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Thermaltake are clearly going after the enthusiast performance crown with the release of their latest Frio Extreme cooler.
We noticed that this cooler managed to perform a little better than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE although the variables were so minor that we needed a diode to measure it accurately. Within a single degree Celsius was the final outcome. Technically however, on paper they have claimed the top spot.
I have previously mentioned some concerns with the Frio range of coolers, primarily some minor, yet sloppy engineering issues. Thermaltake have rectified this with the Extreme, it is actually one of the highest quality crafted heatsinks on the market. They haven't compromised in any regard and the mirror shine of the nickel plated copper base is an indication that they aren't messing around.
The Phanteks PH-TC14PE has already bested the Noctua NH D14, however the fans are much louder which ruined the experience a little for me. The Thermaltake Frio Extreme suffers from the same syndrome, especially when the fan controller is used to crank the fans to the limit. The Noctua NH D14 by comparison is always fairly quiet. The previous class leader can not be ignored in this regard.
Playing devils advocate, we aren't sure that the audience considering one of these coolers will be that concerned with a little extra fan noise, especially when the fans can be slowed down to compensate. Performance will obviously suffer a little, especially if running at the highest overclocked speeds is a prerequisite.
Pricing in the United Kingdom is around £75 inc vat, with Amazon weighing in with the best price, at £72.99 inc vat. This is around £2 more expensive than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE and £5 more expensive than the Noctua NH D14 from Amazon. It is expensive, but if you want the best aircooler on the market we doubt you will be disappointed.
Pros:
- One of the best air coolers on the market.
- Fantastic build quality.
- Dual fans supplied.
- dual fan controller supplied.
- thermal paste included.
Cons:
- It isn't cheap.
- Stiff competition at this price.
- Fans aren't the quietest.
Kitguru says: A very high performing cooler which will certainly satisfy the overclocking audience.
wow thats expensive. its good, but the prices are crazy for these coolers.
I still like the D14, but this is a good job. im glad they ditrched the plastic bit around it, made the fans easy to attach but it was sure to stop the airflow a little.
Very impressed with that, but i think the liquid coolers make more sense as you have a ton of room inside the case and no problems with memory fitting etc.
The all important question was never answered.
Can they technically get them any bigger in the future? 🙂
Great review.I’m still thinking which Air Cooler should I use when I buy the i7 3930k or the i73820
Very interesting read, thanks.
Nice to see Thermaltake finally challenging the highest performing air coolers on the market. What speed were the fans when running the cooling test? No doubt the Frio Extreme has shown good performance but the PH-TC14PE performs closely with much lower RPM fans which I bet are much quieter too.
As you said in the review though, the fan installation method seems awkward. They closely resemble the method used on Thermalright’s Silver Arrow, another heatsink which was a PITA to install fans onto.
Well done to Thermaltake though. Extra competition is usually good for the consumer :D!