Intel Core i7 / LGA1366 CPU Cooler Roundup

Conclusions

ProlimaTech Mega Shadow Deluxe Edition

After performance numbers like this monster posted what can you say but...wow. It really is a great cooler and it really does work wonderfully at a wide range of fan speeds. The only issue we have here is that the Mega Shadow seems to be nothing more than a gussied-up Megahalems with a fancy new all black look. Is this a bad thing per say? Not at all. We were just hoping to see something more from ProlimaTech, especially considering this product sports a brand new name. Yes, it has a revised and thankfully simplified mounting system but that’s about it.

To be totally honest this is not entirely fair to the Mega Shadow since it truly is gorgeous to look at and has the ability to cool off overclocked i7 CPUs like no one’s business. It is also great to see that its improved backplate is compatible with 775, i7 and i5 (unlike the Megahalems which is 775 and i7 only) but there is still no AMD lovin’ here. Compared to these other redeeming qualities, the fact that the Shadow ships with four wire fan clips may not seem like a big deal but to us it is. The ability to mount a pair of 120mm fans allows the Mega Shadow to increase its performance by leaps and bounds even with a pair of lower speed fans.

The only limiting factor that this cooler has is its somewhat extreme price tag. Hopefully as time goes by it will come down from its presently stratospheric level so it will be more appealing to a wider range of consumers but we sort of like the exclusivity the price brings. The Mega Shadow really is the best of the best and with its enhanced mounting abilities we think it deserves to not only our Damn Good award to also be crowned our new king of the air coolers. If you are willing to pay for the best, then this is where the buck stops.


Pros:

- Best in class cooling performance
- Dual fan capable
- Multi-socket Intel mounting abilities
- Easy installation
- Gorgeous looks


Cons:

- Price
- No fan included

Spire TherMax 2

When all is said and done, the TherMax 2 is a good cooler for mild to moderate overclocking and many people will find it to be a decent choice. It really is not stellar at any speed but is not a terrible choice either. Honestly, with a bit of work on Spire's end with regards to the quality of the base and the inclusion of a backplate-based mounting setup, the TherMax series could be a real contender.

Unfortunately, a lot of that performance came from the fact that Spire needed to use an extremely noisy fan to push air through the oddly shaped fin array. When the fan was changed out for one with a less noticeable acoustical footprint, the TherMax 2 was still a lot better than stock cooling solution but it began to suffer a bit. It really is only when you get down into the ultra low range with 900RPM fans that things really take a turn for the worse. As long as you stick with a more typical 1300 – 1500 RPM range most people will be more than satisfied with the results.

In the end this would not be the first cooler we would chose for most situations but with its broad compatibility range and decent results it would be far from the last cooler we go with. There are however, better choices out there if budget is first and foremost in your mind.

Pros:

- Reasonable price
- Decent cooling performance at lower heat loads
- Very good value (up to moderate heat loads)


Cons:

- Not a great choice for low noise situations
- Only able to mount one fan
- AMD type mounting setup for Intel systems
- Very loud fan