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Thermaltake Volcano II Review
Thermaltake Volcano II Review
  80%   
Abstract: This isn't quite what you expect to see when you hear the name Thermaltake, but this square heatsink is indeed one of theirs.

 Manufacturer  Category  Published  Author 
Thermaltake   Cooling / Heatsinks   Feb 26, 2001   Max Page  

Home > Reviews > Page: Synthetic Test Results:
Two Thermaltake's have entered the ring and only one will be victorious... which will it be? Will the Volcano triumph or will the SuperOrb knock the fan off its younger brother?
 
FrostyTech Synthetic Temperature Test Platform (50W heat load)
Mfg. Model Ambient Temp. large block small block Thermal compound Thermal pad No. Fans Fan Noise Clip
1 Thermaltake Superorb 25.6 49.2 60.1 AOS 52029KY none 2 low easy
2 Thermaltake Volcano II 26.5 51.7 53.2 AOS 52029KY yellow 1 low stiff
3 KingCooler Thermal buster 25.7 57.5 68.8 AOS 52029KY yellow 1 none stiff

Well as you may have guessed the competition between the two Thermaltake's is a close one. At first glance the SuperOrb does seem to have the upper hand. There are some rules here that need to be explained to fully understand the results of this comparison. The Volcano II is specifically designed for AMD's socket 462 chips, and not for older Celeron-like processors. Naturally it will fit on either chip, but being designed for the up-to-1.5GHz processor means that several design issues have been optimized for that type of chip.

The main aspect of the Volcano II's design is the thick aluminum base. While the Orb is obviously much thicker, the depth of the base plate on the volcano II has no-doubt been optimized for the range of heat produced by AMD's chips. Hence the comparison on the larger copper die template is a little bit skewed - being that the heatsink was never really intended to be used on this line of processors.

What you will notice is that the fluctuation between the two tests is only about 2 degrees. Whereas on the SuperOrb the temperature differs by about 10 degrees between the small copper die template and the larger copper die template. So all around it appears as though, even not specifically designed for older Celeron-type processors, the Volcano II can still hold its ground quite well.

Rise Above Ambient Temperature

Mfg. Model with large block with small block
2 Thermaltake Volcano II 25.2 26.7
1 Thermaltake Super Orb 23.6 34.5
3 King Cooler ThermalBuster 31.8 43.1
 
When we compare the results in terms of the rise above ambient we can see that on average the Volcano II out performs the SuperOrb. The SuperOrb performs better on the larger copper die template, but looses out to the Volcano II on the smaller copper die template. Again, we suspect this has to do with the base thickness of the Volcano II being optimized for the level and surface area of heat produced by socket 462-class processors.

When we first looked at this heatsink we were unsure it would be able to compete with its fellow Orb, but with all the testing done, the numbers clearly show the results. The Volcano II, while being designed for socket-462 processors of up to 1.5GHz, will also work fairly well with existing processors. It's definitely been optimized for the latter, but if you happen to still have a Celeron 366@500 kicking around you may want to consider this heatsink for it.

The clip is a bit stiff, and unfortunately of the sort where a screw driver is needed to manipulate it.... but the base is nice and flat, which is a testament to the guys at Thermaltake, especially considering it is extrusion-raw.

Probably the best part is that this is a relatively quiet heatsink, and not nearly as tall as the SuperOrb is. Definitely a good buy if you're in the market.

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Table of Contents:

 1:  Thermaltake Volcano II Review
 2:  Appearances:
 3:  FrostyTech Synthetic Temperature Test Platform:
 4: — Synthetic Test Results:

List all Thermaltake heat sinks that Frostytech tested?

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