10 Mammoth CPU Coolers: Size Does Matter

Cooling Capacity

The surface of the coolers is rough, not polished.

Unfortunately, the Vortex TX isn't that impressive in terms of cooling capacity. When fully stressed, the Pentium 4 580 can reach 74 °C and start to throttle. For smaller CPUs, the cooler can be used satisfactorily though; for example, with the Pentium 4 540 (3.4 GHz), it works fine.

The manufacturer reports the thermal resistance of the cooler at 0.29-0.40 K/W, which is a rather wide range. We measured a thermal resistance of 0.39 K/W, within the range of the manufacturer's claim

The noise level of 36.7 dB(A), while not quiet as a whisper, wouldn't distract you while working on the PC.

The price of $39 is too high for the lukewarm performance the unit provides.