Thermaltake Big Typhoon

This stunning heatsink sports the typical copper base, six heat pipes, and a gaggle of aluminum fins that hang over the processor zone. A 120mm fan—the biggest in this roundup—sits atop this dense apparatus, blowing down air to carry heat radiated from the fins and cooling the area around the CPU socket. The fan provides arctic-quality cooling despite the fact that it spins at a near-silent 1,300rpm.

Installation was easier than average—much easier than with other Thermaltake products we’ve reviewed recently. The Typhoon quietly administered exceptional cooling to our test CPUs: The numbers it posted were among the best in the roundup. The only knock against this cooler is that when it’s installed in a case, the case door is so close to the fan that it starves it of air.
--Josh Norem

Month Reviewed: September 2005
Verdict: 8
URL: www.thermaltake.com