Are you tired of the sound of your stock cooler? Looking to squeeze those extra few MHz out of your overclock? Either way, you will be looking for a new cooler, and most likely an air cooler since liquid cooling is probably out of the question due to the hassle and cost, and phase change is only a dream for most of us. When you are shopping around for this new high performance cooler, you will undoubtedly come across the name Thermaltake; one of the biggest manufacturers of computer cooling components, as well as cases and other accessories. As a major manufacturer of aftermarket CPU coolers, Thermaltake has been making a name for themselves in the enthusiast market since their founding in 1999.


In this review we will be taking a look at two new coolers from Thermaltake, as well as one slightly older cooler for comparison purposes. The new MaxOrb and V1 models will be put head to head, while also going up against a previous generation cooler from Thermaltake, the Big Typhoon VX.

Feature and Specifications:

Before we get down and dirty with each cooler provided for review, let's get a summary of the features and specifications of these units, as per the Thermaltake website...

V1 Feature and Specifications:

» Compatibility, Intel:
   » Core 2 Extreme
   » Core 2 Quad
   » Core 2 Duo
   » Pentium D
   » Pentium 4
   » Pentium
   » Celeron D
   » Celeron
» Compatibility, AMD:
   » Athlon 64 FX
   » Athlon 64 X2
   » Althlon 64
   » Sempron
» Dimension: 147x92x143
» Heatsink Material: Copper base & fins
» Heatpipe: Copper Tube 6mmx4Pcs
» Fan Dimensions: 110x25mm
» Rated Current: 12V
» Started Voltage: 7V
» Power Input: 3W
» Fan Speed: 1300-2000RPM
» Max. Air Flow: 86.5CFM
» Max. Air Pressure: 2.22mmH2O
» Noise: 16-24dBA
» Life Expectation: 50,000Hrs
» Connector: 3Pin
» Weight: 637g