Thermalright true spirit 120 review: Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct CPU Cooler Review

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct CPU Cooler Review

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct CPU Cooler Review

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Details Published: 23 January 2018 Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct CPU Cooler Review Specifications And Features Packaging And Contents The TRUE Spirit 120 Direct Test Bed — Testing Methodology Test Results Conclusion All Pages Page 1 of 7 INTRODUCTION                      Consumers who are after high cooling efficiency for their systems currently have three valid products to choose from such as tower CPU air coolers with large heatsinks and at least two fans in push and pull configuration, dual and tri-fan AIO liquid CPU coolers and custom water cooling loops. However it goes without saying that most consumers are not really looking for top-notch cooling efficiency but rather easy/fast installation and zero clearance issues with mainboard and system components and because of that the majority of CPU air cooler models in the market feature medium sized heatsinks paired with a single fan. Thermalright has always catered to the needs of both casual users and enthusiasts and today we’re taking a look at their latest model aimed towards the former the True Spirit 120 Direct CPU Air Cooler.    Thermalright is an elite design house that manufactures cooling products for computer components for the best quality and performance your money can buy. In 2002, AMD released its first generation Thunderbird CPU and since then we have been there every step of the way to counter high voltage and high heat with innovative design and highly acclaimed cooling solutions not only for AMD but for Intel as well. One of early well known solutions was the SK-6. With many positive and rave reviews under its belt Thermalright bolted to the top as the heat sink manufacturer mostly preferred by Overclockers and enthusiasts around the World. To this day, innovation never left our vocabulary as we keep coming up with leading edge designs staying ahead of the competition.    A few months back Thermalright released the True Spirit 140 Direct CPU Air Cooler and although it didn’t smash our charts it did offer very good cooling efficiency for its size (also thanks to the somewhat large 140mm PWM fan). The True Spirit 120 Direct is aimed towards users who want something even smaller since the 360g heavy heatsink used measures just 120mm in length, 141.35mm in height and 41.96mm in width (as opposed to the 650g heavy and 140×161.48x42mm of the heatsink used in the True Spirit 140 Direct). Thermalright has also used an smaller 120mm PWM fan with the Spirit 120 Direct (as the name clearly states) which is not nearly as powerful as the 140mm PWM model of the True Spirit 140 Direct (1300RPM/46. 19CFM/25.4dBA vs 1300RPM/73.6CFM/21dBA). Using a smaller fan with the same RPM to keep noise levels to a minimum automatically means you need to compromise in airflow levels and static pressure so i was honestly expecting something slightly faster (Thermalright however obviously placed low noise levels — and height — before performance). Finally the True Spirit 120 Direct features a total of 4 nickel plated 6mm copper heatpipes as opposed to the 5 found in the True Spirit 140 Direct. So let’s move forward with today’s review and see just how good the brand new True Spirit 120 Direct is especially compared to his taller brother.

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M CPU Heatsink

Bonus Xmas Day review: Thermalright touts the TRUE Spirit 120M as the world’s smallest 120mm fan tower cooler. Though it stands only 146mm tall and lacks the traditional Thermalright nickel-plating, it still packs a potent performance punch.

December 25, 2012 by Lawrence Lee

Product	Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M CPU Cooler
Manufacturer	Thermalright
Street Price	?

Thermalright is a legend, having made their bones manufacturing high performance
heatsinks at a time when aftermarket cooling was still a niche segment within
the already niche enthusiast market. The Ultra-120
and Ultra-120
eXtreme are two of the most iconic CPU coolers in DIY PC history, setting
standards that others strive toward to this day. It’s amazing that variations
of the “TRUE” are still produced and are among the most popular heatsinks
despite not having undergone any significant design changes. The TRUE being
sold today is essentially the same as original from 2007.

As a brand, Thermalright was once considered to be strictly upper class, selling
high-end offerings at high-end prices. This reputation has changed over the
past few years thanks to overtures extended to more thrifty enthusiasts. Under
a subsidiary brand, Cogage, they launched a series of affordable coolers like
the True
Spirit, essentially a slightly smaller version of the Ultra-120 stripped
of its nickel-plating. These products turned out to be fairly successful, though
they undoubtedly cannibalize some of Thermalright’s care sales. More recently,
Thermalright pushed out the HR-02
Macho, a beast-sized cooler with a surprisingly reasonable price-tag.

The TRUE Spirit 120M.

According to Thermalright the new TRUE Spirit 120M’s defining characteristic
is being the “world‘s smallest 120mm fan based tower cooler.”
The 120M shaves off about 15 mm from the typical ~160 mm height from typical
tower heatsinks with 120 mm fans. While heatsink height limitation is not a
problem with the majority of cases, some cases have a fan located in the upper
half of the side panel that can potentially interfere with tall CPU coolers.

Like the original True Spirit, costs have be cut by stripping the heatsink
of the nickel-plating which makes the Thermalright all-chrome aesthetic. The
visible copper color of the heatpipes and the rougher finish on the aluminum
fins gives it a less finished. Frankly, it looks like a Scythe or Cooler Master
heatsink sporting a pilfered Thermalright design.

Box and contents.

The package is nothing special, a black and yellow cardboard box containing the heatsink, a 120 mm PWM fan, mounting gear safely stowed in plastic, and a brief set of installation instructions.

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M: Key Features (from the product web page)
Feature & Brief	Our Comment
World‘s smallest 120mm fan based tower cooler.	Most tower heatsinks with 120 mm fans are about 160 mm tall which can cause case compatibility problems.
Made specifically for Micro ATX & mini tower case user.	Mini towers have varying heatsink height limitations. MicroATX motherboards on the other hand, generally have similar layouts to ATX boards, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
Universally compatible with all modern sockets on the market.	Universal compatibility should be standard on all aftermarket coolers. The original TRUE Spirit was for LGA1366 only.
Convex copper base design, to ensure the highest thermal conducting thermal efficiency between the CPU and the heatsink.	A tried and true design that has only been tweaked since its introduction.

 

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M: Specifications (from the product web page)
Heatsink Dimensions	Dimension: L132mm x W57mm x h245 mm
Weight	470g (including fan)
Heat pipes	four heat pipes
Fan Dimensions	L120 x W120*h35mm
Rated Speed	700~1500RPM±15%
Noise Level	17~28. 5 dBA
Air Flow	24.8~53.3CFM

PHYSICAL DETAILS & INSTALLATION

The TRUE Spirit 120M is made of a nickel-plated copper base, four 6 mm thick copper heatpipes, and 45 aluminum fins. According to the specifications, it measures 132 x 57 x 145 mm or 5.2 x 2.2 x 5.7 inches (L x W x H) and weighs 470 grams or just over a pound, including the fan. However, our measurements peg its height at 146 mm and its weight at 550 grams, 460 grams sans fan.

Following in the footsteps of previous Ultra series models, the 120M has a slanted fin design. The fins are 0.43 mm thick and spaced 1.78 mm apart, on average. The fin density is greater than most tower coolers.

Like the HR-02 Macho, the heatpipes are bent near the base, shifting the bulk of the heatsink off to one side. Adding a fan on the opposite side balances the weight and makes the width more centered in relation to the CPU and socket. The fins of course adhere to the Ultra series’ bent “winglet” design.

Thermalright didn’t make full use of the allotted height — the heatpipe ends stick out 1.5~1.6 cm at the top.

The base is slightly convex at the center and has been polished to a mirror shine.

The TRUE Spirit 120M ships with the latest variant of Thermalright’s universal mounting kit used with recent models like the Archon SB-E and HR-02 Macho.

The mounting system puts pressure directly over the base of the heatsink to maximize contact with the CPU heatspreader. It also makes the cooler a snap to remove for CPU upgrades, etc.

With the heatsink being off-center the fan doesn’t extend past the boundary of the mounting frame. There is between 38 and 54 mm of clearance underneath the bottom fin.

TESTING

Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements.

Approximate Physical Measurements
Weight	460 g 550 g with stock fan
Height	146 mm
Fin count	45
Fin thickness	0. 43 mm
Fin spacing	1.78 mm
Vertical Clearance*	N/A
* measured from the motherboard PCB to the bottom fin of the heatsink.

 

Small Heatsink Comparison: Average Fin Thickness & Spacing
Heatsink	Fin Thickness	Fin Spacing
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B	0.29 mm	1.13 mm
Noctua NH-L9i	0.44 mm	1.16 mm
Scythe Big Shuriken	0. 33 mm	1.19 mm
Reeven Vanxie	0.28 mm	1.39 mm
Reeven Arcziel	0.28 mm	1.41 mm
Cooler Master GeminII M4	0.29 mm	1.46 mm
Noctua NH-L12	0.49 mm	1.51 mm
Scythe Kozuti	0.12 mm	1.69 mm
Scythe Samurai ZZ	0.33 mm	1.74 mm
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M	0.43 mm	1.78 mm
Prolimatech Panther	0. 53 mm	1.80 mm

Testing on larger heatsinks are done on our
LGA1366 heatsink testing platform, while smaller coolers tackle our LGA1155 heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system
and procedure follows.

Key Components in LGA1366 Heatsink Test Platform:

• Intel Core i7-965 Extreme
  Nehalem core, LGA1366, 3.2GHz, 45nm, 130W TDP.
• Asus
  P6X58D Premium ATX motherboard. X58 chipset.
• Asus
  EAh4450 Silent graphics card.
• Intel
  X25-M 80GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence.
• 3GB QiMonda
  DDR3 memory. 3 x 1GB DDR3-1066 in triple channel.
• Seasonic X-650 SS-650KM
  650W ATX power supply. This PSU is semi-passively cooled. At the power levels
  of our test platform, its fan does not spin.
• Arctic Silver
  Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
  specifically for test labs.

Key Components in LGA1155 Heatsink Test Platform:

• Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge core, LGA1155, 3.1 GHz, 45nm, 95W TDP, overclocked/volted to 3.6 GHz and 1.300V.
• Intel DP67BG ATX motherboard.
  P67 chipset.
• Asus
  EAh4450 Silent graphics card.
• Kingston
  SSDNow V 30GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence.
• OCZ Platinum Extreme Low Voltage DDR3 memory. 2 x 2 GB, DDR3-1333 in dual channel.
• Seasonic X-400 SS-400FL
  400W ATX power supply. Passively cooled
• Arctic Silver
  Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
  specifically for test labs.

The systems are silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).

Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.

Reference Noctua 140mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements
Voltage	SPL@1m	Speed
12V	28~29 dBA	1250 RPM
9V	21 dBA	990 RPM
8V	18 dBA	880 RPM
7V	15~16 dBA	770 RPM
6V	13 dBA	660 RPM

 

Reference Nexus 120mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements
Voltage	SPL@1m	Speed
12V	16 dBA	1080 RPM
9V	13 dBA	880 RPM
7V	12 dBA	720 RPM

 

Reference Nexus 92 mm fan Anechoic chamber measurements
Voltage	SPL@1m	Speed
12V	16 dBA	1470 RPM
9V	12 dBA	1150 RPM

Measurement and Analysis Tools

• Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
  power.
• Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
  the fan speed during the test.
• PC-based spectrum analyzer:
  SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
  audio interfaces.
• Anechoic chamber
  with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower
• Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
  standard fan testing methodology.
• SpeedFan,
  used to monitor the on-chip thermal sensors. The sensors are not calibrated,
  so results are not universally applicable. The hottest core reading is used.
• Prime95,
  used to stress the LGA1366 CPU heavily, generating more heat than most real applications.
  8 instances are used to ensure that all 4 cores (with Hyper-threading) are
  stressed.
• CPU-Z,used to monitor the CPU speed to determine when overheating occurs.
• Thermometers to measure the air temperature around the test platform
  and near the intake of the heatsink fan.

Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC
power supply while the rest of the system was off to ensure that system noise
did not skew the measurements.

Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.

The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 21~23°C.

Stock Fan Measurements

Specifications: Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M
Manufacturer	Thermalright	Power Rating	2. 52 W
Model Number	TY-120 PWM	Airflow Rating	24.8 ~ 53.3 CFM
Bearing Type	?	Speed Rating	700 ~ 1500 RPM
Corners	Open	Noise Rating	17 ~ 28.5 dBA
Frame Size	120 x 120 x 25 mm	Header Type	4-pin
Blade Diameter	112 mm	Starting Voltage	3.3 V
Hub Size	40 mm	Weight	90 g
Data in green cells provided by the manufacturer or observed; data in the blue cells were measured.

The stock fan is translucent and has an odd color scheme with a black frame surrounding dark yellow blades. The seven blades are a fairly standard shape with sharp edges and a mild degree of curvature. The trailing edges are almost straight, making them parallel with the struts, a combination which often generates high tonality. The fan is also relatively light weight at 90 grams, about 25% less than most 120 mm models.

The fan has a very buzzy character and a clicking noise was also audible throughout its range; the acoustic profile was tonal at various points in the spectrum. The clicking would disappear when pressure was applied to the sides of the fan even though the clips appeared to be on fairly tight. As its frame is quite light, it seems to vibrate more than your average fan, shaking the heatsink fins and/or fan clips.

Stock Fan Measurements
Voltage	Speed	SPL@1m
12V	1400 RPM	25 dBA
9V	1100 RPM	19 dBA
7V	870 RPM	15 dBA
6V	720 RPM	13~14 dBA
5V	650 RPM	12 dBA
Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from the center of the heatsink. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA.

For a tower heatsink, the stock fan is relatively quiet in overall volume. Its rotational speed topped out at 1400 RPM which generated 25 dBA@1m. At 1100 RPM / 9V it entered quiet territory and was close to inaudible at 720 RPM / 6V.

Test Results

We opted to test the TRUE Spirit 120M on our socket 1155 platform, as befits
its somewhat smaller size. Besides, the popularity of >100W CPUs is waning
as Intel continues its relentless downward push on processor TDP.

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M
Fan Voltage	Fan Speed	SPL@1m	°C Rise above Ambient
			CPU	VRM	RAM
Stock Fan
12V	1400 RPM	25 dBA	31	20	16
9V	1100 RPM	19 dBA	32	21	17
7V	870 RPM	15 dBA	34	24	20
6V	720 RPM	13~14 dBA	36	26	21
5V	650 RPM	12 dBA	38	27	22
Reference Nexus 120 mm Fan
12V	1080 RPM	16~17 dBA	31	21	17
9V	890 RPM	14 dBA	32	23	18
7V	720 RPM	11~12 dBA	34	26	21

The CPU temperature stabilized at between 31°C and 38°C above ambient at 12V and 5V respectively which is excellent for our mildly overclocked and overvolted Core i5-2400. With the temperature difference being so small between its top and inaudible speed, it’s clear that a more demanding load is required to truly challenge the TRUE Spirit 120M. Our reference fan was slightly more efficient at its nominal speed but undervolted, it pulled way ahead, producing CPU temperatures 4°C lower when generating comparable noise levels.

Heatsink Comparison Table

°C rise Comparison (CPU Temperature)
SPL (dBA@1m)	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M (ref. 120 mm fan)	–	–	–	31		–	32	–	34
Noctua NH-L12 (both fans)	33	–	–	34	–	35		–	36
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M	–	32	–	–	–	34	36		38
Noctua NH-L12 (120mm fan)	–	–	37	–	–	38	–	39	42
Prolimatech Panther	–	–	–	–	–	35	–	42	–
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B	–	39	–	–	–	43		–	48
Reeven Arcziel	–	–	–	–	42	–	–	47	–
Scythe Samurai ZZ	–	–	45	–	–	46	–	52
Noctua NH-L12 (92 mm fan)	42		–	44	–	47	–	51	57
Scythe Big Shuriken	43		–	–	–	–	46	–	61
Cooler Master GeminII M4	–	–	–	53		56		–	64
Noctua NH-L9i	–	–	56	–	–	61	–	–	–
Scythe Kozuti	–	–	57	–	–	62		–	65
Reeven Vanxie	–	66	–	–	–	–	77	–	F

In its stock form, the TRUE Spirit 120M was barely edged out by the Noctua
NH-L12 in its dual 120/92 mm fan configuration. With our superior reference
fan however, the TRUE Spirit 120M pushed past the L12 by a clear margin. The
closest tower cooler was the Prolimatech Panther which fell to the 120M by a
significant amount at low noise levels regardless of the fan used.

°C rise Comparison (VRM Temperature)
SPL (dBA@1m)	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12
Noctua NH-L12 (both fans)	17	–	–	19	–	21		–	23
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M (ref. 120 mm fan)	–	–	–	21		–	23	–	26
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M	–	21	–	–	–	24	26		27
Prolimatech Panther	–	–	–	–	–	24	–	30	–
Noctua NH-L12 (120mm fan)	–	–	24	–	–	26	–	27	32
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B	–	29	–	–	–	34		–	39
Noctua NH-L12 (92 mm fan)	28		–	31	–	33	–	38	43
Reeven Arcziel	–	–	–	–	38	–	–	41	–
Scythe Big Shuriken	28		–	–	–	–	30	–	47
Cooler Master GeminII M4	–	–	–	34		38		–	49
Scythe Kozuti	–	–	36	–	–	40		–	45
Scythe Samurai ZZ	–	–	38	–	–	39	–	47
Noctua NH-L9i	–	–	40	–	–	46	–	–	–
Reeven Vanxie	–	45	–	–	–	–	56	–	F

The TRUE Spirit 120M also beat the Panther in VRM cooling but not nearly as badly, and only at very low noise levels. Sitting lower than most heatsinks, the 120M has a bit of advantage when it comes to cooling the areas around the CPU socket.

MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS

These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.

These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!

The recording starts with 5~10 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.

• Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M with stock 120mm fan at 1m
  — 6V (13~14 dBA@1m)
  — 7V (15 dBA@1m)
  — 9V (19 dBA@1m)
  — 12V (25 dBA@1m)

FINAL THOUGHTS

As we see more and more uniform silver heatsinks from the likes of Noctua,
Prolimatech, and Thermalright, the less finished design of the HR-02
Macho and TRUE Spirit 120M is both refreshing and nostalgic. Bare copper
heatpipes and untreated aluminum fins don’t have any impact on performance.
It may not look as attractive to some and might be more susceptible to oxidation
in the long run, but from a practical standpoint, it’s a great place to skimp
to cut costs.

Thermalright’s excellent design and solid mounting system are far more important
and both are present and accounted for. While shorter than your typical aftermarket
tower cooler, the Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M still packs a fairly potent
punch. It scored superbly on our mildly overclocked LGA1155 95W TDP test platform,
handily beating out the Prolimatech
Panther, a larger and heavier tower with a full nickel-plated design.
The 120M really isn’t that much smaller than the norm, so it should be fine
for tackling a higher thermal load as well.

The 120M’s Achilles’ heel is its stock 120 mm fan, an issue we also had with
the original True
Spirit. The TY-120 PWM doesn’t produce high noise levels, but the quality
of the sound is poor. It has a buzzy character and tends to rattle the heatsink
and/or fan clips when mounted. This is probably a result of the interaction
of the struts and blades (due to an undesirable intersection angle) combined
with a lack of structural support (it’s quite light for 120 mm model). Its acoustics
can possibly be tempered by a case with well-dampened side panels, but on our
open test platform, it was annoyingly audible.

We weren’t able to find any concrete information on pricing but the original
Cogage True Spirit is still being sold at some retailers for about US$40.
If the latest version is priced near or under that mark, it’s a fairly good
value. However, it would not be our first choice unless it meets a height requirement
that its larger competitors do not; cases with side fans near the CPU area come
to mind.

Our thanks to Thermalright for the TRUE Spirit 120M CPU cooler sample.

* * *

SPCR Articles of Related Interest:

Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile CPU Cooler
Zalman CNPS9900DF Dual Fan Flower Heatsink
Prolimatech MK-26 Multi-VGA Cooler
SilverStone Heligon HE02: Monster Fanless CPU Cooler
Prolimatech Panther CPU Cooler
Phanteks PH-TC14PE Dual Fan CPU Heatsink

* * *

Discuss
this article in the SPCR forums.

Thermalright True Spirit 140 Direct

 

Introduction

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Thermalright is a company specialized in manufacturing of cooling system such as: coolers for CPUs and Graphics cards, heatsinks for RAM modules and motherboards. The products are oriented towards gamers and overclocking enthusiasts.

Official product link:

TRUE Spirit 140 Direct

 

Packaging and accessories

The cooler is packaged in a black & red cardboard box, that it has the following dimensions: 15.2 cm (L) 11.75 cm (W) and 18.6 (H).
The front side is simple, here a general image of the cooler is used while on the lower part the name of the cooler is present alongside the name and logo of the manufacturer.

 

On the sides the accessories included with the cooler are listed. On the upper part, there is the name of the cooler and the slogan of the manufacturer.

 

The back side of the packaging presents the specifications of the cooler alongside the name and emblem of the manufacturer. The specifications are presented in three different languages.

 

The interior packaging used by Thermalright includes soft foam to dampen the impacts and the individual packaging of each component in plastic bags.

 

Accessories

The product comes with the following accessories:
– 1x Manual
– 8x Rubber fan mounts
– 5x M3 L6 screws
– 5x M3 L10 screws
– 4x AMD washers
– 4x Intel washers
– 4x Fan clips
– 4x LGA 2011 pillars
– 4x Scew nuts
– 3x M3 L7 screws
– 1x LGA 1151 CPU support plate
– 1x LGA 775 spacer
– 1x Mounting plate
– 1x Backplate
– 1x Backplate mylar film
– 1x Packet of thermal grease
– 1x Instruction book
– 1x Pair of gloves
– 1x 140 mm fan
– 1x Heatsink

 

Specifications

Model: True Spirit 140 Direct
Colors Available: Black
TDP: 200W
Supported sockets:
Intel: LGA775, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA2011-3
AMD: AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+
Heatsink:
Materials:
– Fins: Aluminum
– Heatpipes & Base: Pure nickel-plated copper
Dimensions (L x W x H): 140 mm x 68. 5 mm x 161 mm (w/fan)
Heatpipes: Ø6 mm – 5pcs
Weight: 760 g
Fan(s):
Model: TY 140 PWM Black
Dimensions(mm): 152 mm x 140 mm x 26.5 mm
Fan Speed: 300~1300RPM (PWM controlled)
Fan Airflow: 73.5 CFM
Static Air Pressure: 0.08 ~ 1.56 mmH²O
Fan Noise: 21 dBA
Bearing type: Enhanced Hyper-Flow Bearing
Voltage Range: 5 – 13 V
Connector: 4-Pin PWM
Weight: 160g

Features:

– HDT design offers 4 mm better clearance than True Spirit 140 BW Rev. A
– TS use the principle of Heat pipe direct touch, provides seamless thermal conduction between the heat sink and CPU.
– Aluminum heat sinks with our latest design to accelerate airflow to increase the efficiency of the fan.
– Offset base for better VGA card and memory clearance.
– Black top to complement build aesthetics and heat pipes nickel plated.
– Including one Thermalright TY-140 Black Utra-low noise 300~1300RPM PWM-Fan (MAX21 dBA).
– Fan-clips are compatible with both 140mm and 120mm fan.

 

Visual inspection

The Thermalright True Spirit 140 Direct utilizes a single-tower design, which features 48 aluminum made fins and five nickel-plated copper heatpipes, each has a diameter of 6mm. The cooler has a cooling capacity of 200W and is equipped with a single 140mm fan, model: TY 140 PWM with a maximum speed of 1300RPM.

A change compared to the base model True Spirit 140 BW Rev. A, is the overall height of the heatsink, in this case being approximately 4mm shorter due to the new HDT base, which integrates the heatpipes in its surface.

 

The True Spirit 140 Direct model uses 5 heatpipes each with a diameter of 6mm; these are arranged in a U shape to facilitate heat transfer and dissipation. In addition, the heatpipes are made out of nickel-plated copper and are integrated into the surface of the cooler’s base.

 

The base of the cooler is made out of nickel plated copper, in addition the heatpipes are integrated within it, and thus make direct contact with the surface of the processor.

 

The included fan in the package is manufactured by Thermalright and is model: TY 140 PWM Black, it has a speed rated between 300 RPM and 1300 RPM. The fan features a PWM function and frame adapted for mounting on a 120mm fan slot, even though the fan itself is 140mm.

 

Testing

The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i5 4690K @ 3.9 GHz and overclocked to 4.5 GHz
– Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 9 ACK
– RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB DDR3 @ 2133MHz
– GPU: GeForce GTX 1070 Founder’s Edition
– SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
– HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB
– PSU: Antec Edge 550W Gold
– Display: AOC i2769VM
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Arctic Cooling MX-4

 

Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 5. 92.4300 (06/19/2017)
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1

The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 3.9 GHz and overclocked to 4.5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.187 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:

Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.

The test results are as follows:

 

Idle

 

Full Load

 

The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 5 db.

 

Final thoughts

The Thermalright True Spirit 140 Direct cooler is one of the quietest coolers tested so far, due to its included 140mm fan. The performance of the cooler is good despite the size of the heatsink and the RAM compatiblity is excellent, the fan does not reach the DIMM slots.
The mounting system is simple, the backplate is made out of metal and is used with a plastic cover to protect the motherboard. The clips that hold the fan use a system that requires four rubber washers, without them the clips do not generate enough pressure on the fan to be able to hold it safely on the heatsink.
The True Spirit 140 Direct model although offers excellent RAM compatibility, the cooler is very close to the graphics card and the first PCIe 2.0 slot is covered completely.

Review and test Thrermalright True Spirit 120 Rev. B PLUS — i2HARD

Sergey

March 9, 2022

Tower cooler with 5 heatpipes, 2 fans and TDP up to 200W.

Thrermalright has been a strong player in the refrigeration market for a long time. There is hardly a person who has not heard this name and has not seen the monstrous cooling of the Macho line. We reviewed a fairly compact representative of coolers in the middle price segment, the performance of which (according to the manufacturer) is at a high level.

Specifications

Model	TRUE Spirit 120 Rev. B Plus
Type of	tower cooler
heat pipes	5 x 6 mm
TDP	200 W
Compatibility	LGA 1200, 115X, 2066, 2011 AM4
Dimensions (H, W, D)	157x48x120mm
The weight	610 g
Backlight	Not

Fans

Dimensions	120×120×25. 4mm
Air flow	82 CFM
Rotational speed	1850 rpm
Connector	4 pin PWM
Rated voltage	12 V
Rated current	0.25 A

Packaging and contents

Comes with True Spirit 120 Rev. B Plus in a cardboard box, on which all images and inscriptions are applied in black paint. It looks concise, but completely unpresentable.

On the top of the package, the manufacturer placed a schematic image of the cooler, the name and list of compatible sockets, the set of which, however, looks very poor: the cooler does not support both most outdated sockets and the new LGA 1700 from Intel.

On the reverse side are the full specifications for the heatsink and fans.

Upon opening the box, the user is first greeted by fans, each placed in an individual bag. Separately, it is worth mentioning the abundance of polyethylene foam, which reliably protects the cooling system from damage during transportation.

The set of fasteners is quite minimalistic, which cannot but rejoice. For Intel, a metal backplate with built-in racks is used, which, although it does not add versatility to the fasteners, certainly facilitates and speeds up the installation process. Also included is a tube of thermal paste, a Y-splitter for connecting two fans to one connector, and metal brackets for mounting the fans.

Appearance

The cooler is built according to the standard tower scheme with a single-section radiator, which is blown by two 120 mm fans. The height of the cooler is 157 mm, which allows it to be installed in most even relatively compact cases. The claimed weight of the heatsink is 610g and the fans are 160g, which is fully confirmed by our own measurements.

The radiator is made of 56 aluminum plates with a thickness of 0. 4 mm and a distance between them of 1.6 mm, which are pressed onto 5 nickel-plated copper heat pipes.

The sides of the radiator are completely closed, which will allow the air flow not to exit along the path of least resistance, but to pass through the radiator completely. Two installed fans, of course, help in this.

The rear fan is mounted close to the radiator, which is likely to negatively affect the noise level. The most standard metal brackets are used, with convenient lugs that can be easily hooked on during dismantling. The heatsink itself is made without offset from the center, which may be the reason for the overlap of the first RAM slot on some motherboards.

The upper part of the cooler is not covered by any decorative covers, but this does not negatively affect the overall appearance of the cooling system. The ends of the heat pipes are soldered quite neatly.

A mounting bridge is screwed to the base of the radiator, at the ends of which two spring-loaded screws are installed. This design allows you to achieve maximum convenience during the installation of the cooler.

The base is made in the form of a nickel-plated copper heat distribution pad, which the manufacturer polished to a perfect mirror finish.

And if the platform itself is made almost perfectly even, then the processor cover has a small depression in the center, which can be seen on the thermal paste print.

But the connection of heat pipes with the base is made at a low level. Only one heat pipe is ideally soldered: in other cases, large gaps can be observed, which cannot but affect the efficiency of the cooling system. But we will definitely check this moment in practice.

120mm fans are marked TL-C12 PRO PWM. The connection to the motherboard is made by a 4-pin plug with PWM speed control. The impeller axis is not covered by any decorative cap in the manner of noctua NF-A12X25.

The model has 9 blades made of black matte plastic. Both fans have rubber spacers to absorb vibrations.

The power cable is made in a high-quality braid. You can also praise the length — 30 cm.

Mounting on LGA 1200

The cooler was installed on an ASUS Z490 TUF Gaming PLUS WI-FI motherboard with an intel core i9-10850K processor in it.

You can figure out how to install the mount without instructions. First, a metal backplate is installed, on the racks of which plastic stops are placed on the reverse side. They are not able to fix the backplate, so it will have to be held separately.

Then, on the front side, we install mounting brackets on the racks, which are fixed with convenient knurled winglets.

And at the last stage, we fix the radiator with two spring-loaded screws. In general, the installation process does not cause any difficulties, so the mount can be safely called almost perfect.

Testing

Test bench configuration

• Motherboard: ASUS Z490 TUF Gaming PLUS WIFI;
• Processor: Intel Core i9 — 10850K;
• RAM: Crucial Ballistix Black 2×16 Gb;
• Video card: Palit GeForce RTX 3050 StormX;
• Power supply: Deepcool DQ750ST Quanta 750W;
• Body: Fractal Design Meshify 2.

AIDA 64 Extreme was used for testing with a test duration of 10 minutes. The temperature was monitored using the HWiNFO64 v6.42-4360 program. The update rate of indicators was 100 ms. In all tests, arctic cooling mx-4 thermal paste was used.

Speed ​​and noise

Both fans support PWM control and reach 1850 rpm at maximum speed, as stated by the manufacturer.

Testing was carried out in 3 modes:

• Completely silent mode, when the noise from the fans does not exceed the background value of ~32 dB;
• Comfort level, when the fans are audible, but the noise was tolerable and did not exceed 40 dB;
• Maximum fan speed.

The noise level in the room did not exceed 32 dB. The temperature was ~23 degrees. 5 case fans were running at 1000 rpm. The body is closed.

Noise was measured in a closed case from a distance of 30 cm. The case fans were stopped.

For clarity, the object of review was paired with a comparable in terms of declared performance, but more affordable ID-COOLING SE-224-XT cooler, the base of which is made using direct contact technology with perfectly fitted heat pipes.

The overall noise level was a pleasant surprise. The fans themselves are quite quiet, and you can only hear the flow of air passing through the heatsink, which cannot be said about the SE-224-XT, whose fan makes a hum at above average speeds.

For temperature measurements, the i9-10850K test processor was clocked at 4.9 GHz at 1.26 V with a fixed power consumption threshold of 165 watts.

The test results show that True Spirit 120 Rev. B PLUS, although it coped with the task, was significantly inferior to its opponent with fewer heat pipes and fans. The temperature difference with one installed fan is relatively small, however, the noise level remains at a tolerable level.

Terminals

On paper True Spirit 120 Rev. B PLUS looked promising, and the manufacturer apparently did not doubt its capabilities, indicating a TDP of 200 watts. It would seem that the cooler had everything to show high efficiency: five heat pipes, which is more than usual in this category, and a perfectly polished base, and two efficient fans. But all this did not help even get close to a simpler and cheaper model, which has only four heat pipes and one fan at its disposal. The feeling that the main problem lies precisely in the heat distribution site, which has poor contact with the heat pipes. It is difficult to find another reason for such low results.

Otherwise, we have a good cooling system. Firstly, you can praise the small size, allowing you to install it in most cases. Secondly, it is impossible not to note the easy-to-install mount, which will save not only time, but also nerves. Thirdly, a fairly comfortable noise level should be mentioned. If you do not twist the speed to the maximum, then this cooler will please the buyer with its silence.

In general, the model can be safely recommended for processors with heat dissipation up to 150 watts. However, it is difficult to find a reason to buy this cooling system when there are competitors that are not only half the price, but also significantly more productive.

Pros:

• Low height;
• Quality fans;
• Convenient fastening;
• Quiet at medium speeds;
• Strict appearance.

Minuses:

• Poor performance;
• Lack of support for some popular sockets;
• Price.

CPU Cooler Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M BW Rev.A

Advantages

Defects

Comment

Estimated

I accept the terms
providing data.

• Gaming: yes
• maximum power dissipation (TDP): 160 W
• cooler height: 145 mm
• for AM2, AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2+, LGA 1151, FM2, LGA1FM15, LGA LGA 1156, LGA 1356, FM2+, LGA 1151-v2, LGA 2066, LGA 1366, LGA 775, SP3, LGA 2011-3 (Square ILM), LGA 2011 (Square ILM), LGA 1200
• Fan 120 mm
• Speed ​​600-1300 rpm
• Radiator of aluminum and copper
• Connector type: 4-pin pwm
• Noise level 25.4 dB
• Air flow: 46.19 CFM
• GHKHHV: 82x132x1455 mm Mm

  Medium Rating CPU Cooler Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M BW Rev.A — 4
  A total of 3 reviews are known about Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M BW Rev.A CPU Cooler

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  We will show all the pros and cons of Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M BW Rev.A Processor Cooler found by users. We do not hide anything and post all positive and negative honest customer reviews about Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M BW Rev.A CPU Cooler, and also offer alternative analogues. Is it worth it to buy — the decision is only yours!

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  LongByte, 12/07/2019

  Pros: Quiet
  Excellent cooling

  Disadvantages: It took 20 minutes to understand and assemble

  Comment: Below 1150 rpm the cooler is not audible at all.
  i5-4670k, scalp, at 1.36V, MX-2 thermal grease, in Linx (24k) heats up to 94 degrees. Aida64 to 60 (typical load). Idle 37.

  Upd 12/07/2019. Separately, I ordered a kit for AM4, switched to Ryzen 5 2600.
  No matter how I tried to achieve good temperatures with it, it doesn’t work. Probably the concave processor cover is to blame.
  Prime95 Overclock/Frequency and Thermal Results:
  Auto 3550MHz, 1.25V, 82 Degrees, 95W
  3900MHz, 1.2V, 78 Degrees, 90W
  4000MHz, 1.28V, 8106 Degrees, 105W 9 , 1.4v, 97 degrees, 125W

  Evgeniy Sh., 09/14/2019

  Advantages: Easy assembly (see disadvantages). Curved leg heatsink — ensures that the fan does not catch on the memory slots. I think it will come in at 90 percent mid hulls. On my Ryazan 1600, in acceleration to 3900 at 1.2 volts, I took off about 15 degrees. Quiet fan is acceptable even at aggressive speeds. Easily copes with my processor, if you drive up to 3900 at 1.2v, temperatures up to 70 degrees. Around and above 1.3 volts in the stress of Aida64, the temperature begins to jump strongly into plus. If there are no tasks to drive a percent to death, then this piece of iron will do.

  Disadvantages: There are only 2 mounting holes on the plate that presses the heatsink against the processor cover, respectively, the cooler is fixed only along the horizontal axis. Specifically, in my configuration, it was not possible to carry out the necessary clamping for the cooler. Either the screws are too high, or the pressure plate is not all right. I had to make a collective farm with a rubber gasket on the underside of the plate in order to provide the necessary contact, otherwise the cooler just dangled — it was not a huge disappointment, but nevertheless it ruffled my nerves…

  Kirill M. , 08/29/2019

  Advantages: + Lightweight
  + The quality of the heatsink is very high, the sole is polished to a mirror
  + Universal mount for all sockets
  + The plastic mount turned out to be very convenient, plus it allows you to adjust the height of the fan in a small range.

  Disadvantages: — The fan vibrates and rumbles like a tractor. Toli marriage, roofing felts they are all like that
  — It is inconvenient to mount the tower itself to the mount on the board, either a short screwdriver or a screwdriver with a not thick handle is required.

  Comment: This is my second cooler from this office and again such a jamb. There are no complaints about the quality of the radiator, it may be a little inconvenient to screw the tower, but this is not critical. The quality of the fans from this office, as I understand it, is mediocre, on the first product from this company, the fan simply tore out the fasteners and the stator, together with the rotor, hung on the wire.

  Radiator material aluminum+copper Fan number 1 DISTORY (DHSHHV) 0x25 mm 9 connector type 9
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  Cooler Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct

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  Airflow

  46.19 CFM

  Noise level

  25.4 dB

  Optional

  SKU: TS-120-DIRECT Product Code: 718458 (LGA775/115x/2011/2011-3/AM2/AM2+/AM3/FM1/FM2/FM2+, 600~1300RPM, 16~25.4dBA. 21.32~46.19CFM, 4 Pin PWM) Warranty 12 months At the X-Com service center Upon presentation of the purchase document This item is currently not available for order. Reviews ↓ Short description All characteristics Key features Line TRUE Spirit Purpose For CPU Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3, FM1, FM2, FM2+, LGA775, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2011, LGA2011-v3 Power dissipation, up to 160 W Diameter of the fan 120 mm Fan thickness 25 mm The number of fans includes 1 pcs 9000 Aluminum Number of radiators 1 Maximum speed 1300 rpm Minimum speed 600 rpm The number of heat pipes 4 pcs 9000 air flow 21.32 cfm Noise level Maximum noise level 25.4 dBA Minimum noise level 16 dBA Management The location of the revolutions internal Type of revolutions PWM 9000 Electric parameters 9000 9000 4-pin 4-pin 9000 4-pin 9000 4-pin 12 V Additional features Materials Aluminium, plastic, copper Mounting type Screw Color Metallic Backlight No Cooler Dimensions 120 x 141 x 77 mm Gross weight 950 g (31) Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct is certified for sale in Russia. Product images, including color, may differ from actual product. Components can also be changed without notice. This description is not a public offer. Cooler Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct — photo, specifications, delivery terms in St. Petersburg. In order to buy the Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 Direct cooler in the XcomSpb.ru online store, just fill out the online order form or call +7 (812) 740-11-10.

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