Introduction:

    In this day and age, most of the CPU coolers on the market are almost identical. The introduction of the heatpipe really closed the gaps in the market for one company to have a superior cooler. So, what companies like ZEROtherm have done is to create some sort of flair with the shape of the actual cooler to attract the attention of the customer: in the case of the BTF90, which is a butterfly design. Don't let this shape fool you - every turn or notch actually creates a larger surface area, and we all know that a larger surface area cools an object more efficiently. Each wing of the butterfly is its own separate cooler with a plastic divider down the middle, thus giving you four heatpipes in each wing. Let's see how well this cooler flies and get on with the review.

About the Company:

    ZEROtherm is engineered for the objective of decreasing noise into the ¡°ZERO¡± range while effectively addressing thermal issues. ZEROtherm products are optimized cooling solutions to reduce both noise and heat. Our core thermal packaging technology (including heat pipe technology and micro electro mechanical technology) is the basis for all ZEROtherm products. We seek to exceed consumer expectations by developing, designing, and producing ¡°best-of-breed¡± solutions from our extensive technological and engineering capabilities.
 

Specifications:
 

• Support CPU list Intel CoreTM 2 Exterme(Socket LGA775)

• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo (Socket LGA775)

• Intel Pentium Extreme Edition (Socket LGA 775)

• Intel Pentium D (Socket LGA 775)

• Intel Pentium 4 (Socket LGA775)

• Intel Celeron D (Socket LGA775) AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Socket 939, AM2)

• AMD Athlon 64 FX (Socket 939, AM2)

• AMD Athlon 64 (Socket 754, 939, AM2)

• AMD Sempron (Socket 754, AM2)

• Dimension 100(L) x 94(W) x 77(H) mm

• Heatsink Material Fin : Copper

• Base : Copper

• Heatpipe : Copper

• Heat Dissipation Area 4,400 §²

• Cooling Capacity Over 150W

• Fan Dimension 92 x 25 mm

• Fan Speed Automatic fan speed control by PWM

• 750~2,500 rpm (10%) normally under 1,500 rpm

• Acoustical Noise Max. 27 dBA (¡¾ 10%), normally under 18 dBA

• Air Flow Max. 42.8 CFM

• Fan Connector 4-pin, 4-wire (PWM)

• Rated Voltage DC 12V

• Power Consumption Max. 1.56W

• Weight 678g (w/o optional components)
   

A Closer Look:

Retail Front

Retail Back

Side

Internal Protection

   The BTF90 comes packaged in a very noticeable silver retail box with a carrying handle. The front of the retail box has a circular window that shows the fan on the cooler but not the actual cooler. The left side has the features, while the right side has the specifications of the BTF90. The rear of the box also features a window to view the cooler, but not enough of a view to show off its true shape.

Intel Bracket

AMD Bracket

Mount Screws Thermal Compound

    OK... it's time to open the box and see what is included with the BTF90 CPU cooler. The included gear is the CPU cooler (of course,) along with Intel and AMD mounting clips (please see the specifications for which models are supported.) A user manual, a small amount of silver type thermal grease, and hardware for the mounting clips round off the list of contents.

BTF90 Front	Rear	Top
Side	Heatpipes	Highly Polished

    Now it's time to get a closer look at the BTF90 CPU cooler itself. The BTF90 is constructed from copper. The fins, heatpipes, and base are all copper, and with the materials being the same, the heat transfer between them will be consistent. Although the fins of the BTF90 are shaped like butterfly wings, this weighs a ton - so don't drop it on your toe. Four heatpipes bent into a U shape create a total of eight pipes. These heatpipes are sandwiched between the copper base and an upper plate that is silver. Two sets of 46 fins make up the left and right half of the wings. A plastic fan bracket separates the two sides, thus giving you two separate cooling areas.

    The fan on the BTF90 is a 6 bladed, clear acrylic fan, illuminated by two red LED's. Yes, I said red and not the run of the mill blue LED's. You will see that it is recessed into the fins of the cooler. The fan is designed with Silent UFO technology - which stands for Ultra maglev Forms Oil protection bearing fan - and Automatic PWM fan speed control, with speeds ranging from 750 to 2500 RPM with the average speed being under 1500 RPM.

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