| Thermalright HR-07 Memory Module Cooler
|
Conclusion:
The Thermalright HR-07 Memory Module Cooler provided an incredible decrease in temperature during testing, dropping about 20 degrees when used passively and almost 30 degrees when actively cooled. Those are massive drops, and if keeping your memory as cool as possible is a concern for you, the HR-07s are definitely worth consideration.
While the performance of the stock OCZ heatspreader confirms my general belief that they are all for show, the Thermalright HR-07 provides proof that heatspreaders can be quite effective when implemented properly.
The main problem with the HR-07 memory cooler was that just like many other heatspreaders on the market, the chips on the end do not get complete coverage. There was a gap on either end of both memory modules tested, and that means those chips will not receive the best cooling. Testing showed that the temperature was still great at the ends, but could it be that much better?
The second problem I feel is worth considering is that there could be interference with other motherboard features given the size of these memory coolers. I found a few capacitors came very close to the base of the coolers, while a PCI Express video card forced the use of memory slots 2 and 4, instead of slots 1 and 3 that I usually use.
A search of PriceGrabber turns up nothing, but a search of Google is far more useful. Numerous online outlets such as SVC, Cooler Guys, and Jab-tech carry the HR-07 in the USA, and you can expect to pay about $25 each. That means a dual channel kit is going to set you back $50 (plus shipping) which seems like a high price to pay for memory cooling. You can't argue with the performance, but I feel you would really need to be concerned about your memory temperature to decide that $50 was a reasonable investment.
Given the excellent cooling performance, I award the Thermalright HR-07 Memory Module Cooler the rating of "Highly Recommended" for any overclocker or enthusiast looking for the ultimate performance from their system memory.
Pros:
» Excellent cooling performance
» Can be used passively, no noise
» Adding a fan improves performance drastically
Cons:
» Doesn't make complete contact with all memory chips
» Held in place by friction
» Size may interfere with other system components
» Price
Special thanks to Thermalright for providing the Thermalright HR-07 Memory Module Cooler to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
|
|
|
|
