Thermaltake company is considered to be a major player in the market of cooling systems worldwide, and our country in particular. Perhaps there is no store of computer components, which are not visited at least one product of this company. We have already tested some of the new season of the new Thermaltake, including the leader of the coolers on heat pipes Big Typhoon and the water cooling system BigWater 735. Today we turn our attention to model a cooler with a more democratic value. Thermaltake Silent Tower is based on heat pipes, as well as representatives of the most productive of air cooling.
The cooler comes in a traditional plastic packaging for the company through which you can learn more on the counter of the store. The base package is placed a box in which there are fasteners, thermal grease, and instructions.
Silent Tower does not seem a huge colossus with heat pipes, as is the case with some of its competitors. On the other hand, the cooler is compact and only set the fan, it draws attention to its size. Structurally, provided that the fan will extend the air through the fins and throw it on the back side, so the slats gently removed in a blue jacket. With this setting, in a sense to be safe, because many users reported that overt and sharp edges left Zalman 9500 at the hands of multiple small cuts. On the side is a decorative transparent insert, which play on the name of the cooling system – represented a "tower". Dimensions cooler 86h80h138 mm.
As mentioned above, the present packing box with fasteners, thermal grease, and instructions for assembly. Fixing the system is traditional for Thermaltake, but if in the case of BigWater 735 she made a favorable impression, the installation of Silent Tower alone is better not to start, or a few tens of minutes of unpleasant emotions you will be provided. In the mounting system includes a universal pressure plate supporting Socket 478/775 for Intel and Socket A/754/939/940 for AMD, stiffener, the dielectric liner, adhesive pad, and a set of bolts, washers and nuts.
Specifications:
Size: 86x80x138 mm;
Material: copper base, aluminum fins;
6 heatpipes, 59 fins;
Fan size: 90h90h25 mm;
Fan speed: 2500 r / m;
Max. air flow: 52,24 CFM;
Noise level: 21 dB;
Type of bearings: 1 bearing a slip;
Weight: 640 g;
Platform: Intel P4 Socket T, Intel P4 478 to 3.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 / Athlon 64 FX, AMD Athlon XP up to 3400
The base is made from copper and has, again, the traditional treatment for the Thermaltake mediocre. It is smooth, but has no polishing. Before installing the cooler can be recommended to rub a certain amount of thermal paste to the base (eg, a finger in rubber gloves or a plastic bag). Thus, all the bumps filled with thermal paste is more effective than if it applied only to the processor. After performing this procedure, thermal grease on the processor can be applied over a thin layer.
Soldered to the base of the cooler three heatpipes. They are also made of copper, and the diameter is 6 mm. The space between the heat pipes filled with solder, not completely.
From the base of heat pipes rising vertically upward and are attached 59 aluminum fins. The ribs extend continuously from one side to another. Photo above shows that this "tapas" well purged. Indeed, the small fan speed any significant aerodynamic noise is absent. Free movement of air, and nothing prevents the cooler demonstrates a good performance.
Aluminum fins attached to heat pipes by dornirovaniya. To improve the thermal contact of each edge in the field of attachment to the heat pipe is a kind of skirt. Representatives of more expensive air-cooled, for example Zalman 9500, may offer a better thermal contact by soldering. But, in turn, Silent Tower, uses cheaper technology, so its cost is justified below, and the dependence of the thermal contact quality and the prices are not proportional. Ration increases the cost, and efficiency increases by a smaller amount. It can be assumed that the Silent Tower is initially the best combination of price and quality.
Cooler lets you set the fan on both sides. On the casing there are two sets of holes for the installation of 90 mm and 80 mm fans. In the photo above on the extra seat is installed 80mm fan, and when tested it was deleted (only cooler is working with the standard fan).
The company is particularly emphasizes the aerodynamic component of the fan, namely the slot in the housing. Indeed, if these cuts to close, the tone of the noise at maximum speed varies with the "hum" to "squeal."
Full-time fan has dimensions 90h90h25 mm and a maximum power consumption of 2.16 Tues The maximum speed achieved in 2500/10%, so the cooler is in such an environment can be called too noisy, however, as any model with such phrases. In the fan used a ball bearing and one roller bearing. MTBF is 60,000 hours.
Dimensions of the cooler is very moderate for such a class, so it does not prevent the installation of any components. If you so happened to compare culprit of today's review with Zalman 9500, we should recognize their similar size. However, setting the brainchild Thermaltake is not an example of complex engineering genius of Zalman. In the process of assembling really felt the need for an extra pair of hands, or at least one more right. Need to clarify what is required during installation to remove the motherboard. Next, you want to install stiffener to the back of the CPU socket. If the user chooses not to use the adhesive pad, it just takes more of a problem. You will need to keep your hands very motherboard, CPU cooler, the pressure plate in a groove cooler, so much so that the mounting holes match the holes on the motherboard (standard frame you want to delete.) Do not forget about the nuts and bolts, they not only need to hold, but also to try to wrap up. If the user would not experienced in the affairs of installation of cooling systems, and in addition he will be in the hands of expensive components, we can only imagine how nervous tension he will have to try. Therefore, the installation of Silent Tower should either trust the professional, or carried out with an assistant.
In Silent Tower system unit takes up very little space. The cooler can be set so that warm air is expelled immediately on blow-hull fans. If non-standard location of the motherboard CPU socket, with a turn of 90 degrees, like a DFI LanParty UT example, the acquisition of Silent Tower will be less successful in terms of flow of air in the system unit, rather than choose a different cooling system.
The test results
Testing was conducted at the stand of the following items:
Motherboard: Asus A8N-E nForce 4 Ultra, exhibited HTTh3;
Processor: Athlon 64 3200 @ 2700 MHz (270×10), 1,58 V (core Venice E6, S939);
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon X800GTO (640/1120);
Memory: Samsung, 2 x 512 MB PC3200;
PSU: Hiper R480 Tues
The ambient temperature was 22 degrees. Load the program was carried out SnM 1.7.1a. As a comparison, the diagram shows the data of NWO Cooled Silence Extreme Package from ProModz, WaterWorker in minimal configuration with a reservoir 250 H, TITAN Bianca TWC-A05 / S, as well as the AMD boxed cooler and Zalman 9500 LED – one of the most powerful air cooler with heat tubes. In the present case 80 mm fans in the amount of 5 units connected to 5V, which provide sufficient ventilation to air coolers are not "cooked in its own juice." Tests carried out in two modes of operation of the processor: the nominal 2000 MHz at 1.4 V (marked on the chart light color), and overclocked to 2700 MHz with a maximum for the motherboard voltage 1.58 V (marked with dark color).
Testing has shown that the Silent Tower is able to cope with any modern processor operating at nominal frequency. Box-cooler AMD fell behind by 10 or more degrees. Acceleration from Silent Tower and is not contraindicated. Results Thermaltake product can be considered very good: for almost half the cost, he lost Zalman 9500 LED few degrees, and in accelerating the quiet mode, the result of both coolers coincided. Of course, this is true within the testbed. In terms of ventilation and other accessories results may be different. At full speed Silent Tower and Zalman 9500 also were unanimous – they can not long endure the noise, although the technological performance of the last haunt, he showed great efficiency.
As expected, Silent Tower showed an excellent balance of cost and efficiency. Because of the small difference between the work on the minimum and maximum speed (only a couple of degrees) can be recommended to use the most quiet mode. This is where the cooler lives up to its name. The ideal solution can not be called Silent Tower, the cause is very inconvenient system of fasteners. There are models provide better performance, but they are much better. If the minimum level of noise is important, the Silent Tower can be a good choice.
In mid-March, the value of Thermaltake Silent Tower stood at U.S. $ 30 (according to price.ru).
Advantages:
A good combination of price and performance;
Quiet operation at minimum fan speed;
The relatively small size.
Disadvantages:
It is extremely inconvenient system of fasteners;
Quite a lot of noise at maximum speed.
The author expresses his gratitude to the company's technique, the official representative of NIX in Syktyvkar and Ukhta, for providing testing Cooler Thermaltake Silent Tower.