Thermaltake DU0462-9 Mini Copper Orb

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Thermaltake have had their Orb brand of heatsinks on the market for quite some while now, but so far they have remained aluminum based. The mini copper Orb is a departure from that mantra. Using the same successful cylindrical fin design with integrated fan, the core of this heatsink revolves literally around a 25mm thick, 40mm diameter slug of pure copper. This copper base forms the base of the mini copper orb,and makes this heatsink one of the heavier coolers in the Thermaltake line up.

In an effort to garner some heat dispersion to the surrounding air, the top of the large copper slug is scored with a series of integral pegs, improving the surface area over that of what a flat surface would have. More on the copper in a second, let's quickly look at the specs of the DU0462-9 Mini Copper Orb.

Designed for: AMD Athlon, Duron. Also for K6-2, Intel FC-PGA, PGA. VIA Cyrix III. Socket 462/A.

The Thermaltake Mini Copper Orb Model No.: DU0462-9 embedded 25mm x 40mm dia. copper slug Thermal resistance: 0.52C/W HS Dimensions: 65x65x51 mm Fan Dim: 50x50x25mm Fan: 12V 0.26A, 5500RPM, 29dBa Machine turned base Made & Sold by: Thermaltake

More than just a copper slug?

Alpha were known for their copper inserts way back in the heydays of overclocking. Those inserts were never more than a few millimeters thick, and their impact was always hotly debated. In this case, Thermaltake use the inherent advantages of copper to better transfer heat away from the processors core to the top of the slug, and to the surrounding aluminum fin structure.

The top of the copper slug is scored with 5.5mm tall, 2x2mm thick copper pegs which are separated about 1.75mm from one another. The overall effect of these copper pegs on the entire heatsink is curious as the manner in which the fan mounts means that a good many of them are obscured from direct air flow. Still, extra surface area is better than a flat base anytime.

Unlike just about every other heatsink available, Thermaltake use a frameless fan which screws directly into the base of the heatsink, which in this case is the copper peg portion. The unique mounting means the mini copper orb has a very low profile, but it also means there is no opportunity for performance seekers to upgrade the fan to a higher RPM version.

If it isn't clear yet, the entire base of this heatsink, all 40mm of it is solid copper. That base has the aluminum fins press fit around it to provide a very solid joint with good thermal transfer capabilities. If well look closely from the side you can easily see the copper slug going through the heatsinks aluminum fin component and coming out the other side.

The stainless steel clip, and protective aluminum shroud on the base are mounted directly to the copper which keeps the aluminum fins about 7mm off the base plane.

The actual surface finish of the base is turned and quite smooth, and as a plus the processor core can make direct contact with the copper if no thermal pad is used. A small amount of silver or standard thermal compound would be advisable.