD Screen Saver GamePowerUp!

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