Venomous X better than Copper TRUE?

[LennyRhys]

As most of you know I have a TRUE Cu which I love... but it's so damned heavy, weighing in at a good 5lbs including the Delta FFC1212DE I have on it. I want something that performs the same or better but is the weight of a normal cooler, lol... I'm starting to worry for my motherboard supporting all that weight, even though it does a great job.

I did A LOT of research and it looks like the Venomous X can give the TRUE Cu a run for its money, weighing roughly 1/3 of what the TRUE does There are others like the Megahalems and Super Mega, but I just don't think they cut the cheese compared to the VenX.

Note: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the ridiculous 140mm form factor coolers like the Archon, Silver Arrow, Phanteks or D14 - they are designed with quiet, low pressure fans in mind so they are HUGE and cumbersome and look stupid (imo ). Pretty sure mud will agree with me on this: the TRUE and VenX with a powerful 120mm fan still provide the very best air cooling (noise notwithstanding).

 

[bing]

I thought I read it somewhere there is a comparison between different TR mountings, just forget who did it ? May be its Mudd's work ?

If I'm not mistaken, the latest and current TR mounting mechanism like at the ven-x and other TR high end coolers is better than the old one like at original true and true copper.

Other than that, another option is to build the supporting structure for heavy heatsink + fans like I did while ago, although currently its not longer in used, this mod definitely capable of supporting a really heavy hs, here -> http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=509114

 

[muddocktor]

Yeah Lenny, I agree with your summation.

In my experience with them, both the TRUE rev. C and Ven-X are ever so slightly better than the Cu TRUE, but it's really close enough to call it a dead heat. All 3 are better than the Megahalems though, and this is from experience with testing both the original Mega and the Rev. B Mega models. One other choice you might want to look at would be the NZXT Havik 140. It comes with 140 mm fans, but the heatsink body is the size of a TRUE and like the TRUE, responds well to high static pressure 120 mm fans. But in my testing, it was still bested by the good old TRUE Rev. C by over 2 C with Delta FFB1212VHW fans in push pull.

 

[LennyRhys]

Cheers for the quick responses guys. I didn't realise the TRUE and VenX were so close - it certainly makes me want to change coolers considering all that extra weight doesn't really do anything.

Heck, I could just pick up an original TRUE off ebay dirt cheap, lap it, and bang it on... I'll give it some thought, as the two things about the VenX which really entice me are the amazing mounting system (as bing said, the best one) and the modest weight. In the meantime I might make a support for the TRUE Cu like bing suggested.

I have a golden 980X coming tomorrow and our outside temps are pushing -5C so I need to get buckled up - seriously, I'm like an 8-year-old boy on Christmas Eve LOL!

 

[muddocktor]

Actually, I rather the LGA1366 Rev B /IFX14 mount over the Ven-X mounting system. It has a lot more resistance to twisting on it's axis on top of the heatsink and provides as good a mount, IMO. But the Ven-X mount is more versatile because it is multi-platform.

 

[LennyRhys]

I noticed the Rev B when I was looking at buying a BTK seperately - I assumed the VenX was superior because of the adjustable pressure. If the Rev B mount is just as good I'll consider getting one anyways, just to have.

 

[LennyRhys]

OK I have some funny news

Searching with "Thermalright" in ebay I couldn't find a reasonably priced TRUE or VenX (there was one lapped TRUE for which the seller was asking a premium...LOL), but I did find a RevB 1366 BTK cheap so I pounced on it. But that was not all that caught my eye...

I noticed that somebody was selling a used IFX-14 for £25 (about $40)!!! UM... BUY IT THE FRICK NOW PLEASE! LOL!

So there you have it - another delightful made-for-38mm-fans Thermalright cooler which will hopefully arrive before Christmas. A member on another forum is selling his uber-golden 3045A7xx batch 990X, and I am extremely tempted to test it for a few days whilst the air is freezing cold (and whilst the wife is away LOL)... decisions, decisions!

Mud - did you ever test or own the IFX-14?

 

[Seebs]

...I noticed that somebody was selling a used IFX-14 for £25 (about $40)!!! UM... BUY IT THE FRICK NOW PLEASE! LOL!...

I have an IFX-14 that I use for "air" testing on my benching rig before I freeze the processors. That puppy, paired up with my Nidec beast of a fan, lets me do some very nice air benching.

Best part about mine? I got it for free!

 

[Bobnova]

I've been hunting an IFX14 on and off for a long time now. Those things look really nice.

 

[LennyRhys]

Yeah it's a sexy beast alright lol And with my HR-03GT on my 460 it should look SA-WHEET! My main reason for buying it was the weight - as per thread title, I was looking for any cooler significantly below 1KG which would match a TRUE performance.

I could have bought the lapped TRUE for slightly less, but the rarity and amazing price of the IFX-14 won me over - and best of all (to my amazement) the seller is including two 120mm Cooler Master fans! Total BARGAIN!

 

[inVain]

it really looks like the Silver Arrow, IMO...
but the fins are even dense populated than the SA (would someone confirm this, please)

hearing your luck with those beautiful beast at such tempting price are killing me

 

[LennyRhys]

The Silver Arrow is basically the IFX-14 v2

Fin Spacing SA: 1.57mm Fin Count: 110
Fin Spacing IFX: 1.5mm Fin Count: 108

The Silver Arrow prototype was designed as a smaller alternative to the IFX-14 and called the "Arrow-14":

And I LOVE the prototype Venomous-X that is just a TRUE with a V cut-out:

 

[inVain]

now, I'm really tempted to grab that backside cooler (IFX-10)

combined with the SA, maybe I'll get a modern IFX-14


about the Ven-X prototype,
isn't the TRUE Rev. C, have that "v" shaped hole?

 

[Bobnova]

My TRUE has a cutout like that. Weird.

 

[muddocktor]

Yeah, the TRUE Rev. C has the "V" cut in it too. The cut was added to the Rev. B, but didn't improve performance perceptibly. They then lowered the fin count and opened the spacing for the Rev. C and found increased performance.

 

[LennyRhys]

They then lowered the fin count and opened the spacing for the Rev. C and found increased performance.

It's interesting that they improved performance by reducing the total surface area of the fins - goes to show how important the actual airflow is.

It's also interesting that the VenX prototype went on to become a revision of the TRUE, and that the existing VenX is quite different from the TRUE although also (paradoxically) strikingly similar!

My IFX has been posted so I should get it early this coming week - fingers crossed for Monday.

 

[LennyRhys]

OK the ball is rolling - got this in the post today:

The 990X is coming tomorrow, so I'll definitely be using this mount when I swap out the 920 for the first time. Depending when the IFX arrives I may have a chance to do some comparisons between it and the TRUE Cu.

 

[inVain]

I really like that spring-ed bolt, and I'm really tempted to mod my Ven-X mounting kit now

 

[LennyRhys]

These springs are really tough... like the ones used in car suspension lol

Anyways, the rest of my stuff came today!!! Early Christmas present!

All this lot came from one listing on ebay: IFX-14 with mini-heatsink, two CoolerMaster 120mm fans, and four fan clips!!