Thermaltake Golden Orb II

Whether you're a serious overclocker or simply want a quiet and cool running system, choosing a quality CPU cooler is crucial.  There is no shortage of choices available, making the decision factor a daunting task for some, but taking the time to research the right cooler can result in a positive long term experience.

Some coolers specialize in specific tasks, such as low noise or extreme cooling regardless of sound, while others tackle both issues in a single design.  One such cooler that fits virtually any situation is Thermaltake's Golden Orb II.  The Golden Orb II is a behemoth of a cooler that mounts an oversized blue LED fan on a hefty chunk of copper.  Designed to support both Intel and AMD CPUs in a single package, Thermaltake offers a universal cooler that brings extreme air cooling that is quiet and attractive in a single package.  Today, we'll size up this monster cooler to see just how well the Golden Orb II performs.

Specifications of ThermalTake's Golden Orb II Universal Cooling that's Quiet

P/N CL-P0220 Compatibility Intel Pentium 4 (Socket LGA775) AMD Athlon 64 (Socket 754 / 939) AMD Athlon 64 FX (Socket 939/940) AMD Sempron (Socket 754) AMD Opteron (Socket 940) Heatsink Dimension 120 x 63 mm Heatsink Material Copper Core & Aluminum Extrusion (66Fin) Max. Air Flow 35.43 CFM Fan Dimension 100 x 24 mm Max. Air Pressure 1.50 mm H2O Rated Voltage 12V Noise 17dBA Started Voltage 5V Life Time 30,000 Hours Power Input 1.56W Connector 3 Pin Fan Speed 1600 Weight 752 g

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The retail package comes with all the hardware necessary to mount the Golden Orb II to either an AMD and Intel based CPU.  For Intel, the Golden Orb II supports LGA775 CPUs with two custom mounting brackets and four screws to secure them to the motherboard.  With the AMD design, support is broader, covering all socket 754, 939 and 940 CPUS from Sempron to Opteron.  For AMD processors, a back plate is provided, if necessary, otherwise, two stand-offs are all that is needed, with no additional hardware required.

Thermaltake pulled together a quick installation sheet which covers all possible installation scenarios in clear detail, but it's the flash animations on their main website that do the best job of painting a very clear installation picture. Lastly, Thermaltake provided a packet of thermal grease to be applied to the CPU before mounting the Golden Orb II.