![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Thursday , March 05, 2009
- Author:
- Marc Adams
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Thermaltake SpinQ, A1VX and BigTyp 14 Pro
Overall, the world of air cooling has gotten to be fairly stagnant simply due to the quality and efficiency of the products on the market. That said, for those of you that are looking for good cooling that carries with it a good dollar value and some aesthetic value as well, there is always something new to look at.
Thermaltake V1 AX
The V1 AX from Thermaltake looks to build on the success of the V1. Bringing with it a new look and support for the new Core i7 CPUs from Intel, the V1 AX looks promising. But with each passing day the field gets a bit more crowded with new heat sinks arriving from companies like Prolimatech, ASUS and Kingwin. The first time we looked at the V1 we found it to perform pretty well for having so few heat pipes. Let’s see what’s changed with this new iteration of an old favorite.
Package & Specs
Thermaltake uses similar packaging on the V1 AX as it does with many of its previous coolers. The cooler is kept secure inside its cardboard and plastic housing while the box itself is adorned with a list of specs and features.
Dimensions: 147 (L) x 92 (W) x 143 (H) mm
Weight: 420g
Material: Aluminum fins with aluminum base
Heat Pipes: 4 x 6mm heat pipes
Compatibility:
- Intel LGA 1366
- Intel LGA 775
- AMD 754
- AMD 939
- AMD AM2/AM2+
Fan:
- Size: 110 x 25mm
- Speed: 1300 ~ 2000 RPM
- Noise Level: 16 ~ 24 dBA
- Max Air Flow: 86.5 CFM
- Power: 3.0w
Contents & Flatness
Thermaltake includes everything required to set up the V1 AX including a set of retention clips for those of you going the LGA 1366 route.
Thermaltake has exceptional quality control when it comes to the flatness of their heat sink’s base. The extra polishing is a nice touch that serves to help us show just how flat the base is but in the end it is the flatness of the base that counts. The V1 AX has a very good base and the lines are mostly straight. I say mostly because if you look to the very edges you can see some warping and the very top lines in the photo show some curvature. It is far enough away from the contact area that it won’t impact performance but I point it out as a visual reference of what we look for when checking the flatness of a heat sink’s base.
Photos
The overall design of the V1 AX remains identical to the V1 that we looked at here. The only change is the nickel plating which protects the copper from tarnishing due to the increased temperature.
Installation
Since the V1 AX remains unchanged from a dimensions standpoint it retains its ease of installation. There are a total of four screws that hold the push pins to the base and once installed offers solid contact with the CPU.
The heat sink itself has plenty of clearance for all but the most exotic of mosfet/northbridge coolers. When installing this cooler you will also want to make sure that the fan is blowing upwards towards the top of your case to aid in the exhausting of the heat.
