Thermaltake Spark 7  P4 Cooler

Manufacturer: Thermaltake Technology
Supplied by: Thermaltake Technology
Price: TBA

By Dean Barker (10/25/2002)

 

Introduction

Thermaltake Technology Inc. has brought many new ideas to the table of processor cooling.  The least of which was not the ORB series, that began with that darling of old, the Golden ORB.  Since the ORBs, many new designs and trends have come and gone.  Two of the trends in heatsink design that are here to stay are the thin copper convection fins and the variable rate fan.  Both of these have been combined with a new clip to form a new P4 cooler for the masses.  Its aim is to try and satisfy both the all out performance crowd and the performance but with tolerable noise group at the same time.  The result is the Thermaltake P4 Spark 7 cooler.  We want to thank Tt for sending us one of the very first of this new line for us to review.  With that said, let’s get down to it.

Specifications

• Fan Dimension 70x70x25 mm

• Heatsink Dimension 82x63x35.5 mm 
  FAN Speed 1300 ±10% RPM at 20°C ~ 6000 ±10% RPM at 55°C

• Max. Air Flow 10.42 CFM at 20°C ~ 49.17 CFM at 55° C

• Noise 17 dBA at 20°C; 43 dBA at 55°C 

• Bearing Type 2 Ball Bearing

• Connector 3 Pin

The sink is comprised of a combination of materials.  Forty-six copper convection fins rest in between an aluminum housing.  The housing is rectangular channeling the air, forced in through the fan, out one of two sides.  You will notice several slits between the housing and the fins.  These keep heat from building up where you do not have the full force of the fan blowing.  The convection fins measure 80 x 32 mm.  Forty-six fins of this size give you lots of surface area.  The fins are so thin in fact you can see the fan through them.

     

The fins are soldered to the base and there are no perceivable gaps or places of a poor mating.  Poor fin/base mating can make or break a cooler's performance.

  

The unit’s base was polished smooth but this in not the ultra shiny lapping job we have seen in some other products.  Some of you will notice some scratches on the bottom near the edges on the base.  These were NOT there upon the sink's arrival.  My 15 month old son tried to play cars with the sink by sliding it on the table which is where the scratches came from on the sides. 

 

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