Thermaltake Frio Extreme CPU Cooler Review

Testing and Results

I used the following machine to test the Thermaltake Frio Extreme CPU cooler:

The 3770k is an interesting CPU, it doesn’t put out a tremendous amount of heat but it runs very hot. I tested the Frio Extreme against a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme (also known as a “TRUE” and the 3770k’s stock cooler, testing was done at stock clock speeds (1.04vcore), 4.1GHz (1.11vcore), 4.5GHz(1.29vcore) and 4.7GHz(1.39vcore). The TRUE does not come with a fan, one of the Frio Extreme’s fans was used. To further complicate matters all TRUE and Frio Extreme tests were run with the fans at maximum as well as minimum speeds.

The results are the average core temperature measured in degrees Celsius over the ambient air temperature. This mean you can estimate the performance in your computer with the same heatload by measuring your ambient case temperature and adding the average listed in these results. The ambient temperature was measured using a Fluke 51 thermocouple thermometer with the probe about one inch in front of the fan hub.

How about some testing results? We’ll start with stock:

The Frio Extreme edges out the TRUE by a hair. This is the first heatsink I have tested that has managed that feat. The Intel stock cooler is not good. Onward to a mild overclock!

Here the Frio Extreme extends its lead. The stock cooler’s ambient air temp was such that it was running core temps in the high 80s, a bit warm! Onward to 4.5GHz.

The Intel cooler was quickly overpowered and crashed, no surprise there. The TRUE narrowly edges out the Frio Extreme at this level.

Now for some extreme heat, neither of the heatsinks could deal with this without running high fan speed:

Here the TRUE wins by a bit.

I initially tested with a 2600k at various levels, the 2600k puts out more watts of heat but its core is soldered to the heatspreader so it is easier to get that heat into the heatsink. On that CPU the Frio Extreme won across the board. I find this interesting. I believe it to be due to the thicker base on the TRUE, the 2600K has a larger die so the heat is coming out of a larger area, in that situation the Frio Extreme’s greater cooling performance takes the day. The 3770k at extreme OCing levels puts a lot of heat out in a very small area, the thicker base on the TRUE can spread that heat out to more of the heatpipes. This is guesswork on my part though.

I am impressed by the Frio Extreme’s results, Thermaltake has been taking shots at beating it with the entire Frio series and up till now tended to fall heartbreakingly short. The Frio Extreme has managed to trade blows with the TRUE. Impressive!