Crystal Orb Review: Part 1

[AntmanMike]

PART 1:

First of all, I would like to thank Thermaltake for sending me this fine product.

The surface of this heatsink is poorly lapped. Here is the standard picture and an enhanced version:

http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBBOT.jpg http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBBOTSAT.jpg

Here are the frontal pictures:

http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBFRO.jpg http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBFROCOV.jpg

The first has the top plate on. The second doesn't.

One big problem I had with it was that the top plate kept slipping down and hitting the fan. It's a fixable nuisance, however, as I can push the plate back up.

Here are the accessories that came with it:

http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/Accessories.jpg

1. Silicon Compound
2. Thermal Pad (Did NOT use)
3. 3pin Molex to 4pin Molex adapter

The Silicon Compound, which I used, has a VERY large amount inside. You can reapply it 5 times onto a Geforce 3 core.

Here is the card I hooked it up to, and then afterwards:

http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/GF3.jpg http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/GF3Cry.jpg
(We lapped the core before we attached.

Once Nevin sends us some more of this:
http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/Alumina.jpg
we can do some real testing and benchmarking (HURRY UP NEVIN!)

Part 2 will be out when we receive a new sample of Alumina for testing on incoming components. It will have benchmarks, etc.

[plague]

just curious, why dont you use arctic silver? alumina is like the "budget version" of ASII.

[Gravity Man]

Originally posted by AntmanMike
The surface of this heatsink is poorly lapped. Here is the standard picture and an enhanced version:

http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBBOT.jpg http://hardware.clanpages.com/crystalorb/ORBBOTSAT.jpg
All the reviews I have seen have said that it is quite flat. in the original picture it is obvious that the "scratches" are actually problems with the camera or the picture itself as the extend the length of the image. You "enhancement" is nothing but a conversion to grayscale which makes the horizontal lines appear even more like scratches and helps them disappear over the background. The same horizontal line pattern is indeed present in the second set of pictures as well, but is more difficult to point out due to the increased complexity. What other indications do you have that this item is poorly lapped, because a couple of pictures with horizontal lines doesn't convince me.

I would also like to bring into question how you "lapped" the core of your GF3. Because it does not look uniform at all, and I find it hard to believe you could do a proper job without removing the stock ramsinks. It looks to me like all you did was sand it down, which is quite a bit different from lapping.

[Silversinksam]

Originally posted by plague
just curious, why dont you use arctic silver? alumina is like the "budget version" of ASII.


Arctic Alumina and Arctic Alumina Adhesive is much safer to use than AS or ASTA and heres why, Arctic Alumina is totally non electricly conductive due to being ceramic based as opposed to Silver based. If you get Alumina on your ram pins chances are your video card will not be fried.


Here is some usefull info Nevin at Arctic Silver mentioned to me last week.

If you want your arctic Alumina adhesive to have a lower breaking point when its time to move your heatsink to your next card try this:

Use 1/3 Arctic Alumina (or IF you dont have arctic Alumina use Arctic silver II) to the Arctic Alumina Adhesive and it will make taking ot off easier at a later time.

---If you mix the Alumina Adhesive and Arctic Silver it will be electricly conductive as many of us have found out by getting it in ram pins--


DO NOT MIX Arctic ALUMINA with Arctic Silver II or Arctic Alumina Adhesive with Arctic Silver adhesive This should be avoided.

Its ok to mix Arctic Alumina and Arctic Alumina adhesive or Arctic alumina adhesive with Arctic Silver II, The thermal properties will not be affected


Antman you see my Silver SLORB (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51271)

I betcha it will beat the Crystal Orb performance wise. I meant to get a Crystal orb but I had to go to the Dr as I almost poked my eye out last night and my eye got infected....DOH

http://members.home.net/broadbandland/Orb/bluetosilverorb.jpg

[AntmanMike]

1. Sanding a core is the same as lapping. I do know what lapping is. I lapped it AFTER i took the pictures.
2. I did not convert to greyscale, I equalized.
3. There are a lot of scratches and its uneven.
4. Those "stock Ramsinks" are lapped and arctic alumina'd ahesived down.

[plague]

ok, silversink, i can see a point, but arctic silver also doesnt cunduct electricity enough to say that it "isnt safe". and i would think we would all agree here, its worth a little risk to get the best performance. I dont know, I just think I would use ASII, I also think that them coming out with alumina makes it look like its the replacement or something. its in a 1.5g syringe, even though theres more volume wise than ASII in a 3g syringe. So some might think, "wow, this must be a lot better, theres less in the package, so thats why it costs less." All in all, I just think that if I were doing a review of heatsinks, I would use the best compound to transfer the heat to them.

oh ya, and just sanding a core isnt really lapping it.. you cant insure that its flat just by taking some sandpaper to it.

[Sonny]

Guys!!!!! Let him finish his review of the product before anybody starts bashing him. He might not be just explaining himself properly, need that when making articles:D , so give him a break. I noticed that a few people here are actually very closed minded when someones idea is totally left field. Listen before anything else even if they start out wrong footed:beer:

[Gravity Man]

I "equalized" the same picture and got this:

[Maximus Nickus]

Originally posted by sonny
Guys!!!!! Let him finish his review of the product before anybody starts bashing him. He might not be just explaining himself properly, need that when making articles:D , so give him a break. I noticed that a few people here are actually very closed minded when someones idea is totally left field. Listen before anything else even if they start out wrong footed:beer:

I agree, there like Vultures!!!:D

[AntmanMike]

I equalized it on a MAC PHOTOSHOP 3. Comes out different. I equalized it because it is easier to see the different elevations of the metals on it. The scratches are prominent in real life, but a picture on my scanner wont show it.

[Silversinksam]

Originally posted by plague
ok, silversink, i can see a point, but arctic silver also doesnt cunduct electricity enough to say that it "isnt safe". and i would think we would all agree here, its worth a little risk to get the best performance.


I triple dare you to put Arctic Silver on your ram pins

You will have a dead video card my friend, Arctic Silver has ruined many many video cards.

Dont get me wrong Arctic Silver is used properly (AND CAREFULLY ) Is an awesome product. Arctic Alumina is ceramic based and not electricaly conductive, I dont care what any documents say or what a mulitimeter reading may be with Arctic Silver or Arctic Silver adhesive, get it on your ram pins and boot up your pc and chances are you will be replacing your video card. Ask around how many guys destroyed thier video cards lol.

As I mentioned when dealing with video cards especially with Ramsinks, Arctic Alumina and Arctic Alumina Adhesive is the best and SAFEST solution.




PS Thanks for the review antman, I appreciate your real world results with the products you review bro :burn:

[AntmanMike]

Your Welcome. Im waiting for nevin to send me more Arctic Alumina so i can do benchmarks (i had to test with the stock ****...)

[Maximus Nickus]

AS2 may not conduct but if you spill it it will short out the Vid Card, Cpu's are different as they are much tougher than a Video Card.