# Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme (Installation Questions)



## twicksisted (Dec 20, 2007)

Alright, i ordered one of these today (and a samsung 24")
should be with me tomorrow afternoon (thanks to overclockers)

Looking at the reviews, this is a bit of a monster... I take it im going to have to take out my motherboard to install it with a backplate. at the moment, I'm using the retail fan on my Q6600....

Any special words of advice to installing this... like things you only know when doing it before?
Aah also... will this fit into my case (NZXT Lexa)


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## Easy Rhino (Dec 20, 2007)

this is just the heatsink right? i was thinking about buying one for my htpc so that it will be fanless. i heard they are a real pain to install and you will have to remove your motherboard. let me know how it goes!


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## twicksisted (Dec 20, 2007)

cool yeah i will do...

I just know that with anything, its easier when you have done it once... with a particular item... becuase theres always something that will get in the way.

By the way, i hope your HTPC has a big case as this thing is seriously tall... it still hasnt arrived, but a bit of google imaging and i found pics of this thing dwarfing an ATX motherboard!


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## newtekie1 (Dec 20, 2007)

I now have 2 Ultra-120 Extremes and a regular Ultra-120.

Just follow the directions and you should be fine.  The only thing I really have to warn you about is not to remove the wax-paper covering on the foam on the backplate.  If you do the foam will stick to the motherboard, and it is virtually impossible to get off(very bad if you want to switch heatsinks, or have to RMA your motherboard).

Also, try to assemble it as much as possible outside of the case, it is a pain to work around once it is in the case, including putting the fan on it.

The socket 775 mounting bracket is kind of stiff at first, and hard to spread out.  I had to loosen the screw slightly to make it easier to install.


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## twicksisted (Dec 20, 2007)

I found a great review on this HS... check it here:
http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/foru...89-thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-review.html


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## twicksisted (Dec 20, 2007)

newtekie1 said:


> I now have 2 Ultra-120 Extremes and a regular Ultra-120.
> 
> Just follow the directions and you should be fine.  The only thing I really have to warn you about is not to remove the wax-paper covering on the foam on the backplate.  If you do the foam will stick to the motherboard, and it is virtually impossible to get off(very bad if you want to switch heatsinks, or have to RMA your motherboard).
> 
> ...



Thanks mate... I will refer to this tomorrow when I have the heatsink and am about to do it... cant really picture what foam and wax plate you could be referring to as I thought the whole thing was metal... but will keep an eye out for it


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## Hawk1 (Dec 20, 2007)

^^^ Yup, what 'tekie said. It's a pain to install (yes MB has to be removed) and, yeah, dont stick it on the back of the board. Although not sticking it can cause other pains in the ass as I discovered. I removed the TR to check my paste (from the MX-2 thread by Dr.S) and when I took it off, the backplate moved behind the MB and I couldn't align it again without removing the board. Aside from that, its the current king of air coolers, and you should get great temps (depending how high you overclock/up the vcore).


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## Easy Rhino (Dec 20, 2007)

twicksisted said:


> cool yeah i will do...
> 
> I just know that with anything, its easier when you have done it once... with a particular item... becuase theres always something that will get in the way.
> 
> By the way, i hope your HTPC has a big case as this thing is seriously tall... it still hasnt arrived, but a bit of google imaging and i found pics of this thing dwarfing an ATX motherboard!



well, it will be the ATX zalman media case so it should be big enough to fit. we will see in a couple months.


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## technicks (Dec 20, 2007)

Hi guys.

Well yesterday i installed my new Thermalright Ultima 90.
But before i did i spend 2 hours lapping the thing.
I have never seen a cooler with a base so round as this one. To be honest i was a little bit shocked to see the poor quality. Not saying it's a bad cooler. After the lapping it totally .
But i did not expect it to be that bad.


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## twicksisted (Dec 20, 2007)

technicks said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> Well yesterday i installed my new Thermalright Ultima 90.
> But before i did i spend 2 hours lapping the thing.
> ...




I read about this too... the base of this heatsink is intentionally rounded and it makes absolutely no difference if you lap the surface...
have a read here:
http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/foru...89-thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-review.html


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## Hawk1 (Dec 20, 2007)

technicks said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> Well yesterday i installed my new Thermalright Ultima 90.
> But before i did i spend 2 hours lapping the thing.
> ...



Yes, the bases are not that great, even on the Ultra Ex. versions. I spent a few hours lapping mine as well, just to make sure it made good contact and would cool as well as possible.


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## technicks (Dec 20, 2007)

twicksisted said:


> I read about this too... the base of this heatsink is intentionally rounded and it makes absolutely no difference if you lap the surface...
> have a read here:
> http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/foru...89-thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-review.html



Thanks for the advice. But you can't ignore that less contact is less heat transfer.
After lapping better surface contact so better heat transfer. And if it was intentionally done then they are stupid.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 21, 2007)

Will this thing fit inside the case, or do you keep the side cover off?


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## trt740 (Dec 21, 2007)

twicksisted said:


> I read about this too... the base of this heatsink is intentionally rounded and it makes absolutely no difference if you lap the surface...
> have a read here:
> http://www.cryo-laboratory.com/foru...89-thermalright-ultra-120-extreme-review.html



Hes right I asked Thermalright directly they said they made it rounded a bit on purpose to help the mounting mechanism hold and that they found the uneven suface when used with thermal paste actually tranfers more heat. Don't kill the messanger thats what they said and that review shows it.

*I ran all the tests again and much to my amazement I had no gains at all. It was the same thru every test as it was before lapping.* I thought perhaps it was due to me mounting it differently, using too much thermal paste or something, because I really did expect at least a small drop in temps. After remounting it again with just the right amount of thermal paste it was again the same.
I am really impressed that not even 1 degree Celsius could be gained by lapping it.

If the mounting system they use were improved upon I would most definitely rate this heatsink a 10. I have lapped several heatsinks in the past and have seen gains of 6 Celsius in lower temperatures. 
I will lap the CPU and test it again, but since that has nothing to do with the heatsink I will post it within the forum and conclude this review on the fact that this heatsink rocks. 
The convex surface seems to be no problem for it on this Processor. Thermalright has done their homework on this design and they have proved me wrong. I guess flatter isn’t always better. Congrats Thermalright on a heatsink I can honestly recommend to anyone as an excellent choice for air cooling. 
I look forward to pitting this monster against the Apogee GT in my air vs. water cooling comparison coming soon.


UPDATE #2:
i figured i might as well add this information in here to keep it simple and organized. 
After lapping my CPU and testing under the same conditions i had 0 gains. every temp was the same. at 4.4 GHz full load it looked like it might be 1c lower but it was too close to tell.


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## trt740 (Dec 21, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> Will this thing fit inside the case, or do you keep the side cover off?



If this is your case it is gonna be close my old case just barely fit at 8.3inches and yours is only 8 I bet it won't  
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

get this one it is very close to the TRUE120 but is 8mm smaller in height  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154002
and has a better chance of fitting. If you do keep the TRUE120 it is super easy to install one back plate true four holes, then the heat sink set over the cpu ,then a x braket set over the cpu, and four screws that stop when they are tightened enough not letting you smash the cpu.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 21, 2007)

trt740 said:


> If this is your case it is gonna be close my old case just barely fit at 8.3inches and yours is only 8 I bet it won't
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077
> 
> get this one it is very close to the TRUE120 but is 8mm smaller in height  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154002
> and has a better chance of fitting. If you do keep the TRUE120 it is super easy to install one back plate true four holes, then the heat sink set over the cpu ,then a x braket set over the cpu, and four screws that stop when they are tightened enough not letting you smash the cpu.



Yeah, thats my case and damn I think I paid 80 bucks or something. I was looking at the tuniq. I think neither would be a problem because I keep my side panel off anyways. I would worry about the pcb cracking more than anything. And I already have a back plate on the mobo.


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## AsRock (Dec 21, 2007)

Check the base b4 installing some saying that the base is wrarped.


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## trt740 (Dec 21, 2007)

AsRock said:


> Check the base b4 installing some saying that the base is wrarped.



Wow way to read a post before you comment LOL


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## PyroX1040 (Dec 21, 2007)

trt740 said:


> Wow way to read a post before you comment LOL



Zing >.>!


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## freaksavior (Dec 21, 2007)

if you get it and you cant install it (dew to the threads in the back plate not being threaded) just go to your local hardware store buy some 3ish inch bolts that fit in the hole and some washers and a couple nuts and screw that sucker in! it works like a charm for me it actually works better than the screws it came with


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## newtekie1 (Dec 21, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> ^^^ Yup, what 'tekie said. It's a pain to install (yes MB has to be removed) and, yeah, dont stick it on the back of the board. Although not sticking it can cause other pains in the ass as I discovered. I removed the TR to check my paste (from the MX-2 thread by Dr.S) and when I took it off, the backplate moved behind the MB and I couldn't align it again without removing the board. Aside from that, its the current king of air coolers, and you should get great temps (depending how high you overclock/up the vcore).









You can see the 775 mounting hardware there.  The black thing is the mounting bracket.  The white square on it is covering the foam which helps protect the motherboard.  If you remove that white paper, the foam has a glue on it that will stick to the motherboard, and it is a real pain in the ass to remove.


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## AsRock (Dec 21, 2007)

trt740 said:


> Wow way to read a post before you comment LOL



Did not read the posts lol..... i read the reviews of it that i find and the ones on newegg.....


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## Easy Rhino (Dec 21, 2007)

trt740 said:


> Wow way to read a post before you comment LOL



lmao!


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## twicksisted (Dec 21, 2007)

Alright, its installed...!!!!

Bit of stress taking everything out and remembering where my 4 raid harddrives are supposed to plug in (Raid 0)

The fan clips were a bit of a headscratch but figured out with a bit of brute force...
I decided to use AS5 instead of the goo they supplied with the cooler... my theory is less is more and i just put a half grain of rice sized pea on the chip, and used card to spread it so i couldnt see the chip... then dabbed a bit on the heatsink...

Plecing it on and tightening the screws it moves around all over the place which isnt really ideal!!! I feel like i spread the thermal paste all over and messed it up a bit.

Anyways, speedfan tells me im at 19c... coretemp tells me idle im at:
core1: 38
core2: 37
core3: 31
core4: 31

What do you guys reckon? is it fine... or shall i try again ?


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## ntdouglas (Dec 21, 2007)

twicksisted said:


> Alright, its installed...!!!!
> 
> Bit of stress taking everything out and remembering where my 4 raid harddrives are supposed to plug in (Raid 0)
> 
> ...



I don't know if it matters, but there is a certain way to apply as5 on a quad. Look at there website.


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## RottnJP (Dec 22, 2007)

FWIW, I've seen quite a few reviews that claim up to 8 deg improvement by lapping base & CPU, and a couple using quads that lapping evened out the temps.  Only have seen one that claims 0 deg change, so, meh...  I have a 120 extreme on my desk right now, to be lapped when I get back in town.


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## trt740 (Dec 22, 2007)

Don't you think that Thermalright the best air cooling company in the world know how to make there own heatsink? do you really think they made a 70.00 heatsink so it wouldn't function correctly ?


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## hat (Dec 22, 2007)

lol, soon thermalright will let you install windows on your heatsink


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## RottnJP (Dec 22, 2007)

trt740 said:


> Don't you think that Thermalright the best air cooling company in the world know how to make there own heatsink? do you really think they made a 70.00 heatsink so it wouldn't function correctly ?



Do you really think you know better than Intel how their chips should be run?  Why would they sell you a chip at 3 GHz that can run over 4GHz..


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## PaulieG (Dec 22, 2007)

RottnJP said:


> Do you really think you know better than Intel how their chips should be run?  Why would they sell you a chip at 3 GHz that can run over 4GHz..



Ignorance...spend a little more time here..

EDIT: Just realized the sarcasm..


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## PaulieG (Dec 22, 2007)

newtekie1 said:


> I now have 2 Ultra-120 Extremes and a regular Ultra-120.
> 
> Just follow the directions and you should be fine.  The only thing I really have to warn you about is not to remove the wax-paper covering on the foam on the backplate.  If you do the foam will stick to the motherboard, and it is virtually impossible to get off(very bad if you want to switch heatsinks, or have to RMA your motherboard).
> 
> ...



This has always been annoying to me. I wish heatsink makers would find an adhesive that made it easier to remove the backplate. My workaround (because sticking the backplate makes the install easier) is to email the company for a extra backplate. I know Zerotherm and Swiftech are great about this...


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## twicksisted (Dec 22, 2007)

Hey Guys... I have Intel TAT (Thermal analysis tool) but this only makes a workload for 2 cores... I want to drop a load on all four to see the temps... tried running 2 instances of it but it wont...

What other app can i use to stress 4 cores at once?


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## newtekie1 (Dec 22, 2007)

Paulieg said:


> This has always been annoying to me. I wish heatsink makers would find an adhesive that made it easier to remove the backplate. My workaround (because sticking the backplate makes the install easier) is to email the company for a extra backplate. I know Zerotherm and Swiftech are great about this...



Yes, but that doesn't solve the problem of taking the backplate off the motherboard if you need to, to RMA the motherboard for instance.

A little non conductive Scotch Tape hold the backplate on nicely if you are worried about it moving around, but I haven't really had the problem.  Just keep the computer on a flat surface when you take the heatsink off and the backplate shouldn't move.



twicksisted said:


> Hey Guys... I have Intel TAT (Thermal analysis tool) but this only makes a workload for 2 cores... I want to drop a load on all four to see the temps... tried running 2 instances of it but it wont...
> 
> What other app can i use to stress 4 cores at once?



Prime95

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Prime95_d4363.html


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## twicksisted (Dec 22, 2007)

nice one, downloading now.... set the fsb to 333mhz... and want to push it for a while to set it nicely with the AS5...

going to eventually try clocking it to 400mhz fsb 1:1, 3.6ghz... should be do-able with my G0 Q6600 and this cooler.

One more question... the Noctua SF12 fan that I bought is 3pin... the motherboard is 4pin...  I am using a molex convertor so that its spinning its fastest, but have to diable halt on errors on the mobo.... if i use 3pin in the 4pin slot, will the motherboard controll the temps automatically, or do I need to plug it straight into the molex 122v line?


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## newtekie1 (Dec 22, 2007)

It depends on the motherboard, but most will just spin the fan at full power.


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