Introduction

Now I know how CrazyPC got it's name. They are crazy. That easy. For example, take a pretty darn good heat sink in the first place that does a decent job at cooling and seems to be pretty darn quiet, but that isn't crazy I guess. So CrazyPC gets their hands on it, and adds a super dooper kitty scooper of a fan to it. Yes, the one and only Delta 80mm by 38mm fan. The thing I don't get, is why they didn't name it the Crazy Ass Dr. Thermal, but instead they deemed this one as the Dr. Thermal Extreme. Extreme you say? Well let's just see how extreme.

Contents

Odd, by the shear weight of the box, I figured to open up a computer, but instead got a heat sink. What all does this puppy have? Actually, you get the bare necessities.

• Heat Sink (Thermal Integration TI-V77L) with Thermal Tape already applied
• 80MM Delta 68CFM Fan

Specifications

Applications

• Socket A - AMD Duron, Athlon (1.4GHz+), XP 2200+

Fan

• Dimensions: 80(L) X 80(H) X 38(W) MM
• Rotation Speed: 4900 RPM / 68.5CFM
• Noise: 48.5dBA

Heat sink

• Cooler Dimension: 73.8x73.8x46mm
• Weight: 276.5g
• MTBF (hr): 50,000
• Clip Attach Force(LBS): 19.5±3
• Thermal Resistance(°C/W): 0.4

 

EXTREME !!!

I like the clip setup

Keep pets and children away!!!

EWW!! Thermal Tape

Easy to clip

Test Info

Well Well Well!!! This review would have been done sooner on a pretty MSI K7T Turbo Limited Edition, but like always, Sn1per kills yet another motherboard. Well, my new motherboard was purchased from Directron and let me tell ya this, DDR FREAKIN' OWNZ PC133!!!! God so much faster. The motherboard is the Abit KR7A motherboard and it is a dandy, not as good lookin' as the MSI, but a hell of a lot faster. The CPU is a 1.4GHz T-Bird that runs hotter then anything I have ever seen. Can the Dr. Thermal Extreme tame my 1.4 T-Bird? Just wait to find out. Here is the full specs of the test system.

• Abit KR7A
• AMD T-Bird 1400MHz (Arctic Silver 3 used for Thermal Paste)
• 512MB PC2100
• PNY GeForce 3

Like I stated earlier, mounting this bad boy was very easy to do. I actually like this clipping system a lot. No tools needed what so ever in order to set this bad boy up. Added my Arctic Silver 3 (I actually like AS2 better) and attached the heatsink in a matter of minutes. No sweating or shaking thinking that I may slip and break something. If you break something installing this heat sink, good lord don't touch another computer. Actually, I shouldn't say that, we have all accidentally done something that was considered stupid to others. Like me getting married (OOOH LOW BLOW BY SN1PER). That is OK, my ex-wife don't read VH anyways. At least I hope she doesn't!! :D

Before I installed the heat sink, I made sure that my Digi-Doc was all hooked up and ready to go. I stuck one of the thermal probes from the DD5 to the side of the CPU just touching the side of the core. The 2nd one I stuck just above the heat sink's fan to see the temperature of the air that was being pulled in. The 3rd temperature sensor was the one on the motherboard. And let me just say, Abit's temperature probe under the CPU socket sucks big time. Because of that little bas$#$# I redid the tests like 3 or 4 times just to make sure the stuff I was smoking wasn't harming the results. JOKE JOKE!!! Take a look at the mounting and the Dr. Thermal Extreme Sitting pretty on the motherboard. Just for your information, the motherboard the heat sink was on in the pictures was a dead Asus A7V133. This way here I didn't have to take out my mother board to show the setup off. This was much easier.

Up is for install and removal

Down means it is locked in and ready to blow!!

Installed (Yes on a dead mobo)

Attaches to 1 tab

The other side

The first part of the testing was done with the T-Bird 1.4 stock. I installed everything and turned on the computer. I let the computer run for 2 days using it normally before I actually started testing it. Why? Well, it let the Arctic Silver setup and cure. The 2nd reason was the sheer fact I totally forgot to do the testing after installing it. God I am retarded!!! I then stressed it using Sisoft Sandra's CPU Burn-In on the Multimedia settings. I let it run for 3 hours when I took the max temperatures. The 2nd part of the testing was done with the T-Bird 1.4 running at 1.6, yes I know, weak, only a 200MHz overclock. It was enough to push the Dr. Thermal Extreme though. I did the same exact thing as I did with the CPU at stock speeds.

Results

Results, the most important part of any heat sink or cooling review if you ask me. The results, yet very satisfying, could have been much better if the heat sink would sit on the core of the CPU squarely. Part of the core would be in contact with the copper, while the other part would be touching the rough aluminum. If you have read a review anywhere else on this heat sink, this is probably the same thing that each review has stated in the past.

Here you can see the core was not center

Shall we see some temperatures? Here you go!!!

Stock 1400MHz

Overclocked 1600MHz

Not to shabby considering that the heat sink doesn't sit square on the core. I could only imagine the results if it did. Maybe 1600MHz would have been a little more stable if the heat sink sit on the core of the CPU correctly. I am sure that Thermal Integration knows about this problem, but the thing I want to know, is why haven't they done anything to fix this? Funny thing is, a place like CrazyPC gets their hands on it, adds a much more powerful fan, and gets pretty darn good results.

Conclusion

Well, definitely not the best heat sink I have ever had in my hands, but definitely a heat sink that has a lot of potential. I think this heat sink would out perform a lot of other heat sinks out there with the core centering problem resolved as well as a much smaller fan pushing less air and at the same time being more quiet. Let's take a look at what I consider the Pro's and Con's of the Dr. Thermal Extreme.

Pro's

• Copper Insert
• Quality Construction
• Clipping Mechanism

Con's

• Way to loud
• Price (Although the stock version of this is still better then any $20 heat sink you will get at your local shops)
• Doesn't sit center on the CPU
• Copper insert is very soft, easy to scratch and dent

Price vs. Results vs. Noise? Price is a little steep at around $40, results are good at the price of a lot of noise. I know many of you are striving for performance with less noise. If you are one of those people, then you will not appreciate this heat sink. Now if you are on of those that like to be extreme and don't plan on overclocking extreme, then you might appreciate this heat sink. If I was in the market to purchase a heat sink, I am not to sure this would be the one for me. However, since CrazyPC carries a hell of a lot more then this heat sink, I would definitely buy from Nick and CrazyPC. I bought from CrazyPC before I ever heard of case modding, Virtual-Hideout, or even Swiftech. But, the first thing I ever bought from them, was a Swiftech (MCX370 still my favorite performer). If this heat sink isn't what you are looking for, I would still check out the CrazyPC shop for my future purchases do to their high level of customer support. I have all my friends buying from them now and they all love CrazyPC.

I would like to thank Nick and CrazyPC for sending this heat sink to me for a review. CrazyPC has been when of the greatest online stores that I have come to fancy big time. I live in Chicago and CrazyPC is in Michigan. I order ground shipping and it is here usually the next day if I order early enough. I have never had one problem with them, and their prices have always been superb. Their products are quality, and I cannot say enough concerning their customer support. The first time I ordered from them, I had some questions and Nick replied back saying that his wife would be working on my order and doing some of the mod related work to it. Now that is a family business, and a wife that many of us can only dream of. I just might still be married if my wife (ex-wife now!!!) would case mod or even find an interest in computers and breaking stuff like I do. LOL@!#@#@ OK!!! Thanks again CrazyPC for the Dr. Thermal Extreme and thanks to Virtual-Hideout and Wolfie for gettin' my ass in gear during my recent rough times. Oh, and even thanks to Nick over at CrazyPC for his patience during this entire time here. If any of you have any questions, comments, or concerns pertaining to this review, please feel free to e-mail sn1per@virtual-hideout.net with it all. Thanks everyone!!!

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