Thermaltake SpinQ VT Review

Introduction:

If the SpinQ VT looks a little familiar, it is, because the design is the same as the original SpinQ released back in the Fall of 2008. It's been a while, but Thermaltake has moved forward and taken the concept to new heights, making this the VT model, a vertical tower design. Instead of the horizontal orientation of the fin array on the original SpinQ, this one is upright much like the multitude of other tower design heatsinks on the market. The difference between the rest and this model from Thermaltake is that the SpinQ VT has a circular fin array with a blower style fan to have the airflow hit all of the fins in the array. This unique cooling arrangement was a big hit with the original SpinQ, let's see if this revision does the job it's designed to do, cooling those hot running processors so that us overclockers can get a bit more performance out of our rigs without having to worry about the heat.

Closer Look:

The packaging displays a wealth of information on all sides of the box. This lets you get all the information on the heatsink before you leave the store. The front view of the box shows a representation of the SpinQ VT. Noted along the bottom of the front panel is the 4 in 1 mounting capabilities that covers both Intel and AMD's latest socket designs. Spin the box around (pardon the pun) to the left and you get the specification, socket compatibility, a few pictures of the SpinQ VT and some performance results. To the right you get a small explanation of what this cooler is in several different languages, while the rear panel details the features and gives a basic description on how this cooler removes the thermal load generated by the CPU.

When you open the package you see the box containing the accessory bundle. Under this you have the foam insert that holds the SpinQ VT in place during transit. With only three heatpipes to keep it upright, the additional insurance and protection is a plus.

The bundle of accessories that comes with the SpinQ VT is as complete as you can get with a heatsink. You get the installation instructions, warranty policy, a small pamphlet that talks about the Key 3 Spirit, the mounting hardware for both AMD and Intel sockets, and a tube of thermal paste just in case you need it. Thermaltake has consolidated the brackets needed to install the SpinQ VT on both the 1156 and 1366 Intel sockets by using a sliding push pin that slides between the dimensions needed for each socket, 77mm and 80mm, respectively. By using this method you get the simple installation of the push pin mounting system and only one set of brackets for the 1156/1366 sockets. The socket 775 processors get their own bracket. AMD sockets are covered with just a single bracket to cover from socket 754 all the way up to AM3.

Now let's see what the SpinQ VT is all about!