Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme: Is More Better?

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.