What's wrong with Thermaltake?

[BonzaiDuck]

Actually, the experience with the "PurePower" or "Xaser" ThermalTake PSU's is not uncommon to a lot of PSUs. They only have to be within +/- 2% of the spec requirement. If you get 11.75V on the 12V rail, that's right on the lower end of the range.

I got two Purepower 480's from ZipZoomFly last year -- ThermalTake products. One went into an upgrade for a family member who lives 15 miles from here, the other went into my January, 2003 computer build. That latter one is still chugging along with a constant sampling of 12.07V on the 12 volt rail, 5.08V on the 5V rail, and 3.29 on the 3.3V rail.

As I say in another post, this is very much like the IBM exec who thought they'd never be able to sell a PC, because it "didn't have the weight" of a "real" computer. In this case, TT's marketing department wants to sell to case-modder's and adolescents who, like trout in the stream watching for Norman McLean's "red-streamer", go goo-gah over the gawdy gadgets.

But in the case of some of their heatpipe-heatsink products and some of their fans, the extra lipstick and gawdy dressing does not preclude them from engineering a reliable and effective product for the price. Just because you paint a whore doesn't mean that she's not "beautiful" underneath. It's the paint and mercenary behavior that makes her ugly.

The other thing I've noticed about the Taiwanese firm (or is it Korean?) -- they're tap-dancing like crazy to capture more market share, because -- even if they "copy" some of their designs from others, they keep producing new models at an amazing rate. Compare, for instance, the number of different heatsinks they offer as opposed to Zalman. Yet, in comparison reviews a year or more ago, the Zalman heatsinks like the CNPS-7000 got a run for the money against items like the Spark 7+ and the PIPE101.

I had some correspondence from a ThermalRIGHT tech-rep during inquiries I made about the XP120 and XP90. He joked with me that "it will be the end of time before a ThermalRight Heatsink gets trumped by a ThermalTake product." Yet, my PIPE101 cools every bit as well as a Zalman CNPS-7000-Cu, and I'm not sure I can detect all that much difference between the PIPE101 and the ThermalRight XP120. But the improvement in weight and "fan-adaptability" is enough to keep me from returning to the PIPE101.

 

[CraigRT]

I hate Thermaltake just based on their ugly junk cases (Xaser anyone), and the fact that most of their heatsinks sound like Jet engines (not all but some)

not a fan of theirs overall.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
I hate Thermaltake just based on their ugly junk cases (Xaser anyone), and the fact that most of their heatsinks sound like Jet engines (not all but some)

not a fan of theirs overall.

<cough>Bullshi*<cough>

I have a Xaser3, it's not loud, it's well built, it rocks reviews.

http://www.tomshardware.com/ho...28/case_review-51.html

Thermaltake's new Xaser III is our second Editors Choice award selection. This case is incredible and packs almost everything but the kitchen sink into one slick package. While we are not in love with the orange 80mm fans that Thermaltake uses (because they're orange), this case was the only case to receive a perfect score of "10" for cooling potential. It is amazing that you can get this many fans into a case! If you want the ultimate configuration, certainly Thermaltake has it covered with the Xaser III.

http://www.tomshardware.com/ho...17/case_review-77.html

It is not a surprise that our Honorable Mention in the high-end/enthusiast area is awarded to Thermaltake for its VA-3000A Skull Series case. The VA-3000A does not offer the high-gloss, high-quality paint of the Wave Master, but Thermaltake has put together an excellent package that will be extremely attractive to many gamers.

http://www.overclockercafe.com...Tt_Xaser_III/pg_7.html

If you are looking for a new box with plenty of ventilation and features the Xaser III is without question the case. The box really is that good.

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-67-6.htm

The Xaser III is nonetheless one of the finest products I've ever had the pleasure of working with and I'm privelged to award it a hardCOREware "I AM HARDCORE" award.

http://www.cooltechzone.com/re...s/cases/lanfire_12.php

In Conclusion, we strongly recommend the Xaser III Lanfire Series case

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=1792&amp;p=9

The Xaser III easily competes with any Lian Li and Cooler Master unit on the market right now, even with the 200USD price tag

But what do these reviewers know? The famous Craig says Thermaltake cases are "junk", not as good as any on the market like the reviewers. We should probably trust Craig. :roll:

BTW- Love my Xaser 3!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Yes -- that 60mm or 70mm on the Spark 7 was a whining bitch. Think about it though. How long has "water-cooling" been with us? I was building 1.8A P-4's in early 2002, when I decided to junk the stock HSF for a -- what was it? -- a ThermalTake Volcano? A Volcano 5? or was it the Volcano 7? When did the Koolance EXOS first hit the market? It seemed the first time I ever saw one of those things was at InfoTech(now)'s store in Tacoma, WA on Federal Way.

In those days -- not ancient history after all because it was only between two and three years ago -- people were just starting to deal with the heat problem, especially if they were not over-clocking their machines. What sort of cooling problems, after all, plagued the Pentium III? So the earlier HSF solutions had whining, screaming 60mm and 70mm fans on them.

It was not that long ago when I put an 80mm TT Smart fan on a simple copper heatsink. At first, you learned to tune it down to 4,000 rpm -- no -- 3,500 rpm -- because the noise at 6,000 was like Banshees from the Ninth-Circle of Hell.

Then, after not too much time, you decided that the Devil was still with you at 3,500 rpm.

I quickly lost my enthusiasm for the TT 80mm Smart Fan 2.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Stand firm alongside your Xaser III case, Rollo. I've seen those things, and they looked impressive for the cooling design and component accommodations.

I think one has to get used to the idea of a computer case as cultural artifact. Here I was, 20-years-worth of being in the midst of the micro-computer revolution, and "all business". I sneered at people who played games on computers. To me, the purpose of computers was the triangulation of matrices or Gaussian elimination of multiple equation arrays to figure out the best way for Southland Corporation to move their trucks across the landscape and deliver corn-nuts and twinkies to 7-11 stores. Or running statistical software performing discriminant analysis based on interpenetrating replicated samples stratified according to Neymann's "optimal allocation". Or doing time-series analysis of business cycles to test "rational expectations" models of the economy.

"Games? We ain't got no stinkeen games! What do we need stinkeen' games for?"

I was determined to do my Pentium 4 builds with IBM-beige full-tower business-office cases -- no lights, no windows. Then, I tested my first Blue LED fan (yes -- from ThermalTake). I thought it was neato, no Banshees from hell, plenty of throughput, and the electric-blue glow infected my imagination. I might leave the beige alone, but I'm scoping out some plexi-glass for a case-interior project tomorrow, hoping the scrap afterward will be enough for a "window".

Look-out, cold-cathode-lights -- here I come!!

 

[KevinH]

Originally posted by: chilled

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
ALL of their products are noisy.
-Kevin

My SilentBoost resents you saying that.

TT do produce a load of junk but they do make a few good items as well. Their customer service for me has been second to none though.

BTW, TT get their PSU's from Enlight.

Wow. I have a Silent boost in my AthlonXP rig and that thing is FAR from silent. If that's silent to you...fair enough but believe me when I say putting in an Panaflo L1A made a HUGE difference. There's a large thread on silentpcreview about how craptacular the sound is on the Silent boost. For what it's worth...as just a heatsink it's actually not bad as coupled with the L1A it was a great HSF.

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Stand firm alongside your Xaser III case, Rollo. I've seen those things, and they looked impressive for the cooling design and component accommodations.

I think one has to get used to the idea of a computer case as cultural artifact. Here I was, 20-years-worth of being in the midst of the micro-computer revolution, and "all business". I sneered at people who played games on computers. To me, the purpose of computers was the triangulation of matrices or Gaussian elimination of multiple equation arrays to figure out the best way for Southland Corporation to move their trucks across the landscape and deliver corn-nuts and twinkies to 7-11 stores. Or running statistical software performing discriminant analysis based on interpenetrating replicated samples stratified according to Neymann's "optimal allocation". Or doing time-series analysis of business cycles to test "rational expectations" models of the economy.

"Games? We ain't got no stinkeen games! What do we need stinkeen' games for?"

I was determined to do my Pentium 4 builds with IBM-beige full-tower business-office cases -- no lights, no windows. Then, I tested my first Blue LED fan (yes -- from ThermalTake). I thought it was neato, no Banshees from hell, plenty of throughput, and the electric-blue glow infected my imagination. I might leave the beige alone, but I'm scoping out some plexi-glass for a case-interior project tomorrow, hoping the scrap afterward will be enough for a "window".

Look-out, cold-cathode-lights -- here I come!!

The Xaser is teh roxor. One of very few cases that offer what I'd call actual "cooling".

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Figure that the sheer number of poor, midrange and excellent heatsinks and other cooling products defines the company's objectives for a market niche.

It only stands to reason they might actually design a case that facilitates cooling as much or more than other sheet-metal fabricators.

 

[mauiblue]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
I hate Thermaltake just based on their ugly junk cases (Xaser anyone), and the fact that most of their heatsinks sound like Jet engines (not all but some)

not a fan of theirs overall.

I built my first computer system this past summer and I decided to go with the Thermaltake I have (Xaser V 6000A) because of the value (case fans, psu, and misc. items all included) it offered to this first-time computer builder. I saw a few reviews about about Thermaltake cases on the Internet (as Rollo mentioned in his post) and I liked what I saw. I've installed a slew of hard drives (4 internal/2 external) two optical drives, etc., and the 420 watt psu keeps on performing without a hitch.

I'm glad that my choice in computer case/psu enabled me to build a stable and, yes, good looking system. Mi dos centavos.

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: Computer MAn

Originally posted by: Operandi
[
Newegg reivews are next to useless.....

I agree. Look at this review of a P4EEhere the top review said his beat out an FX-55. I know this has nothing to do with coolers but it shows how worthless those reviews can be.

Come, come. The fact that you can point to individual nonsensical reviews at a site is pretty weak evidence that the reviews in general at that site are nonsensical. ANY individual review is just one data point, and much more apt to be unreliable. I would hope anyone researching a cooler or any other item tries to get find what the consensus is on that item.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Rollo

Originally posted by: CraigRT
I hate Thermaltake just based on their ugly junk cases (Xaser anyone), and the fact that most of their heatsinks sound like Jet engines (not all but some)

not a fan of theirs overall.

<cough>Bullshi*<cough>

I have a Xaser3, it's not loud, it's well built, it rocks reviews.

http://www.tomshardware.com/ho...28/case_review-51.html

Thermaltake's new Xaser III is our second Editors Choice award selection. This case is incredible and packs almost everything but the kitchen sink into one slick package. While we are not in love with the orange 80mm fans that Thermaltake uses (because they're orange), this case was the only case to receive a perfect score of "10" for cooling potential. It is amazing that you can get this many fans into a case! If you want the ultimate configuration, certainly Thermaltake has it covered with the Xaser III.

http://www.tomshardware.com/ho...17/case_review-77.html

It is not a surprise that our Honorable Mention in the high-end/enthusiast area is awarded to Thermaltake for its VA-3000A Skull Series case. The VA-3000A does not offer the high-gloss, high-quality paint of the Wave Master, but Thermaltake has put together an excellent package that will be extremely attractive to many gamers.

http://www.overclockercafe.com...Tt_Xaser_III/pg_7.html

If you are looking for a new box with plenty of ventilation and features the Xaser III is without question the case. The box really is that good.

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-67-6.htm

The Xaser III is nonetheless one of the finest products I've ever had the pleasure of working with and I'm privelged to award it a hardCOREware "I AM HARDCORE" award.

http://www.cooltechzone.com/re...s/cases/lanfire_12.php

In Conclusion, we strongly recommend the Xaser III Lanfire Series case

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=1792&p=9

The Xaser III easily competes with any Lian Li and Cooler Master unit on the market right now, even with the 200USD price tag

But what do these reviewers know? The famous Craig says Thermaltake cases are "junk", not as good as any on the market like the reviewers. We should probably trust Craig. :roll:

BTW- Love my Xaser 3!

you're one of a kind.. that case is FUGLY!

 

[CharlesMcKinney]

Well, as I'm probably the least versed member so far in this thread as far as hardware goes, I must say that TT overall is not that bad of a company. As long as people use common sense. I must say that I haven't been overly disappointed with any of the products I've bought from their company.

That said, I do have one gripe about their products....their fans are LOUD!!!! I used to own a Volcano 11+ Xazer Edition, and my case sounded like a turbine being brought up to speed! I later replaced that with a Silentboost, and I must say I've been pleased with it. Since then I have replaced the fan on the Silentboost, as I have been quieting my computer, and it was the only thing louder than my Nv5. The heatsink itself seems fine though, and of good quality. Their fans are just crap, that's all...my $0.02

Again, some argue that they make flashy, junk cases. Well, I was lured by the Tsunami, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also, they make the junk because there is a market for it. If people didn't buy these stupid, flashy things, they wouldn't keep producing more.

That said, exercise some caution: friends don't let friends buy cigarette lighters/cupholders for their computers

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: shira

Originally posted by: Computer MAn

Originally posted by: Operandi
[
Newegg reivews are next to useless.....

I agree. Look at this review of a P4EEhere the top review said his beat out an FX-55. I know this has nothing to do with coolers but it shows how worthless those reviews can be.

Come, come. The fact that you can point to individual nonsensical reviews at a site is pretty weak evidence that the reviews in general at that site are nonsensical. ANY individual review is just one data point, and much more apt to be unreliable. I would hope anyone researching a cooler or any other item tries to get find what the consensus is on that item.

Why in the world did you bump this thread. It was dead for almost 2 months!!

-Kevin

 

[jblaty]

I'm having a big problem with the Thermaltake BigWater liquid cooling system...

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=37&threadid=1509762&enterthread=y

 

[Tarrant64]

I've only bought one thermaltake product i believe, and it was the Venus 12. I've never been dissapointed with it and have been more than satisfied with it's performance. And if I ever wanted to make noise i can just turn the fan up to full and listen to it hum away(better than listening to my raptors i can tell you that...).

I believe that they've improved from what I've seen in the past, and they got some pretty awesome cases as of late. Definetely worth trying out even if you've had bad past experiences. everyone has their ups and downs ya know.

 

[Rogue 2]

I guess if you're used to BMW, Ford sucks. And if you're used to Yugo, Ford's an upgrade. Maybe TT's the Ford of the computing world?

 

[dgevert]

Just to give a little perspective here...I have an NZXT Guardian case (silver)...and I find the Thermaltake cases gaudy.

I'd like to know what kind of fans you're using, if you have 8 80mm fans and they're still quiet.

 

[Injury]

They used to make crap, but their stuff HAS gotten better.

However, the price to performance comparison is bad. There are still many products (usually a few bucks cheaper) that perform better than their stuff.

 

[Waylay00]

It's all a matter of opinion about the looks of the cases. The older consumer (25+) typically doesn't like Thermaltake products, whilst the younger consumer does. Yes, I admit some of their products aren't the best, but that doesn't mean that the company as a whole is bad. Learn to be objective people . Personally I love my Tsunami, but then again, I just turned 13.

 

[Rogue 2]

I'm an old fart (soon to be 28! Ack!) and I think I agree with you Waylay - I just want something that works, in fact I have my eye on an Antec case that has a front door just so my kids stop banging into the reset button by accident!

 

[Waylay00]

Yes, actually in my opinion Antec > Thermaltake, but computer building has now become the popular thing at my school (go figure?), so I needed something with some flashiness. I really liked the looks of the Tsunami, so that's why I ended up buying it. But if I were to place something in my living room or kitchen, I would definatley pick the Sonata.

 

[Zee]

I remember i bought a TT HSF Volcano 7+ and the bottom was anything but Smooth. I didnt feel like sanding it down so I RMA'd it and got back another one... with the same rough surface.

TT's quality is garbage.

 

[thelostjs]

well i built a xaser III sytem and i intend to give you guys my review of it..

its friggin gigantic (i have a micro case)
its super heavy
the front panel is awesome really high quality anodized aluminum ill say its around 3mm at its thinnest to 6 at its thickest.. its very strong ps the lock is cool
the 7 fans are not all that loud even turned up all the way... they run at a maximum of five volts i"think"
the fan controller temerature probe didnt work...
compared too the other computer that was there 2x120mm fans (one thermally controlled running min rpm and a psu with dual fans (manual speed adjust at half) and a stock lga775 cooler the xaser was quieter but not by much and it is definately not a "silent" computing solution..
it is extremly well built best ive ever seen (im pretty limited in experience)

bottom line i liked it... but would i buy one? no.. it comes down to a matter of taste

 

[McArra]

I have used a TT 480W PSU which had the weak 12V, but it was very quiet, it made less noise than ZALMAN idling, so noise obviously wasn't a problem. Now see my rig, this PSU is SUPERB and voltages are rock solid, with 12.08-12.14V which I suppose is how it should work It's really silent (1400rpm in the fans, auto-controlled)... just great...

 

[MalfurionStormrage]

Originally posted by: Waylay00
It's all a matter of opinion about the looks of the cases. The older consumer (25+) typically doesn't like Thermaltake products, whilst the younger consumer does. Yes, I admit some of their products aren't the best, but that doesn't mean that the company as a whole is bad. Learn to be objective people . Personally I love my Tsunami, but then again, I just turned 13.

I'm 38 and just bought my wife the Tsunami case after telling her that that's the one wrapping my new computer. So, here's someone in the "older" generation who likes the Tsunami as well.

Oh, and her temps dropped 10 c as soon as we got her system into the new case. Not bad for a supposed 'crap' product.