For some time now it is really difficult to see international launches that generate expectation and are a challenge for other manufacturers. In the world of cooling, what we have is a clear shift towards AIO liquid cooling systems, but not all of them are good and not all of them can last 10 years working like the first day, therefore, many prefer a conventional air cooler. This is where Thermalright comes in as its Ultra120EX REV.4 launches globally.
If we look at the current stock of heatsinks in any store, we will see that only a few brands are dueling in the high range: Noctua, Cooler Master, be Quiet! and DeepCool, where if we go up to the elite range the options are reduced to just two. Well, it seems that after the pandemic Thermalright is coming to join the party and its heatsink is going to give a lot to talk about.
Thermalright Ultra120EX REV.4, the new rival to beat?
It may not be very surprising at first, after all, it is the typical tower cooler with the hallmark of Thermalright, but this version goes a little further and in the details we find the real differences. The first thing we should know is that Thermalright offers this Ultra120EX REV.4 directly in two colors, black and white, perfect to integrate it into any system, although not all of them will really be able to do it, since the height will be something to take into account depending on the chassis we have.
And it is that its measurements are 157 mm high, 132 mm long and 64 mm wide . It is not an extremely large heatsink, especially for thickness, which helps it to be installable on more motherboards. To do this, Thermalright has moved the center of the heatsink body 1 cm, so that it can be placed without disturbing the RAM memories.
Keep in mind that this system with its two fans only allows a vertical position precisely for this reason, which is not a problem, you simply have to take it into account when mounting it correctly.
High static pressure and performance fans
With a weight of 660 grams we can already understand what we are facing along with its measurements. And it is that the body of the heatsink is connected to a cold plate by no less than 6 heat pipes of 6 mm each that are not in direct contact, since the same cold plate ( pure copper C1100 nickel plated ) performs the transfer function of heat, thereby improving thermal performance.
The body of the heatsink is made up of 52 fins of 0.4mm thickness with a gap of 1.6mm between them, which denotes the total height and performance that should be excellent, but for this you need two good fans like the ones It includes.
And it is that the TL-B12 are undoubtedly a model that is halfway between the mythical Nidec GT and the new Noctua A12x25, in a particular and improved concept from Thermalright that enhance this Ultra120EX REV.4.
We are facing two 120 mm fans with a thickness of 25.6 mm , a weight of 205 grams that give it packaging. And they need it, spinning at a whopping 2,150 RPM with 69 CFM airflow, 2.87 mmH2O static pressure (fairly tight for the RPM), and all with a noise level of just 28.1 dBA .
Therefore, they are fans that prioritize silence with great performance, but this is not extreme. In terms of compatibility, it is compatible with sockets for Intel LGA115x/1200/2011/2011-3/2066/1700 and for AMD AM4 platforms. Thermalright gives a guarantee for this Ultra120EX REV.4 for one year and it will arrive in stores at a price of 85 euros .