Testing & Conclusion
Installation was a snap. On the LGA775 board that we used, the Thermaltake SpinQ VT uses the standard 4 pins that push down, just like the stock Intel heatsink. They were a ittle bit difficult to get to, however, because the cooler is wide enough that it sticks out past the center of the pins, requiring force to be applied at an anlge when installing.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
The following test system was used for testing the Thermaltake SpinQ VT CPU cooler:
Intel Core2Quad CPU Q8200 @ 3.15GHz, Vcore= 1.30
Gigabyte EP45T-UD3LR Motherboard
OCZ Platinum dual channel DDR3 kit
XFX 9800 GX2
Western Digital 250 GB SATA x4
Hitachi 1TB SATA
Topower Tiger 1200 Watt power supply
Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste
NZXT M59 Case
Idle temperatures were taken after 10 minutes of idle time at the Windows 7 Professional desktop with no other programs running. Full load temperature was taken after 15 minutes of OCCT running. A fresh application of Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste was used for each heat sink. Arctic Silver ArctiClean was used to clean the CPU and heat sink before each new application. The Thermaltake SpinQ VT was tested on both the lowest fan speed as well as the highest fan speed.
While the Thermaltake SpinQ VT can’t match the Noctua’s cooling prowess or low noise capabilities, it does claim the lead in the aesthetics department. The red illumination on the fan blades looks very sharp, as do the offset heat sink fins.
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At low fan speeds, the SpinQ VT was absolutely silent, but at full fan speed, the fan became noticeable above the five hard drives and fan of the 9800 GX2 video card.
Unpacking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aFGnS4nrZ8&feature=player_embedded
Conclusion:
The Thermaltake SpinQ VT is a decent cooler all around cooler. It is light weight and doesn’t use backplate for the motherboard. Installation is a snap, installing right onto the existing stock hardware on the motherboard. Aesthetics are very good and would go well with most setups. The red provides a nice contrast to the shiny aluminum.
Vertical clearance could be a problem for some cases if they are slim, as this cooler requires 6 inches of space between the CPU socket and the side panel. The footprint of the cooler is rather small, so motherboard compatibility shouldn’t be a problem.
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Performance overall was good. Keep in mind that the Noctua NH-U9B is an excellent cooler and is very effective at dissipating heat. The SpinQ VT performend well at low fan speeds, where it was virtually silent, but not much better at higher fan speeds, where it made a lot more noise.
Pros:
+ Easy installation (no motherboard backplate)
+ Good looks
+ Adjustable fan speed
+ Small footprint
Cons:
- Not the best cooling performance
- Cost
You can find more reviews of this product at Testseek.com
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