Retail Packaging, Components, Design
Retail Packaging
The Thermaltake FrioOCK CPU cooler comes packaged in this sci-fi themed package that showcases the cooler floating in space. Thermaltake also showcases the cooler’s support for 240-watt processors and universal support for modern Intel and AMD CPUs.
The back panel of the retail packaging goes into more detail on the heatsink’s additional features and technical specifications. It also has an informative graphic showing consumers how the heatsink’s push-pull air configuration will help move heat away from their overclocked CPUs.
The unit is packaged in layed foam that protected the unit great during packaging and shipping. Overall, Thermaltake did a phenomonal job with devleoping catchy graphics and an eye-catching retail package to help this product fly off the shelves.
Components and Heatsink Design
The FrioOCK weighs in at a whopping 1,093 grams (including the two fans) to make it one of the heaviest air-cooled heatsinks we’ve tested to date. The sheer size of this heatsink should make any mid-tower case owner bust out the measuring tape to ensure their case can contain this massive cooler. The overall dimensions of the unit are 143(L) x 136.8(W) x 158.4(H) millimeters and may cause issues for users with system memory with tall heatsinks on them.
The two 130mm fans are attached together using a plastic bracket that clips onto the sides of the dual-tower aluminum fin arrays. The fans can run between 1,200 and 2,100 RPMs and push an amazing 121 CFM. However, those types of RPM and CFM numbers will create a lot of noise as well (21-48 dBA).
The top of the cooler has a gorgeous blue plexi window and users will be able to see the tips of six copper heatpipes poking out. The Thermaltake logo in the middle is also a nice touch, but I would have liked some blue LEDs to light up the plexiglass. In fact the two 130mm fans are not lit with LEDs either.
The bottom of the unit showcases an aluminum-copper base and the universal mounting plate users will need to install the FrioOCK in their rigs.
Here’s a quick shot of how the fan bracket can be removed from the aluminum fin array on the FrioOCK. There are two clips that make removing the fan bracket simple and easy.
When I removed the fan bracket, I was able to get a good look at the dual-tower fin array Thermaltake incorporated into the FrioOCK. They used 0.4mm aluminum fins provide large surface for heat dissipation.
The top of the dual towers show the unique design Thermaltake used for the fin array. The design may be more for aesthetics than performance.
Thermaltake also bundled all the universal mounting plates, screws, and thermal grease users will need to install the FrioOCK in their PCs. I like how organized all the parts are because it’s going to make installing this massive heatsink that much easier for new and experienced users.
They also included a product warranty card and a supplementary notice for users installing this cooler on a LGA 1155 processor.
Lastly, they included two installation manuals to install the FrioOCK in an AMD or Intel-based system.
It is neither inexpensive nor
It is neither inexpensive nor reasonably quiet at higher fan speeds. It prevents the use of at least the first memory slot if used with any memory module with a heatsink, which is basically all the modules an enthusiast would choose from. And it was tested against a limited number of heatsinks; not the ones most enthusiasts are using these days, such as the noctua or a similarly priced all in one water cooler. I am outraged that it was given a gold award. I love this site for its objective and thorough and fair reviews, but this one stinks of anything but.
I just installed a Corsair
I just installed a Corsair A70, and it was pretty easy. It seemed a lot easier than the Cooler Master 212 (A Youtube video showed 2 people installing it). Anyway, Using Kingston Hyperx memory (fairly short profile), I was able to put in the 1st dimm slut and 3rd. I could even take it out (a little difficult after the mobo is in however). I spent $25 after rebate, and have no complaints so far. I just won’t spent $50 on a cooler let alone $40…