Thermaltake V14Pro CL-P0471

Thermaltake, famed of their variety in air cooler selection, has released another one of their best performing CPU coolers today, V14Pro. Claiming to have reached the highest cooling performance ever, the new V14Pro comes with the giant size 140mm fan, 6 copper heatpipes, and 98 extended copper fins. The spec along had shown its design focus on the satisfaction of extreme overclockers and gamers. V14Pro will support mainstream and certainly, most of the high performance processors (Intel LGA775 and AMD Socket AM2/AM2+). In this performance comparison, Benchmark Reviews tests the Thermaltake V14 Pro CPU cooler CL-P0471 against the best products available today.

V14Pro, the new ideal air cooler for gaming enthusiasts, is the extended designed of dual-VTM architecture from the award winning V1 cooler. The structural design of V14Pro had shown the obvious intention on breaking the cooling record: Pure copper construction for best effective heat conductivity and dissipation; 6 long heatpipes penetrating the beautiful fin packs for instant cooling effect; and the impossible to ignore 140mm fan in between the fin packs giving a final strong push to accelerate cooling process and maximum cooling performance.

Another unique design touch on V14Pro was its side flow design of all V1 series; this utilizes the surrounding cool system air to pass through the cooler for more effective cooling. And the special architecture designed for multi-directional air intake also attributes to the superb cooling performance that V14Pro delivers. VR FanTM control function for user freedom in fan speed selection is available as most Tt coolers are.

Apart from the fine cooling performance that can be easily expected from the study on the structure and material of V14Pro, the new cooler also exhibits a unique and subtle futuristic look that certainly catches the attention of us PC enthusiasts and overclockers. Find out more about Thermaltake's new extreme CPU cooler: V14Pro.

Computer hardware is an ever-evolving industry, and since Moores law only applies to an exponentially growing transistor count then there should probably be another law for cooling. In the very recent past there have been two major trends which have accelerated the performance potential of CPU cooler. That first development was the use of heat-pipes to directly contact with the CPU surface; which resulted in the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology. The second development is by no mean a new concept, just new to our industry in specific. For many years now heatsinks have been full of right angles, but very recently companies have begun to recognize the need to disrupt smooth airflow and reduce the laminar skin effect which allows air to travel just above the solid surface. Some manufacturers have used at least one of these new concepts in their product design, and only a few are beginning to incorporate both. Benchmark Reviews will see how much this effects the overall performance as we test a large segment of products.

About the company: Thermaltake

Thermaltake Incorporation, based in Taipei, Taiwan is the global leader Thermal Solution and Thermal Management for PC & Industrial Market. Its engineering staffs master in Airflow Analysis, Material Conductivity and Heat Dissipation Efficiency. Thermaltake offers a wide range of products and services, providing effective and cost-conscious cooling devices. The Company has more than 1,000 employees worldwide supporting customers from its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, as well as from offices in China, Europe and United States Continent.

Closer Look: V14Pro

Thermaltake has taken an old idea, and made it BIG! In the article Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q2 2008 published three months ago, we tested the smaller Thermaltake V1 CL-0401 CPU cooler. While the V1 did well enough, it was far from matching the price:performance ratio that many other products have attained. Because of this, the V1 didn't fare well in our review. And so here we are at Q3 2008, and Thermaltake has refuted our claim that they make fashionable coolers with function as an after-though with their latest creation: the Thermaltake V14 Pro CL-P0471 cooler. Without any argument from us, the V14 Pro certainly appearsto be twice the cooler the V1 was, but it's looks that got Tt in trouble in the first place and this series is all about performance.

The V14 Pro is easily described as a V-shaped copper heatsink with cooling fan sandwiched between two finsink sections. Thermaltake would describe the V14 Pro as a Dual-V Series (Dual-V is actually a Tt trademark) cooler with six Dual-V heat-pipes running through 98 large copper fins and meeting with a solid copper base. The 140mm VR fan operates at a near-silent 16 dBA noise level.

The fan looks like it would draw air opposite in the direction it faces (back/exhaust pictured above), so I suspect that Thermaltake was not overly concerned with the motor section of the fan obstruction airflow. The six different heat-pipe rods actually span three per side, and appear to cross into the finsink at different distances from the base.

A metal mounting base backplate compresses the six copper rods into a polished copper contact surface, so very little Thermal Interface Material is necessary with the V14Pro even though Tt includes a small syringe. Copper is practically a precious metal these days, so expect to pay handsomely for the CL-P0471.

From the side view, you're able to see how the four copper heat-pipes terminate into the base of the Thermaltake V14Pro. It's curious that Thermaltake decided against larger 8mm rods, but perhaps this will have no effect on the CL-P0471.

In the next section, we take a closer look into CL-P0471 details.

CL-P0471 Details

As we continue to inspect the Thermaltake V14Pro CPU cooler, we're seeing that the CL-P0471 is loaded with copper in all areas of the design. As many reader might note, copper is not the inexpensive plumbing metal that it once was. As of October 2008, the price of copper has grown to fetch over $2.30 per pound compared to half that price for aluminum. With so much emphasis placed on the more expensive yet better performing metal, we will soon see if Thermaltakes design makes the V14Pro into the performer they intended.

Innovative Dual-VTM Series Design
Extension of Dual-VTM design in giant size, V14Pro equip with six dual-VTM heatpipes, 140mm fan, and 98 copper fins to pursue the best performance
Silent and powerful VR fan, 16dBA at minimum fan speed, with adjustable fan control.
140mm Fan comes equipped with blue emitting LED lights

Superb Cooling Performance Structure
All Copper Cooling Construction：98 large copper fins, six long copper heatpipes, and copper base generating efficient cooling performance
Six long heatpipes* of total 1730mm in length removing heat from source via 6 different channels
Mirror coating copper base guarantee perfect contact between CPU and cooler

Intelligent CPU & System Thermal Management
Side flow design further utilizes system air flow to help accelerate air speed without increasing fan speed for added cooling efficiency
Opening design creates multi-air-intake and dissipates surplus heat completely

CL-P0471 Specifications

• Dimensions: 171mm (L) x 100 (W) x 161 (H)
• Heatsink Material: Copper Fins and Copper Base
• Heat-pipe: Copper Tube 6mm x four pieces
• Fan Dimensions: 140mm x 30mm
• Rated Voltage: 12V
• Started Voltage: 7V
• Fan Speed: 1000~1600 RPM
• Fan Noise: 16-24 dBA
• Fan Connection: Three-pin Molex
• Weight: 840g

Thermaltake has consistently impressed me with their earnest effort towards making the contact surface perfectly flat and extremely polished. The mounting base on the V14Pro CPU cooler is not much different than other Tt coolers, and like more Tt coolers the CL-P0471 model uses standard Intel push-pin mounting clips to secure the unit to the motherboard.

Thermal Interface Material Application

Over the past several months, I have read an unreasonable number of discussion forum posts which offer inaccurate and often times incorrect information. It's not really all that surprising to read poorly conceived information on the Internet, which seems to be a anonymous means of passing off opinion for fact. As a general rule we don't let too many things go untested, and the advice of wanna-be experts is not doing the hardware enthusiast and overclocker community any good. In this article, Benchmark Reviews dispels myth and establishes fact on the topic of proper application in our Best Thermal Paste Application Methods article.

After we wrote our 33-Way Thermal Interface Material Comparison article, many enthusiasts argued that by spreading out the TIM with a latex glove (or finger cover) was not the best way to distribute the interface material. Most answers from both the professional reviewer industry as well as enthusiast community claim that you should use a single drop "about the size of a pea". Well, we tried that advice, and it turns out that maybe the community isn't as keen as they thought. The example image below is of a few frozen peas beside a small BB size drop of OCZ Freeze TIM. The image beside it is of the same cooler two hours later after we completed testing. If there was ever any real advice that applies to every situation, it would be that thermal paste isn't meant to separate the two surfaces but rather fill the microscopic pits where metal to metal contact isn't possible.

After discussing this topic with real industry experts who are much more informed of the process, they offered some specific advice that didn't appear to be a "one size fits all" answer:

1. CPU Cooling products which operate below the ambient room temperature (some Peltier and Thermo-electric coolers for example) should not use silicon-based materials because condensation may occur and accelerate compound separation.
2. All "white" style TIM's exhibit compound breakdown over time due to their thin viscosity and ceramic base (usually beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride and oxide, zinc oxide, and silicon dioxide). These interface materials should not be used from older "stale" stock without first mixing the material very well.
3. Thicker carbon and metal-based (usually aluminum-oxide) TIM's may benefit from several thermal cycles to establish a "cure" period which allows expanding and contracting surfaces to smooth out any inconsistencies and further level the material.

The more we researched this subject, the more we discovered that because there are so many different cooling solutions on the market it becomes impossible to give generalized advice to specific situations. Despite this, there is one single principal that holds true in every condition: Under perfect conditions the contact surfaces between the processor and cooler would be perfectly flat and not contain any microscopic pits, which would allow direct contact without any need for Thermal Interface Material. But since we don't have perfectly flat surfaces, Thermal Material must fill the tiny imperfections. Still, there's one rule to recognize: less is more.

Surface Finish Impact

Here's the part I've been waiting to reveal... the importance of surface finish in relation to the impact on thermal conductivity. CPU coolers primarily depend on two heat transfer methods: conduction and radiation (heat-pipes also add convection). This being the case, let's start with conduction as it related to the mating surface between a heat source and a cooler.

Because of their density, metals are the best conductors of thermal energy. As density decreases so does conduction (of heat), which relegates fluids to be naturally less conductive, and gases as virtually non-conductive. So ideally the less fluid between metals, the better heat will transfer between them. Ultimately though, this means that the perfectly flat and well-polished surface (such as the one on this V14Pro cooler) is going to be preferred over the rougher and less even surface which required more TIM to fill the gaps (Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme).

Heat radiation is different however, and requires exactly the opposite. Because gases (air) are naturally poor heat conductors, surface area of the heatsink is key to the cooling performance through radiation. This type of cooling is what you commonly see in automobile radiators, which utilize large arrays of metal fins to radiate heat to be drawn away by a fan. The same is true for the CPU cooler, which needs as much surface area as possible to optimize it's radiative effects. OCZ and others have recognized that the surface of a heatsink does not have to be the sum of its overall size. By adding dimples and bends, the surface area is increased without growing the overall dimensions.

To sum it all up, science teaches us that a smooth flat mating surface is ideal for CPU coolers so that less Thermal Interface Material is used. Because these coolers are using fans to force air over the heatsinks fins, the overall surface area of those fins should be as large and uneven as possible. In the next section we'll find out just how well all of these principals worked for our collection of test products.

Testing Methodology

Manufacturers are not expected to enjoy this sort of comparison, since we level the playing field by replacing their included fan (whenever applicable) with a common unit which we then use for every CPU cooler we test. Manufacturers regularly include fans with their CPU cooler products, and more often than not these fans are very high RPM units which offer great airflow at the expense of an obnoxiously loud noise level. By using the same model of cooling fan throughout our testing, we can assure our results are comparable across the board. This is one of the more significant changes we have made to our test methodology, since many of the benchmark tests we have conducted in the past have compared the total package. Ultimately we're more interested in the discovering the best CPU cooler performance and we believe that you'll feel the same way.

Testing was conducted in a loosely scientific manner. Ambient room temperatures levels were held to within one degree of fluctuation measured at static point beside the test equipment with a calibrated digital thermometer. All coolers had their original manufacturer-supplied fan removed and replaced with our common test fan listed in the support equipment section below. Each product then received the same amount of Thermal Interface Material (specified below), which amounted to roughly a BB-sized drop placed onto the center of the CPU. The CPU cooler product being tested was then laid down flat onto the CPU, and compressed to the motherboard using the supplied retaining mechanism. If the mounting mechanism used only two point of force, they were tightened in alternation; standard clip-style mounting with four securing points were compressed using the cross-over method. Once installed, the system was tested for a baseline reading prior to testing.

At the start of each test, the ambient room temperature was measured to track any fluctuation throughout the testing period. EVEREST Ultimate Engineer Version 4.60 was then utilized to create core loads and measure each individual CPU core temperature. It's important to note that software-based temperature readings reflect the thermistor output as recorded by the BIOS. For this reason, it is critically important to use the exact same software and BIOS versions throughout the entire test cycle, or the results will be incomparable. All of the units compared in our results were tested on the same motherboard using the same BIOS and software, with only the product itself changing in each test. These readings are neither absolute nor calibrated, since every BIOS is programmed differently. Nevertheless, all results are still comparable and relative to each products in our test bed.

One unfortunate problem is that CPU's report temperatures as a whole number and not in fractions. This in turn causes the motherboard BIOS and subsequent software applications such as EVEREST to also report to the nearest whole number. To compensate for this, our tests were conducted several times after complete power down thermal cycles. Conversely, the ambient room temperature levels were all recorded and accurate to one-tenth of a degree Celsius.

When I tested each cooler, I made certain to keep the hardware settings identical across the test platform. This would enable me to clearly compare the performance of each product under identical conditions. While the ambient room temperature did fluctuate between 20~22°C, this would not be enough to cause a noticeable impact on our test results since only the thermal difference is reflected in the charts. For the purpose of this article, thermal difference (not the same as thermal delta) is calculated by subtracting the ambient room temperature from the recorded CPU temperature.

Test System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45T-EXTREME (Intel P45 Chipset) with version F4 BIOS
• Processor: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz overclocked to 3.6 GHz
• System Memory: Super Talent PC3-14400 DDR3 1800MHz W1800UX2GP
• Disk Drive 1: OCZ SATA-II 32GB 2.5-Inch SSD OCZSSD2-1S32G
• Optical Drive: ASUS BC-1205PT SATA Blu-ray Disc Optical Drive
• Enclosure: Cooler Master Cosmos RC-1000 Mid-Tower ATX Case
• PSU: ePower Technology EP-1200P10 xScale 1200W PSU
• Grpahics: ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ Zone Edition (liquid cooling tied to P45 Northbridge)
• Monitor: Honeywell 22-Inch LCD Monitor MT-SY-HWLM2216
• Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-3 (optimized to 16 processes at idle)

Support Equipment

• OCZ Freeze Thermal Interface Material (No curing time necessary or given)
• Yate Loon 120mm cooling fan, model D12SH-12 (88 CFM @ 40 dbA)

All of our tests are now conducted using only the vertical motherboard orientations traditional to tower computer systems. At the start of our test period, the test system is powered on and EVEREST system stability tests are started with Stress CPU and Stress FPU options selected. Then for a minimum of thirty minutes EVEREST loads each CPU core to 100% usage, which drives the temperature to its highest point. Finally, once temperatures have sustained a plateau, the ending ambient room temperature and CPU core levels are recorded and the first benchmark segment is complete.

The second test segment involves removing the stock cooling fan and replacing it with a high-output 120 mm Yate Loon D12SH-12 cooling fan. The system is given thirty additional minutes with EVEREST loading the CPU cores before final temperature readings are taken and recorded.

Test Results: Stock Cooling Fan

When it comes to personal computers, you could probably divide users into two separate groups for almost any one topic. This article is no different, and those two groups include both enthusiasts and overclockers. In regards to fan noise, there are those of us who want it quiet while other will tolerate an eardrum-ringing whine. Since noise is a problem and not a solution, I believe that most enthusiasts want as much performance as they can get without additional tweaking and time-intensive modifications. That's what this test section is all about: how the cooler performs out of the box. For the "Stock Cooling Fan" results, Benchmark Reviews tests our Q3-2008 collection of CPU coolers for this article using the following criteria: Each cooler is tested with the manufacturer-included fan, so that performance will be relevant to consumers using the product in stock form.

While you can easily look for yourself and see the results illustrated in the chart below, there's a certain amount of explaination necessary to fully understand how they were achieved. For example our best "stock" performer for Q3-2008 was the Thermaltake V14 Pro (CL-P0471) at 25.0°C, but it helps to know that this cooler has an integrated high-output 140mm x 30mm fan that cannot be replaced. All on its own the V14 Pro stands out as an over-achiever, and in some respects it truly is. While the retaining system may use the standard Intel push-pin clips, the contact surface is a perfectly flat and very-well polished copper block. You must also keep in mind that the CL-P0471 measures 171mm (6.73 in) tall by 161mm (6.34 in) wide, placing it among the very largest coolers we've seen (such as the Scythe Mugen Infinity SCINF-1000).

Many of the more familiar products kept their positions at the top, with the OCZ Vendetta 2 (OCZVEND2) performing extremely well at 27.0°C while operating with a medium-noise/medium-volume fan, trailed closely by the infamous Xigmatek HDT-S1283 with similar PWM fan at 27.5°C. Xigmatek's new HDT-S1284 performed nearly as well with a stock temperature of 27.5°C over ambient, matched by the Vantec AeroFlow FX (VAF-1225) and Kingwin RVT-12025. Now obviously these results are extremelyclose, which means that ultimately they will all perform roughly the same in most environments. That being said, it comes down to price, and perhaps application compatibility. The Kingwin RVT-12025 is a poor-mans HDT-S1283 since it costs as little as $19.99 compared to $36.99, and they are identical in construction (but Kingwin includes a lower-volume silent fan).

Sometimes a unique design will translate into good performance, and sometimes it doesn't. Evercool should be proud of their Transformer 6 design, although I think a cooler this large should have done better than 28.3°C. Cooler Master's new V8 (RR-UV8-XBU1-GP) performed at 28.5°C using the stock fan, which was trailed by the Coolink Silentator. The OCZ Gladiator Max (OCZTGLADM) did well enough, and considering it's so similar to the Xigmatek HDT-S1284 the 28.7°C performance proves how close they are in design. In tenth place was the Zalman CNPS9300 AT cooler, which performed well at 28.9°C considering its diminutive size and integrated 92mm fan. Of course, the downside to integrated fans is that they cannot perform better than they come out of the box, which is why the Thermaltake V14 Pro and Zalman CNPS9300 end their appearance here.

Our former top-performer (with high-performance fan) does fair enough at 30.2°C despite a silent-running medium-output NF-P12 fan attached to the Noctua NH-U12P. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the products featured here are the best available at the time of publication, so coming if it's on the upward portion of this chart than the product is certainly a top-contender.

My opinion wanes for other products though, and the Cooler Master Geminii S (31.6°C) and Zaward Gyre (32.4°C) leave me with mixed feelings since they are large coolers with lower performance. Of course, Xigmatek earned the place of shame with their Apache EP-CD901 cooler that I was told "performed extremely well". Performing two degrees better than the stock Intel cooler that comes free with the Core 2 Duo processor is far from well, and 41.2°C is an abismal excuse for $20 worth of cooling performance when the free alternative performs at 43.5°C.

Please keep in mind that the entire basis of this article revolves around the title: Best Performing CPU Coolers. So while some of the coolers did not perform well in comparison to others it doesn't particularly mean that they are poor products. They're just not the best. In summary, if you're building a system that places an emphasis on low sound levels and affordable cost, you'll want to pick your cooler carefully. The OCZVEND2 and HDT-S1283 are both excellent choices for either HTPC or tower builds, but if you're able to fit the part it appears Thermaltake offers tremendous performance from their V14 Pro.

Thermaltake V14Pro Conclusion

Thermaltake keeps their packaging uniform with each product launch. The Black, red, and orange colors are a Thermaltake staple, while specifications and features always occupy at least one panel of the retail box. Keeping consumers educated, while at the same time giving them a see-through view of the product, is always a good way to deliver what you promise. Surprisingly, Tt makes no claims on their packaging... ever. Maybe they should, since the V14Pro has just set the bar for stock cooling.

If you're a fan of copper coolers, the six heat-pipes and 98 individually polished copper fins on the CL-P0471 should keep you happy with the appearance. The V14Pro looks like a flower in full bloom with it's wide "V" design and shape. The indigo-blue LED inside the 140mm fan really shines bright and offers complimentary, if not contrasting, focal point for attention.

Construction is solid, but only because six copper rods create a very rigid frame for the V14Pro. The CL-P0471 needs to be well made, since it's primarily composed of two very heavy copper fin-sink sections and support them at proper distance from the fan is critical.

Thermaltake should be absolutely proud of their V14 Pro (CL-P0471), which performed well beyond any other stock cooler and settled in at the middle of our high-volume coolers during the Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q3 2008; even without a Yate Loon D12SH-12 high-flow fan attached.

This article has been published on the same day that Thermaltake has launched their V14Pro CPU cooler. At the time of this writing, the CL-P0471 has not yet been made available to retailers. Thermaltake expects to retail the V14Pro for $79.99 at the time of launch, but we expect that the actual sales price will be considerably less. As soon as we discover pricing, this section will be updated.

In conclusion, the V14Pro comes with a recommendation for enthusiasts looking to keep their modded or lightly overclocked system looking good while still performing at very cool temperature levels. The integrated 140mm fan makes it impossible to improve airflow, but it's already performing so well despite this. Six heat-pipe rods feed into a well-polished contact base, which means that very little Thermal Paste needs to be applied and extra effort is unnecessary to improve the finish. While the weight of this product is enough to warrant a bolt-through kit with backplate, the CL-P0471 relies on Intel's less than perfect mounting clip system. Nevertheless, Thermaltake has set a new standard for CPU cooler as their V14Pro set itself apart from even the (previously) best competitors.

Pros:

+ Best performing stock kit we've tested yet!
+ Six 6mm copper heat-pipes
+ Polished copper contact base
+ Two very dense finsink arrays
+ Powerful 140mm integrated cooling fan
+ Fan speed control dial
+ Very easy to install - no motherboard removal necessary
+ Top-five high-volume finisher in our Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q3 2008

Cons:

- Uses Intel push-pin clip system
- Heavy unit weight should require backplate
- Large footprint may not fit all motherboard layouts

Ratings:

• Presentation: 8.75
• Appearance: 9.25
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 9.75
• Value: 8.25

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

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• Best CPU Cooler Performance - Q3 2008