Thermaltake Mini Typhoon review

Computer users are like Harley riders. I know this sounds far fetched but if you think about it this statement has a lot of truth in it. A large amount of computer users buy parts for their computers because they are shiny or carry a brand name, just like Harley riders. For a lot of people in both groups it’s not about the performance of the machine that guides their purchasing decisions but the amount of bling for the buck. There is nothing wrong with buying bling for your system as long as you know that’s what you’re buying.

When the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon arrived I was impressed with the bling factor. Once I got over the shininess of the copper I began to have second thoughts about attaching it to my motherboard due to its weight. The Mini Typhoon weighs in at a chunky 1.2 pounds with a large amount of it at the head of the unit. The fit and finish of the Mini Typhoon is equal to the detail that Thermaltake puts into their computer cases. I can vouch for this because my current system sits inside a Thermaltake Xaser V Daimer case. The most important piece of any heat sink is the base that sits on top of your CPU. The finish on the Mini Typhoon is so well polished that it is mirror like. The smoother the surface the better the heat transfer. Here's a look at the features:

  • Heatsink:
    • Supports up to TDP 130W
    • 6 heatpipes, maximized heat transfer (6mm diameter)
    • All copper structure, provides extremely fast heat conductivity
    • 92 0.2mm thick copper fins and perfect fin rate, perfect weight-to-performance ratio
    • Waved fins to reduce wind shearing noise
    • Dimension: 112 (L) x 94 (W) x 125 (H) mm
    • Fan dimension: 92x92x38 mm
    • Weight: 623g
  • Fan:
    • Max airflow: 38.7CFM
    • Fan dimension: 92x92x38 mm
    • Noise: 18dBA
    • Fan speed: 2200RPM
    • Maximum air pressure: 2.69 mm H2O
  • 3 in 1 application
    • For LGA775: push pin design for faster install
    • For K8 and latest socket AM2, tool-less clip, easy to install
  • RX Type Flow
    • Powerful 9238 reversed fan to reduce the noise from air-rebounding, only 18dBA

Cooling is a relative thing that depends on many factors such as; CPU, case configuration, the number and location of fans, fan speed, and where you place your system. At work I see a fair amount of heat issues directly related to where the user places his/her system. I have mentioned this to say that my results with the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon may not be the same as yours. My system specs at the moment are as follows:

  • Thermaltake Xaser V Daimer case
  • Asus A8N- SLI MOBO
  • 2 x Seagate 250gig SATA HDD>
  • 1.5 gig Ram (PC 4200)
  • AMD 3500+ Venice Core CPU
  • Nvidia 7800GT Graphics Card
  • Connect X 500w PSU
  • 2 x 120 mm fans
  • 3 x 90 mm fans
  • Hardcano Fan Controller/ Temp monitor

The Thermaltake Mini Typhoon comes packaged in a blister case which really shows off the very nice finish on the copper. Included are clamps for AMD K8 and M2 processors, as well as the Intel LGA775. The instructions are clear and in color and a packet of generic heat sink paste is included. I would suggest dumping the generic paste and using Artic Silver to get a bit more thermal advantage. Installation is simple and I had the Mini Typhoon installed and the system fired up within a 15 minuet period. The clip for the AMD board could use some improvement. It does not secure the Mini Typhoon as well as it should and it allows it to slip a bit from side to side.

To create the load conditions I ran the same tasks for both heat sinks. I was downloading six music files while uploading six music files. This was done in the background while playing Rome Total War on max settings for one hour.

With my stock AMD heat sink my temps were:

  • IDLE: 31.2 Celsius/ 87 Fahrenheit
  • UNDER LOAD: 36.6 Celsius/ 97 Fahrenheit

Surprisingly, the temperatures I recorded after installing the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon were only minimally better under load than the stock AMD heat sink. However the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon outperformed the AMD heat sink at idle speed. I should point out that to avoid clearance issues with my window mounted fan I had to remove it when installing the Mini Typhoon. Although this might affect the results of the Minis temperatures I believe the effect would be minimal.

  • Thermaltake @ IDLE: 28 Celsius/ 82 Fahrenheit
  • Thermaltake UNDER LOAD: 34.3 Celsius/ 95 Fahrenheit

As you can see the Mini Typhoon is 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the stock AMD heat sink at idle temps. However there is only a difference of 2 degrees Fahrenheit at load temps. At the time I am writing this review I do not have a price for the Mini Typhoon and I would be hesitant to change out my stock heat sink and spend the money for such a minimal gain in cooling. However if you like the bling or if you are building a system and purchased your CPU without a heat sink the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon might be for you.


PROS:

  • Bling, Bling, Bling!
  • Easy install
  • Supports both AMD and Intel Boards
CONS:
  • Poor AMD clip design
  • Minimal temperature difference over stock AMD heat sink
  • Lot of weight hanging from motherboard


I give the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon a 6/10 for DarkVision Hardware

  

Added: March 18th 2006
Product reviewed: Thermaltake Mini Typhoon
Reviewer: David Johnston
Score: 6/10



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Loading Comments

Comment #1 posted by Anonymous on 2006-12-10 06:50:55
Decent enough over the Stock Intel HSF... make sure to use ArctiClean to get those surfaces tidy, then apply a nice thin line of AS5 to do the trick. Heres the scoop using this HSF combo on an Intel Core2 Duo E6600 (stock speeds) in a Thermaltake Armor VA8000B @ 20°C Ambient:

Temps recorded via TAT & Everest - CPU/Cores in Celcius

STOCK Intel HSF at IDLE: 25°/42°
TT MiniTyphoon at IDLE: 20°/34°

STOCK Intel HSF running SI-SANDRA CPU Bench: 48°/64°
TT MiniTyphoon running SI-SANDRA CPU Bench: 30°/47°

STOCK Intel HSF running Everest FPU Bench: 61°/75°
TT MiniTyphoon running Everest FPU Bench: 42°/56°

STOCK Intel HSF running Intel TAT 100% Bench: 71°/85°+ (throttling occurred - note: TAT canceled after 3 min)
TT MiniTyphoon running Intel TAT 100% Bench: 45°/60°

Benchmark results listed were recorded during a 30 minute burn with the highest figures represented from the two cores as reported from TAT and Everest thermal monitors.

Also note, these temps are right after HSF installation, waiting to see after 200 hours of use to see if improvment is noted with theArcticSilver 5.

Overall, I like this HSF and recommend it! Just be sure to clean the surfaces right and make sure the plastic pegs for the Intel LGA775 applications are "set-in" fully.

Happy Computing!



Comment #2 posted by Anonymous on 2006-10-11 08:47:59
It can't be installed on Intel 965XBX mobo. One of heatpipe will hit the heatsink of one VRM, once the holder is locked to the mobo. Also its copper base may touch one of small capacitors near the socket.

Comment #3 posted by Anonymous on 2006-09-26 09:17:36
This CPU sucks!

Comment #4 posted by Anonymous on 2006-07-29 05:26:12
I purchased this product and have had an extremely difficult time getting it to firmly connected. I may have even damaged my motherboard. Perhaps I am an idiot, but i have spent over 3 hours working on this and it still won't remain stable. THe instructions are some of the worst I have EVER seen (which is saying something).

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