Introduction
Once I reviewed the Prolimatech Megahalems awhile again, I discovered it to be an enormous, brash, extremely efficient CPU heatsink that might simply tame a scorching, overclocked Core i7. In actual fact, it was the most effective cooler I had seen to that time. However as is usually the case, being the highest canine on the block within the tech world will be fleeting, and the latest 140mm coolers gave fairly a push to this 120mm monster. In response, Prolimatech went again to the drafting board and has launched the Tremendous Mega.
At first look, it appears to be like like simply the Megahalems, and in reality, it’s virtually the identical. However there are few necessary tweaks that seem to enhance upon the predecessor; specifically, changing some aluminum fins with copper ones, higher contact mount stress, and an enhance fan clip design that additionally permits for 140mm followers in a push-pull configuration.
By spec alone, these upgrades would appear to be an fanatic’s dream, taking one of many prime coolers in the marketplace and making it higher. However as I do know, paper specs don’t essentially make for a tangible enchancment out in the actual world. I made a decision to place the Tremendous Mega to the take a look at, to search out out if it might probably certainly surpass the Megahalems in cooling efficiency or not.
Specs and Bundle
The packaging of the cooler is a reasonably commonplace white cardboard field, with some fundamental product info on the aspect. While you open the field you will notice that the cooler is packed in dense foam to guard it properly throughout transport.
The equipment listed below are fairly intensive. Prolimatech has included a tube of their thermal compound, in addition to the all the required mounting brackets for numerous Intel sockets, fan clips, set up guide, and a common backplate. AMD mounting {hardware} just isn’t included right here, however is optionally obtainable for a further value. The set up guide is simple and simple to know.
Nearer Look
A standard tower design, the Tremendous Mega is similar to the favored Megahalems, virtually an identical the truth is, with a couple of distinct variations that I’ll focus on beneath. In case you’re accustomed to the Megahalems you then’ll immediately acknowledge the design of the Tremendous Mega. It’s a pretty typical tower fashion by way of expertise and use of heatpipes, however the Tremendous Mega continues the area within the center, protecting an “airway” open and creating two smaller and separate “mini-towers”. It’s fairly fashionable and aggressive-looking, however is sort of giant, and will pose issues with smaller mid-towers. It’s positively one of many greatest coolers I’ve seen.
Nonetheless, the place the Tremendous Mega differs from the Megahalems is that this new heatsink replaces a substantial part of aluminum fins for copper ones. As I do know, copper is a greater warmth conductor, so in idea the Tremendous Mega ought to have higher thermal efficiency over the Megahalems. How a lot (or not) stays to be seen in our take a look at outcomes.
The Prolimatech Tremendous Mega options an abundance of heatpipes, six in complete, that switch the massive amount of warmth which the CPU produces, however they emanate from the bottom itself fairly than wrapping by way of the bottom and dirctly touching the CPU, as I’ve seen with some current Heatpipe Direct Contact coolers with that expertise.
The coolers fins are pretty tightly spaced collectively, however this shouldn’t pose any issues in the event you select a fan with excessive again stress which is able to simply drive air by way of the tower. The Tremendous Mega doesn’t include a fan, so you’ve the choice of going with a extra silent setup or the next airflow one geared to prime efficiency.
Trying on the backside of the Tremendous Mega, I see the heatpipes and phone level for the CPU. The bottom is machined with a fairly respectable end; you don’t actually see a mirror end, however Prolimatech claims the bottom has been precision-machined for optimum cooling. The proof shall be within the pudding after I take a look at the cooler.
The mounting system on the Tremendous Mega is precisely the identical because the Megahalems. The backplate is screwed into two mounting brackets on the entrance, after which a perpendicular mounting arm holds the heatsink down towards the CPU. General, the set up may be very easy and never terribly tough in any respect, although the backplate rivet nuts are a little bit of a ache to get into place and regular whereas inserting the motherboard overtop.
There’s one very minor distinction, nonetheless, because the Tremendous Mega additionally has included a set of black mounting screws. The silver ones are common, whereas the black ones present further mounting stress between the bottom and CPU. Prolimatech does point out within the set up information that these exceed Intel’s specification for contact stress, so remember to train warning in the event you go along with them for twenty-four/7 use.
The final distinction is that the Tremendous Mega employs a brand new fan clip design. The clips have been in all probability the weakest half on the Megahalems, jutting out removed from the heatsink/fan and inflicting area points with reminiscence slots. Nonetheless, the followers clips aren’t solely smaller on the Tremendous Mega, but in addition side-mounted, avoiding any clearance issues with the DIMM slots on the backside.
As you may see within the above photograph, the Tremendous Mega’s is certainly large, and with a 25mm fan it might overhang the closest DIMM slot in your motherboard, but it surely does rely in your specific socket and motherboard design. Nonetheless, the brand new fan clip design is a signficant enchancment over the earlier Megahalems design, and now offers a bit extra room to maneuver. There’s nonetheless the choice of putting in two followers in a push-pull configuration on the Tremendous Mega.
Take a look at Setup
To check the heatsink, I boot into Home windows and let the system sit idle for 10 minutes, then measure temperatures. I then load the CPU cores to 100% utilizing Prime95 for 20 minutes after which once more measure the temperatures. This complete course of is completed twice after which averaged to keep away from any minor discrepancies which may happen. Ambient temperatures are stored at 25°C, and Arctic Cooling MX-2 is used for the thermal interface materials.
For the report, I didn’t use Prolimatech’s included themal paste merely for the sake of consistency so the outcomes aren’t doubtlessly skewed attributable to differing thermal compounds. CoreTemp was used to report all temperatures. Temperatures are reported to the closest entire diploma Celcius; something lower than one diploma will be attributed to slight testing variances. All thottling options in BIOS are disabled.
For the reason that Prolimatech heatsink doesn’t include an included fan, I made a decision to conduct two separate checks. First, I put in a Noctua 120mm NF-S12B fan that may simulate a silent setup and function as a baseline for a good comparability towards different prime LGA1156 coolers I’ve already examined so I might make a good comparability.
Second, I then put in a single excessive airflow Scythe Kaze fan that produces 130cfm and examined the Tremendous Mega heads-up towards the Megahalems to find out any efficiency enchancment. This excessive airflow setup ought to assist exaggerate any thermal variations between the 2 Prolimatech heatsinks. For the report, I didn’t take a look at this configuration towards the opposite coolers as a result of that is clearly biased in favour of each Prolimatech coolers. Apart from, I’m extra interested by seeing if the Tremendous Mega can enhance upon the Megahalems, not if it’s higher than a lot of the different heatsinks in the marketplace; I already know that it’s.
Outcomes
So how does the Tremendous Mega carry out? First up, the silent Noctua fan at inventory CPU velocity.
As I can see, the Tremendous Mega does an excellent job of protecting the new Core i7 underneath management when operating at inventory velocity, sitting close to the highest of the efficiency heap. Nonetheless, I don’t see any kind of enchancment over the Megahalems, as each are operating an identical temperatures as idle and cargo.
As described earlier, subsequent I put in a excessive output fan, juiced up the voltage, after which overclocked the CPU. Right here’s what occurred:
Once I cranked up the voltage and overclocked the chip, I see that each Prolimatech heatsinks are extraordinarily spectacular in protecting a extremely overclocked Core i7 underneath management. However wanting on the efficiency between the 2 heatsinks, I see that the Tremendous Mega manages to squeeze out one further diploma of thermal enchancment over the Megahalems. The distinction is extraordinarily minor, however it’s measurable.
Abstract
The Prolimatech Tremendous Mega just isn’t a revolutionary design when in comparison with the profitable Megahalems. It’s extra of a tweak, actually, modifying some minor design components that have been weak factors on the predecessor. Most noticably, the Tremendous Mega takes the design a step additional by changing among the aluminum fins with copper ones. Additional, the fan clip mechanism is a straightforward however huge enchancment as nicely, nonetheless permitting a push-pull configuration whereas avoiding the earlier clearance points on the DIMM slots.
When it comes to efficiency, there’s little question the Tremendous Mega is without doubt one of the greatest heatsinks I’ve examined. It’s a testomony to the Megahalem’s success that Prolimatech hasn’t modified the design, as a substitute opting to go along with minor tweaks. The thermal efficiency at inventory clocks, and notably with a silent fan setup, is similar between the 2 heatsinks. When the CPU is extremely overclocked and a excessive output fan is put in, I did see a really minor enchancment, only one°C. That’s not a lot, but it surely was measurable in our testing, and for some lovers that further will be worthwhile.
In case you already personal a Megahalems then the Tremendous Mega isn’t value an improve. Nonetheless, in the event you’re available in the market for a brand new heatsink, then the Tremendous Mega ought to be in your buy shortlist, particularly in case your’e searching for some aggressive overclocking outcomes. Priced round $70 USD, the Tremendous Mega is definitely on the costly aspect of the equation, particularly contemplating a fan isn’t included. However the tradeoff is that you’ve got the choice of tailoring the noise vs efficiency fan setup to fit your wants, and also you do get a killer heatsink for that value.
The Prolimatech Tremendous Mega takes the most effective options of the Megahalems and makes a couple of delicate, however good enhancements, leading to what is without doubt one of the greatest CPU heatsinks I’ve seen in the marketplace.
