Xigmatek S126384 “Thor’s Hammer” CPU Cooler Review

Heatsink Construction & Design

Before we begin looking at the design of the Thor's Hammer, we think an explanation of the name “S126384” is in order. Usually, we would not talk about the name of a cooler in this section but Xigmatek’s underlying nomenclature is directly related to how their products are designed. Once you know the code they use it does become self-explanatory and in fact, you can tell a lot about the make up of a given model from understanding it.

Starting with the “12”; this tells you the size of fan that can be accommodated; in this instance it is “12” or 12cm (aka 120mm), if it had been the smaller 92mm fan style it would use 92 instead of 12 and 80 if it had been even smaller and used 80mm fans. The next digit -the 6 in our case- states the size of the first (or topmost if there are multiple levels) layer of heatpipes in millimeters and the next digit tells you how many of them there are (3). The next digit after the three tells you the second layer heatpipe's size (in our case the large 8mm) and the last tells you the number of these used. If at some point Xigmatek adds a third level of heatpipes they most likely will add this information onto the end and that third level would be the new BOTTOM level.

So, what does this all say about the Thor's Hammer? It is a 120mm fan capable, multirow HDT cooler with three 6mm heatpipes on top of the base and the base of the cooler is made up of four larger and more capable 8mm pipes; or in Xigmatek nomenclature a “126384”. Phew.


As stated in the Packaging section, this is one BIG cooler but what we didn't allude to is the fact that it is just stunning to look at. Unlike any of the previous HDT’s we have reviewed, the Thor’s Hammer has been anodized with a black finish and reminds us a lot of a TRUE Black.

As for its size, we can safely say that it is easily the largest HDT cooler we can ever remember seeing let alone testing. Xigmatek states this beast weighs in at 800 grams and is 120mm(W) x 160mm(H) x 90mm(D). Needless to say, its size and weight puts in into a completely different category when compared to many other heatsinks on the market: the heavy-weight category.


Also unlike any previous HDT-based products we have reviewed, the tops of the heatpipes are not exposed on this cooler. Rather, two stylized "hammer heads" cover them. It's a nice touch but some may find this a bit over done. We personally never had any issue with exposed heatpipes tops but we have to admit this cooler does have a much cleaner look to it. If you have a windowed system this can make a difference but performance-wise we don't think this is a game changer.


Let's continue our tour by explaining the unique layout of the fin array. Unlike most tower-based coolers whose fins are basically all the same width and only vary in depth (except the top most in a few cases) these fins are set up in a very distinctive pattern in width, depth and height. In the height department they have a unique 2 - 1 - 2 pattern with the center single fin having its corners chopped off or recessed. The seemingly wider double fins are in fact two (per side) of those stylized hammer-looking units with a larger yet narrower fin stacked in between, repeated over and over in the above pattern. This has the effect of making the center of the Thor’s Hammer perfectly suited for free-flowing air. While this potentially low static pressure area is not as low as some other products', it should help direct the air towards the center and keep some from escaping out the sides before it can be fully used to remove heat from the fins.