Thermalright Ultra 120 review!

[tareks]

Finally anandtech did a review of this wonderful heatsink confirming what many have been wondering about. It is just as good, if not better than the Tuniq Tower in every case, however what they don't explicitly say about it I think puts it over the top.

I've been reading everywhere that the TT is a pain to mount properly on the cpu. The screws either break, or it's hard to keep it from wiggling around while you're trying to screw in which can mess about with a nice proper contact, etc. The Ultra 120 seems very easy and logical to put together, and it also seems sturdier since it has a separate mounting mechanism!

Also, the Ultra 120 is actually available in stores!! *gasp* Imagine that, being able to actually find a heatsink which is better than the TT which everyone always goes on about without having to jump through hoops. I think the overall price of the Ultra 120 may be a bit higher due to having to buy a fan, but for the benefits it really sounds worth it.

Just my 2c anyways. I've been putting together a system for purchase later in the month, and I've been really stuck on which of these two heatsinks to buy as I haven't been able to find a good comparison of the two, but now thanks to anandtech it's here. Hopefully there'll be more talk of the Ultra 120 now on the forums, as I've been lurking for a long time and no one seems to want to use it...lol

 

[Operandi]

Not to put Anandtech down but other sites do heatsink reviews better.

Check out SPCR or Frostytech's review from months ago and you would already know the Ultra-120 is one of if not the best current heatsink available.

 

[thilanliyan]

I have this and it is much easier to mount than my previous Big Typhoon (old version) and it cools better too. Another plus is that it's not monstrously huge like other coolers....tall maybe but not especially bulky.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: Operandi
Not to put Anandtech down but other sites do heatsink reviews better.

Check out SPCR or Frostytech's review from months ago and you would already know the Ultra-120 is one of if not the best current heatsink available.

But..But...Wahhhhhh! I wanna be one of the bragging rights boys with a Tuniq. :laugh:

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I think I'm going to install the Ultra 120 instead of the SI-128, and I'll let the heatsinks on the P5N32-E SLI Plus work it out amongst themselves...

 

[RallyMaster]

Finally, a heatsink to replace all this crazy Tuniq hype. Go Thermalright.

 

[herbiehancock]

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Finally, a heatsink to replace all this crazy Tuniq hype. Go Thermalright.

I cannot believe all the "FINALLY.....a heatsink to replace Tuniq" statements flying around.

People are acting almost as if the Thermalright Ultra 120 JUST came onto the market. Seriously, if some of you ever spent some time on other forums or doing the least bit of research on heatsinks, you'd have seen LONG ago that the Ultra 120 has been close to, if not, the equal of the Tuniq Tower......


Sheesh...............

It's just Anandtech is just a tad late getting around to doing some heatsink comparisons....and everyone is acting like these are the first reviews of the components out there.....

Neoseeker did its review in July, 2006, over 8 months ago.......

SPCR did their review in August, 2006........

ProClockers did their review in September, 2006 and compared it to a Scythe Ninja.....

HardwareLogic did one in August, 2006, too.......

Madshrimps did one in October, 2006.......

Overclockers.com did a review of the Ultra-120 WAAAY back in May, 2006......

Overclockersonline.com (Used to be Frosty Tech) did a review of it back in July, 2006........


Why is all the above relevant? Because it seems that some around here never venture out of Anandtech, which shouldn't surprise anyone, I guess, as those same people probably rarely venture out of their own bedroom and into the real world outside their front doors...............OOooooo, it's so scary out there!!!

 

[JEDIYoda]

Actually there is no BEST of the Best heatsink......

The Tuniq and the Thermaltake are both right up there together.....
Depending on which sites review you look at you will find that there is no clear winner....
Both are real fine heatsinks!@!

 

[RallyMaster]

Originally posted by: herbiehancock

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Finally, a heatsink to replace all this crazy Tuniq hype. Go Thermalright.

I cannot believe all the "FINALLY.....a heatsink to replace Tuniq" statements flying around.

People are acting almost as if the Thermalright Ultra 120 JUST came onto the market. Seriously, if some of you ever spent some time on other forums or doing the least bit of research on heatsinks, you'd have seen LONG ago that the Ultra 120 has been close to, if not, the equal of the Tuniq Tower......


Sheesh...............

It's just Anandtech is just a tad late getting around to doing some heatsink comparisons....and everyone is acting like these are the first reviews of the components out there.....

Neoseeker did its review in July, 2006, over 8 months ago.......

SPCR did their review in August, 2006........

ProClockers did their review in September, 2006 and compared it to a Scythe Ninja.....

HardwareLogic did one in August, 2006, too.......

Madshrimps did one in October, 2006.......

Overclockers.com did a review of the Ultra-120 WAAAY back in May, 2006......

Overclockersonline.com (Used to be Frosty Tech) did a review of it back in July, 2006........


Why is all the above relevant? Because it seems that some around here never venture out of Anandtech, which shouldn't surprise anyone, I guess, as those same people probably rarely venture out of their own bedroom and into the real world outside their front doors...............OOooooo, it's so scary out there!!!

No sh1t, Sherlock. I'm just sick and tired of these Tuniq Tower threads all saying "OMFG my CPU cooler is teh 13370rz!" As JEDIYoda said, there is no best of the best. All of them are nearly the same and will give you similar overclocking results. My previous statement's purpose was solely to clarify that people should stop demanding the Tuniq so much and just settle with what they can find.

 

[Milque]

Now they tell me.. After I damn near lost my fingers and my motherboard installing a Tuniq..

Of course the review leaves me wondering since they did compare the two and the Scythe is an aftermarket fan.. How the Tower would perfrom with the Scythe instead of it's default fan (assuming that's possible.. I know people use aftermarket fans with the Tuniq, but I haven't actually looked into it..)

Ah well.. If I want it I can actually throw the CoolIT eliminator in there.. It DOES cool better than anything else I've seen.. (It's also NOISIER) than anything else I've seen..

 

[tylerdustin2008]

Hmm not in stock at the egg.... Ill stick with my Tuniq for now.

 

[buddhatb]

Does anyone know how wide of a computer case is required for the Thermalright Ultra 120?

 

[tareks]

Originally posted by: herbiehancock

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Finally, a heatsink to replace all this crazy Tuniq hype. Go Thermalright.

I cannot believe all the "FINALLY.....a heatsink to replace Tuniq" statements flying around.

People are acting almost as if the Thermalright Ultra 120 JUST came onto the market. Seriously, if some of you ever spent some time on other forums or doing the least bit of research on heatsinks, you'd have seen LONG ago that the Ultra 120 has been close to, if not, the equal of the Tuniq Tower......


Sheesh...............

It's just Anandtech is just a tad late getting around to doing some heatsink comparisons....and everyone is acting like these are the first reviews of the components out there.....

Neoseeker did its review in July, 2006, over 8 months ago.......

SPCR did their review in August, 2006........

ProClockers did their review in September, 2006 and compared it to a Scythe Ninja.....

HardwareLogic did one in August, 2006, too.......

Madshrimps did one in October, 2006.......

Overclockers.com did a review of the Ultra-120 WAAAY back in May, 2006......

Overclockersonline.com (Used to be Frosty Tech) did a review of it back in July, 2006........


Why is all the above relevant? Because it seems that some around here never venture out of Anandtech, which shouldn't surprise anyone, I guess, as those same people probably rarely venture out of their own bedroom and into the real world outside their front doors...............OOooooo, it's so scary out there!!!

Just let me clarify on my post...I didn't mean that anandtech was the first to do a review of the Ultra 120, I've seen most of the other reviews, but just that the anandtech was the first review I've seen that directly compares both heatsinks under similar conditions (specs, setups, etc) in an easy to read format. I haven't seen any of the other reviews do, or at least make it as easy to see the differences (or lack of) between the two heatinks, so I'm really happy w/ that. Made my buying decision easier, since I get just as good of a performer as the Tuniq, but with less hassle.

 

[PCTC2]

well, just to interject...
I just ordered one over the Tuniq. Finally got the cash flow. Straight up.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
I wanna be one of the bragging rights boys with a Tuniq. :laugh:

LoL!

Sorry! We aren't accepting new members until 2008...

 

[imported_Truenofan]

that cooler is straight evil....id enjoy having one of those in my comp...thermalright has been my fav since the slk-900u for my a xp 3200.

 

[alom]

i like ultra 90 because its weight.

i think ultra 120 is good at non-noise, but cooling efficiency less than tuniq tower 120.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Milque
Now they tell me.. After I damn near lost my fingers and my motherboard installing a Tuniq..

Of course the review leaves me wondering since they did compare the two and the Scythe is an aftermarket fan.. How the Tower would perfrom with the Scythe instead of it's default fan (assuming that's possible.. I know people use aftermarket fans with the Tuniq, but I haven't actually looked into it..)

Ah well.. If I want it I can actually throw the CoolIT eliminator in there.. It DOES cool better than anything else I've seen.. (It's also NOISIER) than anything else I've seen..

you have no clue do you.....
the CoolIT eliminator is liquid chilling solution and has nothing to do with air cooling by itself!!
doh...

 

[gramboh]

Originally posted by: Truenofan
that cooler is straight evil....id enjoy having one of those in my comp...thermalright has been my fav since the slk-900u for my a xp 3200.

I've got an SLK-900U on my P4 Northwood (running OC'd for 4 years now). Going to be picking up an Ultra 120 for my C2D build in the next few weeks. The new Ultra 120+ looks very impressive as well but I don't want to wait for it to come out.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Now how to cool the heat sinks coming off of the heatpipes on the 680i motherboards.

 

[Milque]

Ok, trying to parse what you just said..

a) You think I'm trying to cram a CoolIT Elimantor into my Tuniq Tower..? That's kind of funny..

b) You have some sort of ego attatchment to air cooling?

C'mon.. Don't care what the method.. Care about how cool, how loud, and how much..

CoolIT won on How cool (at least on my rig).. But it's LOUD..

And all of that is really besides the point anyway..

I was just asking since they're making such issue of the Thermalright with a specific aftermarket fan (The Scythe).. If anyone had tested it in the Tuniq Tower to see if it makes a difference there, as well...

 

[imported_Truenofan]

i still got my slk-900u, its sitting in a dresser drawer somewhere i think either that or its on my parents computer cooling it quite well right now.

 

[trisct]

There is one question I've never seen answered, though. If you take one of these heatpipe tower coolers, how does it work if you mount it horizontally in a tower case (like at least half of the builders)? Heatpipe technology, if I am not mistaken, relies on gravity to draw the condensed coolant back down to the transfer plate after it vaporizes and carries away the heat.

How the heck does that happen if you mount the thing in a tower case? All of the review photos I've ever seen show a motherboard flat on its back while testing - so maybe these superduper cooling towers are behaving completely differently in a tower case? I'd like to see a comparison of the orientations with a tower 120 someday!!

 

[NeoRecon]

I have mine in a tower case and it works just fine. 24C temps at idle when at stock configurations. 34C at 3Ghz fully loaded.

 

[Goi]

Well AT might not be the first to review the Tuniq or the Ultra 120, but it's the first website to review both of them, and under similar conditions too. Believe me I've googled. I ended up with a Tuniq, but hey it's still good. I haven't even installed it yet. Heck, I don't even have my new system yet