3DVelocity would like to thank ThermoSonic for its generosity and expedience in providing our ThermoEngine for review.

Installation:

We'll get to the performance of this baby in a moment, but let's take a moment to go over one of the best parts of this heatsink, the clip! While not apparent from the outside, the clip of this heatsink differs from the others previously reviewed in that it is in the shape of an elongated "V". The apex is slightly off-center, which allows for even pressure to be placed on all parts of the heatsink. One side is first attached, as is normal.

Downward pressure is then applied to the top of the clip on the remaining side, and with surprising ease the HSF slips over the socket clip to a firm seat. Despite the ease of application the clip applies perfect, even pressure - just the way we like it. There's actually an even easier way if you find it difficult and that is attach the other end first.We should also mention that we did not apply any thermal grease to the CPU prior to installation of the heat sink. Why? ThermoSonic has included a fantastic thermal interface pad, that when heated conforms perfectly to the T-Bird die. As you'll see momentarily, this is the first HSF where you won't want to first scrape off that pad.

Performance:

While our primary reviewer lives in the United Kingdom, I live in the the southwest of the United States, and am not quite blessed with the temperatures Wayne gets to enjoy. =) Ambient temperatures for this time of year go around 80F, and at time of testing the room was exactly 72F.

Comparisons and Conclusion:

ThermoSonic came out of nowhere, and man did it come with a punch. As you can see above, this cooler is an astounding performer. Installed in the Fong-Kai FK-320 I reviewed several months ago (has it been that long??), the ThermalTake SuperORB did a fantastic job keeping both the motherboard and the CPU cool. Little were we aware just how much better the job could be done.

As you can see, the ThermoEngine (pictured on right) is a tad smaller than the SuperORB, and its design isn't anywhere near as unique. However, when it comes down to the way these things work, looks mean very little. Utilizing only a single fan the ThermoEngine kept my Athlon T-Bird 900 running cooler at idle overclocked to 1102 (105FSB x 10.5 multiplier) than the SuperORB did when the Athlon was clocked at its regular speed!

Now, consider something. The guy we mentioned in the first paragraph on the last page got his 650Mhz T-Bird to the same speed I'm running my 900Mhz T-Bird, but consider that the ThermoEngine can be had for only $29 (according to the latest check on Pricewatch) - that's a cheap 200 Mhz!

We at 3DVelocity are proud to give the ThermoSonic ThermoEngine a 10 out of 10 with a 3DVelocity Seal of Approval.