| Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369 CPU Cooler |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cooling | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Wednesday, 27 June 2007 | |
Introduction: Thermaltake MaxOrbSummer is the perfect time for many things: vacation, picnics, camping, and spending time at the beach. Unfortunately, all this warm weather means that computers will not be running as cool as they normally would, and system stability can become threatened. Benchmark Reviews has recently tested the MaxOrb CL-P0369 from Thermaltake. Read on to discover if this product is a computer enthusiast and overclockers dream, or just another fancy fan with some heat pipes. Thermaltake has been a longtime contender in the cooling solution industry, with new products being released as they make improvements over the older ones. For example, this MaxOrb cooler is a result of previous releases, such as the BlueOrb, which was in turn a revision of the GoldenOrb CPU cooler. Unlike the former products, the new MaxOrb is a lot more than just a tweaked design. Continue on to see the full extent of this redesigned cooler. 
Thermaltake MaxOrb Features
CL-P0369 Specifications
Socket: 754 / 775 / 939 / 940 / AM2 About the company: ThermaltakeFounded in 1999, Thermaltake Technology is the world leader in the supply of thermal management cooling solutions, high-end power supply and chassis for desktop PC and industrial application systems. Building on the strength of its people, products and extensive expertise in Thermal Management, Thermaltake raised the level of excellence on its Award Winning Purepower branded power supply as well as Xaser line of chassis. While mission-critical applications for Enterprises and ultimate video gaming experiences available for gaming enthusiasts all rely on today's cutting-edge PCs to deliver, high-end PC makers relies on Thermaltake to provide the most reliable power supply, the most thermally efficient chassis and cooling solutions. Thermaltake Technology Co., Ltd. started its core business based on our extensive knowledge of PC thermal management during the era where the area of performance CPU cooling was only exclusive for "overclockers" or PC enthusiasts. With the company's initial launch of Orb coolers, it created waves of shocks and appraisals throughout the gaming and overclocking communities. Thermaltake quickly became the name gamers turn to when they need high-end and reliable thermal solutions. With company's core business of CPU cooling still growing at a vast rate, Thermaltake made another grand entry to the PC chassis industry. To date, Thermaltake has always been considered as the pioneering company that revolutionized the PC chassis industry with Xaser series enclosures. The typical and traditional beige and plastic front panel design was outdone by Xaser series chassis's atypical gaming red and aluminum front panel. It was also the first enclosure available to public with Hardcano unit which provided users full control over computer's thermal management system. As a leader in Thermal Management, Thermaltake is the trusted supplier to many computer manufacturers providing Intel Validated and AMD Approved CPU coolers for today's high frequency and mainstream CPUs. At the pace of current technological advancement in multimedia application and multi-core processor, Thermal Management will become an evermore challenging task requiring innovative product design and reliable manufacturing process; a task that has made what Thermaltake is now and future. In the year 2002, Thermaltake announced Purepower line of power supply unit for the ever-growing power-hungry PCs. Purepower series PSU quickly gained recognition with its extensive warranty and high-reliability guaranty. Today, Thermaltake has grown into a world-class company with state-of-the-art testing and R&D facility based in Taiwan along with 60+ engineers and ID team covering each application segment such as Liquid Cooling, Air Cooling, PC Enclosure and Power Supply for main-stream users, high-end solutions, system integrators and industrial applications; thus achieve Thermaltake 's company motto, " COOLall YOUR LIFE "! Closer Look: MaxOrb CL-P0369Sometimes you read about a product, and the name means nothing to you at all. For weeks I put very little thought into the MaxOrb's name, which is odd considering that this is one of the largest coolers I have ever tested. I blame this on the fact that the Thermaltake GoldenOrb and BlueOrb coolers were not incredibly different, and so I may have somehow visualized the MaxOrb as being something similar. I suppose that if similar extends to have "Orb" in the name, and utilizing a fan, then yes, it's similar. Aside from that very long list of common traits, the new MaxOrb is something altogether different.
Beginning with the first glance, you can see that the MaxOrb is larger than most coolers. Most of the coolers I review which would be defined as large generally have a 120mm cooling fan covering the entire surface, so the unit measures only as wide as the fan. However, the 120mm cooling fan rests in the center of the circular aluminum fin array; which means that after some open spacing and the aluminum fins, the MaxOrb becomes 144mm wide.
One of the features which set this fan on this cooler apart from the competition is the ability to dial-in the fan speed with the adjustable control knob. The fan speed controller is able to adjust the 120x120x25mm cooling fan from 1300-2000 RPM. This came in very handy during my testing, since the fan operates rather loud at full speed. Unfortunately, the first time I touched the control knob the plastic silver knob fell right off. With a bit of plastic cement I was back in operation. Hopefully Thermaltake can remedy this by using just a little more cement at the factory.
The image above is among my favorite of the Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU cooler. Translucent blue LED 120mm fan, embossed aluminum fins, six heatpipes (3 per side), and a whole lot of sparkle. So far, the MaxOrb has won me over with looks, but it will take a lot more than that to keep me interested. CL-P0369 Detailed FeaturesThe image below is probably the only thing better than the full rear view in the last page, and it's really the reflective finish that captures the attention. Unfortunately, the science of thermal physics will prove that the super-smooth polished mirror-finish is not always the best interface between two components mated with thermal interface material (which is why AMD, IBM, Intel, and VIA do not make their processors with a mirror finish). Just as the little Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 CPU Cooler proved to me, the rough textured finish offers more contact surface.
EDIT 11/09/07: Although I first suspected the MaxOrb of having three very long radial heatpipe rods, each heatpipe rod is actually terminated in the channel behind the knob as shown below.
Thermaltake has included everything the computer enthusiast will need to install the MaxOrb cooler to any socket 754, 775, 939, 940, or AM2 motherboard.
One important note to any reader who has never installed an aftermarket CPU cooler of this style: be patient. The Thermaltake MaxOrb was one of the most difficult coolers I have ever installed, and it took nearly fifteen full minutes to get it properly fastened into the socket 775 frame. 
The thermal interface material may seem like a small pouch of worthless generic paste, but I assure you that this TIM paste is as good as almost anything else you will find. Later this summer, when the heat has forced my office into the high nineties, I will complete tests on several TIM's. Previous tests have shown that the manufacturer supplied material will usually perform the same as special aftermarket components.
Although the Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU cooler is not very tall, it makes up for it in width. The footprint on this cooler is enormous, and quite possibly the widest allowed before it begins to rub a power supply (not good) or the back I/O panel of the case. So let's move on and see if size really does matter... in the heatsink industry. Testing & ResultsSo now it's time to take the MaxOrb and put it to the test. For some strange reason I always root for the underdog, but in this particular test I have a feeling that it could be anybody's chance for victory. Test System
Motherboard: ABIT AB9 Pro v1.5 BIOS (Intel 965 chipset)
Processor: Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz operating at 3.0 GHz (334 MHz FSB)
Cooling: Thermalright SI-128 CPU Cooler with 120mm fan
Memory: 2 GB (1,024 MB x2 modules) Corsair CM2X1024-6460C4 DDR2 SDRAM @ 835MHz
Audio: HT Omega CLARO 7.1 C-Media 8788 Oxygen Chipset
Hard Disk 1: Western Digital WD360GD 10,000 RPM SATA
Optical Drive: Lite-On SH-16A7S-05 SATA DVD R/W
Enclosure: Lian Li PC-B20A ATX Case with 2x120mm and 1x90mm cooling fans
Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-2 with IE7 
Testing was conducted at a series of temperature intervals, with the ambient room temperature measuring the same for each coolers reading. EVEREST rounds up temperature readings to the nearest whole number, however all ambient temperatures were recorded and accurate to one-tenth of a degree Celsius. EVEREST Ultimate Engineer Version 4.00.976 was utilized to measure all CPU temperatures. It should be noted that temperatures attained through software most always reflect the thermistor readings as recorded by the BIOS. These readings are not absolute or correct, but they are relative since every BIOS is programmed differently. For each test, the computer system was powered on and left idle for ten minutes prior to recording the idle temperature with EVEREST. After idle temperatures have been recorded, two console versions of the Folding @ Home client were simultaneously run to create full load on both CPU cores. After ten minutes of full load, the temperature was again recorded. This process was identical for all cooling solutions used in this test, and was repeated for each ambient temperature interval. Thermaltake MaxOrb ResultsUp first is the results under heavy load. The first item you see in the chart is the ambient room temperature, followed by the CPU cooler used for testing after it. In this test battery, the OEM cooler provided by Intel with the Core 2 Duo E6600 was used as a reference, and ends the chart with the highest temperature readings.
Temperature Readings: Full Load As you can see for yourself in the full load results above the Thermaltake MaxOrb did not prove to be as great as it is large. The Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 CPU Cooler may not be the absolute coldest solution out of those tested, but at 1/3 the size it posts results very similar to the Thermaltake MaxOrb. However, I give plenty of credit to Thermaltake for producing a cooler with the capability of performing better than my previously tested best cooler, the Thermalright SI-128 CPU Cooler.
Temperature Reading: Idle Load Even after examining the idle load results above, the MaxOrb only really dominates at the coldest ambient room temperature. Although the Thermaltake MaxOrb outperforms all of the other coolers tested, it is still more than three times larger than the Zaward Sylphee and the OEM cooler, and almost one-fifth larger than the Thermalright SI-128. Just imagine what it could do with the proper mating surface and another heatpipe!
In the end, Thermaltake's MaxOrb does manage a close victory over the field of competitors, but it's not the sort of win you celebrate when you clearly should have performed better. It's still a mystery to me how that tiny Zaward Sylphee kept up with this giant, but it did. Of course, that little cooler is pretty funny looking, and the MaxOrb is damn sexy in a truly geek way, so in the case it stays! Final ThoughtsThe Thermaltake MaxOrb narrowly earned the right to be called "the best" cooler available. With such tight results, it seems like being the biggest doesn't necessarily mean that you will always be the best (although in this case it just barely did).
The three circuits of heatpipes may look great, but in theory they are inefficient because the gas must travel so far before it condenses into a liquid and vice versa. Perhaps even a forth heatpipe would help, but only if they are pinched at the middle of the run. Conclusion: Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369Thermaltake knows how to market a product, which is why the MaxOrb comes in a very attractive retail box with a clear view of the product. Since the MaxOrb is so big, the box is also just as large, which makes you feel as though you are getting a lot for your money. If you like things that sparkle, you will fall in love at first sight. The MaxOrb has plenty of polished chrome and aluminum components, which really helps to draw attention to the attractive design. Additionally, the fans blue LED light adds just enough overtone to the unit which makes it stand out that much more inside your case. Just take another look at the image above to see what I mean. Thermaltake know how to make products that survive the tortures most computer enthusiasts will dish out. With exception to a poorly attached fan control knob, the Thermaltake MaxOrb is built to the finest specifications. After several power supply unit exchanges thanks to upcoming reviews, the constant brushes with cables and accidental bumps against the aluminum fins resulted in very little misalignment. In regards to the functionality, I see some room for improvement, despite the fact that the MaxOrb ruled supreme over the other coolers in our test. Improved heatpipe research and development, along with a textured mating surface finish to match that of the CPU, and the MaxOrb would be even more dominant over the competition. At the time of this writing, the Thermaltake MaxOrb (SKU CL-P0369) is being sold at NewEgg.com for $37.99 after $15 MIR, which is far below the average sales price. Rated at the average available online price, which is presently slightly higher than the majority of competitor products, the MaxOrb clearly offers superior performance and a very attractive design for a fair premium. In conclusion, the Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369 is a real good looking CPU cooler, with performance ultimately matching appearance. If the room inside your computer case can handle the size, than this is the product for you. It may be big, and it may not lead the pack by much, but the looks alone give it an additional edge. Pros:
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