Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme: Is More Better?
by Wesley Fink on March 7, 2007 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Final Words
The Tuniq Tower 120 has solidly maintained the top position in our heatpipe tower tests until our recent review of the Thermalright Ultra 120 with a Scythe S-Flex fan. The Ultra 120 did not really pass the excellent Tuniq in cooling ability, but it did impress us with its ability to match the results achieved with the Tuniq Tower 120. Cooling with the Scythe S-Flex fan also achieved the same cooling with lower noise levels, but we are confident the Tuniq would perform similarly if the S-Flex was used for cooling the Tuniq.
With the Ultra 120 and the Tuniq we were comfortable that air cooling was about as good as you could get. It was with that skepticism that we began a closer look at Thermalright's upgrade to the Ultra 120, which they dub the Ultra 120 Extreme. Two more heatpipes are fine, we supposed, but could they really make that much difference in performance? More is often not better, and the simplicity of an effective design is often the better choice.
With the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, the extra heatpipes do work, and they work very well. The improvements in cooling efficiency with the Ultra 120 Extreme over the Tuniq and Ultra 120 are nothing short of amazing. One glance at the Stress performance scaling chart on page four will show you all you need to know about the Ultra 120 Extreme. Instead of a "me-too" results curve mirroring the Tuniq and Ultra 120, the Ultra Extreme sets a whole new performance level. A 6C improvement in cooling at 3.90GHz is nothing to sneeze at, and these are typical Extreme performance results.
We don't know the final selling price for the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, but unless it is a lot more than the Ultra 120 you should definitely opt for the Extreme model. The performance improvement is definitely worthwhile. The Ultra Extreme also maintains the same appealing looks we enjoy with the original Ultra 120.
There are no real penalties with the performance of the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, and all the features we look for in a quality cooler are present. However, Thermalright still has a bit of work to do on the Socket 775 adapter that will ship with the Ultra Extreme. Where it barely fits on Ultra 120, the 775 adapter will fit between the heatpipes on the original Ultra 120 and effectively mount a Core 2 Duo. However, with closer heatpipes on the Ultra 120 Extreme, the 775 adapter will not fit between the heatpipes.
You have to bend and weaken the metal 775 adapter to pass it through the pipes, and then straighten it out for mounting. If you are careful this will work, but it is not the kind of mounting we expect to see with a top-end cooler like the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. We sincerely hope Thermalright will make the necessary corrections to the Socket 775 adapter to fix this problem. Most enthusiasts these days will be using a Core 2 Duo for their overclocking system and requiring end users to bend cast metal is not a good solution.
You will have no problems with the AM2 or AMD 754/939/940 adapters fitting, and thankfully Thermalright is including the AM2 adapter with the Ultra Extreme - it is no longer a separate option as it is with the original Ultra 120. When and if Thermalright corrects the Socket 775 adapter design they will have the most ideal air cooling solution we have tested so far.
The Ultra 120 was the first cooler tested that could effectively cool a stock Core 2 Duo without a fan. The Ultra 120 Extreme should extend the usefulness of the fanless solution even further. The two extra heatpipes dramatically improve cooling in stress conditions, and this should also improve fanless operation. This works best when you use a fanless Ultra 120 Extreme in a case with a down-facing power supply fan and/or a rear system cooling fan that will help draw air over the heatsink. You will also get better performance by paying careful attention to airflow and exhaust in the case design. This is true with any effective fanless design.
When combined with the Scythe S-Flex SFF21F fan the Ultra 120 Extreme extends the records set by the Ultra 120. You need to keep in mind that the cooling fan can make a dramatic difference in the performance of a heatsink. The Scythe S-Flex SFF21F appears a good balance between high air movement (63.7CFM) and low noise (generally below the system noise floor) in our test bed. You may have other requirements, and there are Scythe and Noctua fans available that will fit the Ultra 120 Extreme with noise levels as low as 8 dB-A.
We asked at the beginning of this review if more is better. In the case of the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme the answer is a solid "Yes it is". The Tuniq Tower 120 and original Thermalright Ultra 120 remain very competitive heatpipe towers. In that same ball park are the Cooler Master Hyper 6+ and the Scythe Infinity with push-pull fans. You will not be disappointed in any of these coolers. However, the best air cooler we have tested is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. It cools better at all speeds and overclocks, and overclocks the processor further than any air CPU cooler we have tested. We look forward to seeing it on retail shelves, and performance enthusiasts should definitely try to find an Ultra 120 Extreme to cool their processor when it hits the retail channel.
The Tuniq Tower 120 has solidly maintained the top position in our heatpipe tower tests until our recent review of the Thermalright Ultra 120 with a Scythe S-Flex fan. The Ultra 120 did not really pass the excellent Tuniq in cooling ability, but it did impress us with its ability to match the results achieved with the Tuniq Tower 120. Cooling with the Scythe S-Flex fan also achieved the same cooling with lower noise levels, but we are confident the Tuniq would perform similarly if the S-Flex was used for cooling the Tuniq.
With the Ultra 120 and the Tuniq we were comfortable that air cooling was about as good as you could get. It was with that skepticism that we began a closer look at Thermalright's upgrade to the Ultra 120, which they dub the Ultra 120 Extreme. Two more heatpipes are fine, we supposed, but could they really make that much difference in performance? More is often not better, and the simplicity of an effective design is often the better choice.
With the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, the extra heatpipes do work, and they work very well. The improvements in cooling efficiency with the Ultra 120 Extreme over the Tuniq and Ultra 120 are nothing short of amazing. One glance at the Stress performance scaling chart on page four will show you all you need to know about the Ultra 120 Extreme. Instead of a "me-too" results curve mirroring the Tuniq and Ultra 120, the Ultra Extreme sets a whole new performance level. A 6C improvement in cooling at 3.90GHz is nothing to sneeze at, and these are typical Extreme performance results.
We don't know the final selling price for the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, but unless it is a lot more than the Ultra 120 you should definitely opt for the Extreme model. The performance improvement is definitely worthwhile. The Ultra Extreme also maintains the same appealing looks we enjoy with the original Ultra 120.
There are no real penalties with the performance of the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, and all the features we look for in a quality cooler are present. However, Thermalright still has a bit of work to do on the Socket 775 adapter that will ship with the Ultra Extreme. Where it barely fits on Ultra 120, the 775 adapter will fit between the heatpipes on the original Ultra 120 and effectively mount a Core 2 Duo. However, with closer heatpipes on the Ultra 120 Extreme, the 775 adapter will not fit between the heatpipes.
You have to bend and weaken the metal 775 adapter to pass it through the pipes, and then straighten it out for mounting. If you are careful this will work, but it is not the kind of mounting we expect to see with a top-end cooler like the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. We sincerely hope Thermalright will make the necessary corrections to the Socket 775 adapter to fix this problem. Most enthusiasts these days will be using a Core 2 Duo for their overclocking system and requiring end users to bend cast metal is not a good solution.
You will have no problems with the AM2 or AMD 754/939/940 adapters fitting, and thankfully Thermalright is including the AM2 adapter with the Ultra Extreme - it is no longer a separate option as it is with the original Ultra 120. When and if Thermalright corrects the Socket 775 adapter design they will have the most ideal air cooling solution we have tested so far.
The Ultra 120 was the first cooler tested that could effectively cool a stock Core 2 Duo without a fan. The Ultra 120 Extreme should extend the usefulness of the fanless solution even further. The two extra heatpipes dramatically improve cooling in stress conditions, and this should also improve fanless operation. This works best when you use a fanless Ultra 120 Extreme in a case with a down-facing power supply fan and/or a rear system cooling fan that will help draw air over the heatsink. You will also get better performance by paying careful attention to airflow and exhaust in the case design. This is true with any effective fanless design.
When combined with the Scythe S-Flex SFF21F fan the Ultra 120 Extreme extends the records set by the Ultra 120. You need to keep in mind that the cooling fan can make a dramatic difference in the performance of a heatsink. The Scythe S-Flex SFF21F appears a good balance between high air movement (63.7CFM) and low noise (generally below the system noise floor) in our test bed. You may have other requirements, and there are Scythe and Noctua fans available that will fit the Ultra 120 Extreme with noise levels as low as 8 dB-A.
We asked at the beginning of this review if more is better. In the case of the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme the answer is a solid "Yes it is". The Tuniq Tower 120 and original Thermalright Ultra 120 remain very competitive heatpipe towers. In that same ball park are the Cooler Master Hyper 6+ and the Scythe Infinity with push-pull fans. You will not be disappointed in any of these coolers. However, the best air cooler we have tested is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. It cools better at all speeds and overclocks, and overclocks the processor further than any air CPU cooler we have tested. We look forward to seeing it on retail shelves, and performance enthusiasts should definitely try to find an Ultra 120 Extreme to cool their processor when it hits the retail channel.
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PICBoy - Thursday, March 8, 2007 - link
Oops! actually on every table and image the name "PLUS" is used instead of Extreme. My bad, that's all!Spoelie - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
For the quieter power supplies, I'd look at the Seasonic S12+ series, and the Corsair HX series for a higher powered system.Why? That particular Seasonic is by many a reviewsite considered to be one of the quietest around, and starts ramping up the fan around 250w (depending on how much case cooling you have). The corsair is ~2dB louder in the low wattage scale, but only starts ramping up around 300w given the same conditions.
The ramping-up spot is pretty important, for example, before I had a Venice+x850xt and CM RealPower psu, this proved to be a pretty quiet combination. However, once I upgraded to an oc'd denmark+x1950xt, idle power jumped up and the PSU was already ramping up during idle. It only got worse under load, and I couldn't stand the noise at all. I replaced the PSU with a Corsair HX and have yet to actually hear it ramp up, the other TC fans in the system drown out any noise it makes.
A passively cooled mobo is standard these days, and a minimum of case airflow should be considered as well.
Frumious1 - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
Noise and performance tend to be conflicting goals. Sure, you can get a passively cooled motherboard, and with a down-facing PSU fan you can probably go fanless on the CPU (with something like an Ultra 120/120+). You should probably still mount a low RPM case fan, however, as a "good" PSU that doesn't ramp up fan speed is also not going to move a lot of air.The problem is, if you want to overclock all of that silent/fanless stuff becomes much more difficult (if not impossible). 680i motherboards are known to use quite a bit of power, and the chipsets definitely require active cooling if you want to do some real overclocking. Then you get higher CPU temperatures, and without active cooling on the CPU you tend to rapidly increase temperatures until the system crashes/shuts down.
The cooling test bed appears to be configured as a reasonable compromise between extremes. Some people want silence, some people want performance and quiet be damned, but most are just looking to build a reasonably fast and reasonably quiet PC - hopefully without breaking the bank. Besides, as Wes mentions above, SPCR already covers the "silence above all" market quite well. Why go up against them when there's a vast user base that has more moderate needs?
Spoelie - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
The thing is, with the right aftermarket parts, you can have a totally silent pc AND a high performance/overclocked one. There isn't a need for compromise, as long as you don't want to break any world records. I mean, even in this review, they have a core2 duo overclocked to 3.9ghz without any case air flow. I call that pretty high performance.http://www.jaha.be/ashop/?mod=product&cat_id=5...">http://www.jaha.be/ashop/?mod=product&cat_id=5... Thermalright HR05 for the chipset, this is a passive heatsink that dropped my chipset temperature 10°C over the standard HSF combo. Granted, I only have the DFI nForce4, but there are plenty of high performance alternatives for the 680i. Thermalright also has a good passive cooler for scorching hot ram: http://www.jaha.be/ashop/?mod=product&cat_id=5...">http://www.jaha.be/ashop/?mod=product&cat_id=5...
Choose a good case like the Antec P-series, put the silent psu's mentioned earlier in there, change the exhaust fan for a nice 1000rpm nexus/papst, get the reviewed heatsink (or a tuniq/scythe, it's not like i'm a thermalright fan) with another 1000rpm nexus/papst and you're set. All modern gpu standard cooling solutions can be made extremely quiet at idle with some software tweaking, so you'll only hear them when you're gaming. I guarantee the above combination will support heavy overclocking and be extremely quiet at the same time.
Spoelie - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
Hmmm just want to add that you do have a point about the moderate user not going to put all that aftermarket stuff in their pc, so the thing about the differing user bases is right. On the other hand, a moderate user isn't going to provide extra active cooling to overclock (or even have) a 680i.Baked - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
Nice review. Have the Ultra-120 on my C2D system. When I get the chance to get a C2Q, the Ultra-120+ is going in there.nrb - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
...is you need to actually benchmark the Tuniq Tower using the same S-Flex fan.Wesley Fink - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
One more time. If a cooler comes with a fan we test with that fan. We chose the S-Flex because the Ultra 120 and 120+ do NOT come with a fan, and the other fans we had available would not fit the Ultra 120/120+ clips. We may well test 120mm fans in the future, but we do not plan to do cooler reviews using several different aftermarket fans as a routine test procedure. We do our best to test the cooler as shipped.Having said that, it is likely a good idea to compare a few of the top-performing coolers using the same top-performing fan in a separate review. We agree that would be interesting.
PCTechNow - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
Why not go back and test the other coolers with the same fan used in this review? It would at least show if the fan or the cooler is making the difference. Better yet, take the fan off the Tuniq and test with it on the Thermalrights and see what the difference is.dm0r - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
Air cooling is gettin better and quieter this days...good to see a cooler that improves them both.I was choosing tuniq tower for my next desktop system but i liked the Thermalright ultra 120 in Noiseless cooling.Thanks AT for this review.BTW Any results difference between 120 and 120+ in noiseless cooling?