When it comes to CPU heatsinks there is such a wide variety that it’s hard to even get an idea as to what’s good and what’s bad. Even once you figure out what performs, you have to figure out if it’s going to fit in your case. Thermaltake has provided us today with there V-1 heatsink. See what we thought.
Review Sample Provided by: Thermaltake
Review by: Garfi3ld
Pictures By: Garfi3ld
Packaging
Thermaltake designed the packaging around showing off the V-1. There isn’t much to hide on this one; they obviously take pride in there product. On the top of the front side there is a list of all of the processors that the cooler will be compatible with. The list includes Amd’s AM2, 939, and 754. It Is also compatible with Intel’s LGA775, this covers the past 3 years of hardware. Anyone with a semi recent computer wont have any compatibility issues with there processor. The back of the packaging list off a few of the features including a “mirror coating copper base” and “smart CPU & system thermal management. There is also a picture of the included fan speed controller; you can control the speed of the fan with a small knob going as low as 1300rpm and as high as 2000rpm.
Install
Test Rig
Antec LanBoy Case
Intel Q6700
Abit ip35 pro motherboard
8 gigs of HP2-6200 Mushkin Ram
Evga 8800GTS
Corsair 620 Power Supply
Razer AC-1 Sound card
Although Thermaltake provided clear instructions on installation, the shear size of the V-1 proved to make it difficult to install. The situation was multiplied by the case we were installing it in. The Antec LanBoy is a mid tower designed for easy travel. We ended up having to remove the power supply to have any access to two clips on the top. Once we figured out an easy way to access the clips everything went smoothly.
Performance
After putting the v-1 through weeks of abuse overclocking the q6700, its proven itself to be a great performer. I was able to reach stable speeds of 3.4 GHz over the stock 2.66 GHz. At that speed idle temps are running at 26°C. While running Prime95 load temps went up to 54°C. This is amazing in itself because they are lower than the temps we saw with the stock Intel cooler with stock clock speeds, respectfully the temps were 32°C idle and 55°C under load. Unfortunately we did not get temps at a comparable overclock, I was worried about overclocking with the stock cooler considering the temps we were seeing.
Overall
Thermaltake has once again proven that they can product a quality product that performs. The v1 has an interesting style that gets your attention right away. The blue lighting is a great addition. The performance speaks for itself, lower the stock temps with a nice overclock! The price of the v-1 is inline with other high end air cooling solutions. The only real downside would be the size of the V-1, but considering it fit without any problems into the LanBoy it shouldn’t be an issue with most normal mid tower cases.
5/5
Pros:
-Great performance
-Nice style
Cons:
-Big
