Don't get confused by Thermaltake's new "V1" nomenclature. No, they're not churning out race cars or jet fighters, instead sticking to what they do best; cooling. The V1 is their latest CPU cooler, and at first glance, it's obvious they created something unique. Can this new design dazzle us with it's cooling performance, or will it fall as short as its name? Let's find out...

Just by looking at the V1 in the box, you can tell this isn't your typical "round" (orbital-type) cooler. When we first saw it, we began to wonder if this thing was just for show; or is it possible that this unique design can keep up with, or even out-perform, other aftermarket coolers.

Specs:

Model	Thermaltake V1 CPU Cooler
Compatibility	Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor Series Intel® Core 2 Quad Processor Series Intel® Core 2 Extreme Processor Series Intel® Pentium® Extreme Edition Series Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor Series (LGA775) Intel® Pentium® D Processor Series (LGA775) Intel® Celeron® D Processor Series (LGA775) Intel® Celeron® Processor Series (LGA775) AMD AthlonTM FX Series (AM2/939) AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 Series (AM2/939) AMD AthlonTM 64 Series (AM2/939/754) AMD Sempron Series (AM2/754)
Heatsink Dimensions	147(L)x92(W)x143(H) mm
Heatsink Weight	637g
Heatsink Material	Copper Base Copper Fins 4 x 6mm Copper heat pipes
Fan	110x110x25mm 1,300 ~ 2,000 RPM 16 ~ 33.5 dBA 86.5CFM (Max Air Flow)

Bundle

• Thermaltake V1 CPU Cooler
• Mounting kit (pushpin brackets(LGA775), alternate bracket, screws)
• Thermal paste
• Installation Manual

A fairly simple bundle, but it's all you need for new coolers these days. One thing that should jump out at you immediately is the INTEL mounting kit.......no motherboard removal here!

 Let's take a closer look at the cooler itself before moving on to the installation.

Taking a cursory look at the Thermaltake V1, it's no mystery how they came up with the "V" part of the name.  From the base of the cooler, the copper fins protrude upwards in a very distinct 'V' formation. Where many coolers use a horizontal design, the V1 goes vertical, with the fins tapered at the ends. This should make for better compatibility with various motherboards and cases.

Cooler	Weight
Cooler Master Gemini II (No fans)	847g
Thermaltake Big Typhoon (One 120mm fan)	813g
Thermalright Ultra 120 (No fan)	745g
Zalman 9700 (one 110mm fan)	764g
Gigabyte Rocket 3D II (one 92mm fan, one 70mm fan)	640g
Thermaltake V1 (one 120mm fan)	637g
Zalman CNPS9500 (92mm fan)	530g

Compared to other coolers we've recently reviewed, the V1 is relatively light. The Thermaltake V1, while light weight, does not lack for overall size or cooling area, and for most people, the height will be the main concern.

Those of you using smaller or cramped enclosures take note of the size. As we touched on in our recent Antec P182 review, cases with the motherboard pushed up against the PSU, or exhaust fans may encounter issues with the V1.

Rotating the Thermaltake V1 to the side reveals four heat pipes that run through the cooler. The Thermaltake V1 features 4 independent heat pipes rising from the base of the cooler, with two running through the base of the fins and two running through the top.

The design uses the common sense theory that heat rises. With the fins mounted vertically to the base, the V1 maximizes its cooling area, and combined with the four heat pipes, should produce an efficient cooling experience.

What about accoustics? Well, while the trend among high quality aftermarket coolers is 120mm fans (sometimes more than one), Thermaltake decided to use a slightly smaller 110mm fan, combined with a fan controller that allows for adjustment between 1300-2000 RPM capable of moving up to 86.5 CFM at max speed (we'll touch on the fan controller later). Combined with the unique copper design, the 110mm fan should satisfy those looking to balance cooling with acoustics, or those looking for all out overclocking bliss.

 

One of the best things about this installation was that a bracket was not needed on the back side of the motherboard, like most aftermarket cooling options these days.  The V1 only requires the attachment of two pushpin brackets on the heatsink itself in order to be installed on your LGA775 motherboard.   While installing the V1, the only reason you would have to remove the motherboard is if you are swapping out another aftermarket cooler with a bracket on the back side.  For those that fall into that category (and we know there are many) we simply say "Sucks to be you!"

The installation of the mounting brackets could not have been much easier, unless they were pre-installed. There are just two screws per bracket that you'll screw into the aluminum plate that is mounted over the copper base, as shown above.

Above you'll see the Thermaltake V1 with the two brackets installed.  Also notice the mirror-like smooth surface at the base. A reflective mirror finish isn't necessarily a guarantee of a perfectly flat base, but it does generally mean that it's free from any machine marks, as was the case with our review sample.

Again, no motherboard removal is required to install the V1. Just push the pins in, twist them clockwise so they stay secure, and you're all finished. We understand you can never make everyone happy; some people absolutely hate the Intel mounting system that uses the push-pins, and some despise having to remove their motherboard anytime they want to change coolers or perform system maintenance. Count us among the lazy, we'll take a good aftermaket cooler with the push-pin mounting system any day.

Peering over the top, you can see how much surface area the V1 demands.  It's a trend that most enthusiast aftermarket coolers are following, and in the case of the V1, the massive size never interfered with any components on our testbed.

There is plenty of room at the base of the V1, but in a cramped case where the PSU practically rides the motherboard, you could potentially run into issues with the width.   As previously mentioned the biggest concern with this V1 may be the height, depending on your enclosure.  For example, the V1 interferes with the top mounted exhaust fan on our Antec P182, which can be remedied either by removing the fan, or physically bending a clip on the cooler.

We were a little unsure what Thermaltake was thinking with the speedfan dial and wire placement.  A 3 inch wire attached to the dial makes little sense, as it's nowhere near long enough to route outside the case where it could be conveniently accessed.  The included dial will hardly ever be used by most people and even worse, it seems to just get in the way. On the plus side, there is a 2 pin connector on the wire, so if you happen to have a compatible fan controller, you can unplug the included fan dial and plug in one of your own connectors to control the fan speed.

As expected from a Thermaltake product, the V1 sports a bit of bling in the form of a blue LED fan.

So after an easy installation, we got to sit and admire the pretty blue lights for a few minutes... Woohoo!

Today's HardwareLogic Test Bench consists of the following components.

• INTEL Pentium 4 631 Processor
• ASUS P5WD2-E Premium Motherboard
• 1GB OCZ PC2-6400 DDR2-800 RAM
• eVGA 7900 GT KO Video Card
• Seasonic M12 Modular 500W PSU 
• Seagate 7200.10 320GB SATA-II HDD
• Custom-made open air test bench

Arctic Silver 5 was used on all tests.  All testing was done using the following heat sinks in a 22C testing environment. Idle temperatures were recorded 30 minutes after a cold boot. Load temperatures were recorded after 30 minutes of 100% load using two instances of CPU Burn In.

• Idle Settings: 3.0Ghz, 1.30V
• Overclocked Settings: 4.2Ghz, 1.45V

Cooler	Fan Speed	Stock Idle	Stock Load	OC Idle	OC Load
Thermaltake V1	High	30	44	36	59
	Low	30	42	39	61
Thermaltake MaxOrb	High	31	44	39	60
	Low	33	48	42	67
Thermaltake Big Typhoon	n/a	31	44	39	61
Zalman CNPS9700 LED	High	28	40	33	53
	Low	30	43	35	58
Gigabyte 3D Rocket II	High	32	45	41	60
	Low	35	51	45	71
INTEL Stock Cooler	n/a	36	54	47	80

Category	Score	Comments
Thermal Performance	17/20	Performed well overall, though trailed behind some other air coolers in its class We found the included fanspeed dial wire to be too damn short, requiring the use of a third party controller if we wished to changed the fan speed without removing the side panel. A big plus is the V1 cooled very well at its slowest (and quietest) fan speed.
Installation	20/20	Installation was a snap...literally No motherboard removal, you say? Double w00t!
Acoustics	18/20	The V1 on high speed seemed to be on about the same sound level as a standard 120mm fan, which is much better than some aftermarket coolers that we tested. Nearly silent on it's lowest setting, and not too much of a performance hit
Overclocking	17/20	Decent, although not on par with the Gemini II or Zalman CNPS9700 LED Withstood voltage increases fairly well
Price/Value	7/10	At $60, the V1 is on the upper end of the pricing spectrum for air cooling solutions
Warranty and Support	10/10	Thermaltake's site includes a large customer support page which features RMA, Technical, and Installation support. All Thermaltake products feature a 3 year warranty

Our Recommendation

First off, we would really like to praise Thermaltake for introducing some respectable aftermarket coolers that do not require a bracket on the back side of the motherboard.  While backside brackets have become "the norm" for LGA775 CPU coolers, it sure was nice to save the extra time and work while installing the V1.  The one possible long term affect of using pushpins for aftermarket coolers is that the weight could eventually loosen the plastic pushpins, thus loosening the contact between the CPU and the cooler base, but until it becomes a real-world problem, we'll continue to praise manufacturers that go this route in lieu of requiring motherboard removal.

Aesthetically, the unique look to the V1 may be very appealing to some enthusiasts, and our thermal testing showed no indication that this design decreased the performance; actually the contrary.  The V1 performed very well on our test bench, and while not the best we've ever played with, it was no slacker either. The only real fault that we found with the design is the massive height.  If installed in a standard tower case with standard width or near some case fans, it is very likely that spacing may be an issue.  We experienced this when testing the unit in an Antec P182, as the top edge of the V1 came in contact with a top (blowhole) exhaust fan.

Our only other gripe relates to the included wire and dial for the fan speed control. The wire is only about 3 inches long, requiring you to remove the side panel every time you want to change the speed of the fan.  On top of that, the wire just got in the way.  For those using a third party fan speed controller, we recommend disconnecting the wire and using your own two-pin connector directly to it. While this is not even close to a deal-breaker, we would like to recommend a longer wire and dial or a permanently attached dial, like the Thermaltake MaxOrb.  Either way, having the two-pin connector is a must.

Minor flaws aside, there's enough to like, nay love, about the V1 that we have no problems recommending it.  The Thermaltake V1 combines great performance with quiet operation, and the incredibly easy install is icing on this unique looking cake.

Other Reviews of Note

Its always nice to have more than one opinion on a component before you spend your hard earned money. For one, We may see something others missed, or vice versa. As with all reviews published at HardwareLogic, we'll not only give you our recommendation, but also point out some reviews from some other great sites around the web.
HardwareSecrets
Legion Hardware
Red & Blackness