reviews

Spire TherMax II Heatsink Review

Author: Dennis Garcia

Tower heatsinks come in a variety of different styles and while the outer appearance may be different the general principle remains the same.  You have (x) amount of heatpipes wrapped around a common base and connected to a large finned radiator.  The heatpipes work by transferring heat from a warm location to a cooler one.  The greater the temperature difference the faster the heat will move.  So when heat is applied to the heatsink base it will travel the length of the heatpipe and be dissipated using a cooling fan and radiator.

Heat capacity for a process like this can usually be estimated by the number of heatpipes, diameter of the heatpipes, their proximity to the heatsource, and the size of the radiator.  Of course the more you have the better it will be.

In this review we will be looking at a tower style cooler from Spire called the TherMax II.  The TherMax II is based on a large diameter 4 heatpipe design using a single cooling fan and aluminum radiator.

There are several unique features to the TherMax II that make it slightly different than the competition.  The first is the no-nonsense and minimalist design that exposes the entire heatsink.  The cooling fins are constructed from dull finished aluminum with an embossed Spire logo in the middle.  Unlike other tower coolers these are shaped for more visual appeal.

The heatsink base features a core contact design that offers superb heat transfer and lower core temperatures.  4 large heatpipes can be seen exiting the contact area in no specific order or arraignment. 

You get a single 120mm UV reactive cooling fan with the TherMax II that will move 99CFM at 2400rpm with a maximum noise rating of 34dB.