“Go big or go home!”
This macho saying has many dubious applications, but it’s quite at home in the world of CPU coolers. When cooling with air the more surface area you have, the more heat you can dissipate. So Thermaltake’s latest DuOrb CPU cooler, which sports two fans and two heatsinks, should be at the top of the heap right? I guess that depends on what part of the heap you look at.
The CPU heatsink market is overflowing with huge CPU coolers that boast a great deal. Unfortunately these coolers tend to come up short in one of two areas; they either don’t live up to specifications or they are just too tall to fit into most enclosures. Thermaltake has always been known for decent CPU coolers, and they have taken a different approach to the dual fan CPU cooler.
The Thermaltake DuOrb is a monster cooler, sporting dual 80mm fans mounted in their own radial heatsinks. Unlike many other dual-fan heatsinks, the Thermaltake DuOrb has it’s fans pointing down towards the motherboard. This provides for additional cooling towards the RAM, VRM, Northbridge, and the back of the video card. Thermaltake says this should make the cooler no taller than some single fan units, though I’m curious how well it’ll fit into our test system. Anyhow, here’s a quick run-down of the features. Full specifications can be found on the product home page.
- Extension of DuOrb Cooler Design
- Copper base, Heatpipes and fins
- Six Distinct Designed Heatpipes
- Mirror Coating Copper Base
- Double-Sided Radiant Heatpipes Penetrating Fins
- Blue and Red LED Lights Fans
- Dual 80mm Silent Fans
- Smart Thermal Management
As for pricing, the Thermaltake DuOrb CPU cooler rings in at the higher end of the spectrum. You should be able to find it at a street price between $60 and $70 USD. This places it in the same price range as the best from companies like Zalman and Cooler Master. Still how does it compare with such heatsinks? We’ll have to find out, after checking out the cooler and what accessories come with it.
Whats In The Box?
The DuOrb CPU cooler includes the mounting equipment required for Socket LGA 775 (Intel) and Socket AM2/AM2+ (AMD). Both installations will require the removal of your motherboard, as there’s a plastic mounting plate included to support the weight of the cooler. The instructions are fairly concise, and should allow all but the most n00bish to install the DuOrb with ease.