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My initial impressions were positive, Thermaltake have included a plastic surround for enhanced appearance and improved fan support. Underneath the shroud is a high quality heatsink design which isn't cutting any corners. It is very heavy at just over 1kg so you won't ever feel like you have been shortchanged.
The base of the unit which connects with the CPU is linked to eight U shaped heatpipes which absorb the heat from the processor and then transfer it out through the aluminum fin structure. This is technically well proven and the substantial design should ensure excellent heat transfer with overclocked processors. The fans can push in excess of 100 cubic feet of air per minute through the cooler.
The rear of the Frio is supplied with another plastic fan bracket to mount the additional 120mm fan. While initially I had wondered why this fan wasn't pre installed, there are times when this can block ram modules with high profile heatspreaders. Thermaltake supply rubberised mounts which not only give a secure fit, but stop vibrations and therefore extraneous noise.
The base is a mixture of copper and aluminum and as can be seen from the image above is highly polished showing minor indications of milling. The heatpipes are welded into the base which gives good transferance into the heatpipes and upwards towards the fins.
The image above also shows four screw heads which are used to attach the CPU specific mounting brackets to the cooler itself. We have to compliment Thermaltake for their construction as everything just fits perfectly together.
We are using an Intel DX58SO motherboard and Core i7 980x for our testing today, courtesy of Intel.
Firstly we fit the processor, apply thermal paste (supplied) then …
… slide the cooler into the 1366 slot holes. Hold onto the cooler and motherboard and flip it over. Be careful to ensure you don't lose the little plastic washers which stop direct contact with the PCB.
Then attach the backplate and use a screwdriver to tighten the little attachment bolts. It took me literally 5 minutes to attach and is a testament as to how manufacturers need to do this. I also liked the secure fitting.
With the cooler mounted securely we are able to continue with our build.
As you can see with oversized memory modules such as the Kingston ram shown above, you cannot mount the second fan on this cooler. We decided to opt for standard size Corsair XMS 1600 modules which means the second fan is easily fitted.
