# Thermalright Le Grand Macho RT



## crazyeyesreaper (Sep 12, 2016)

Thermalright's Le Grand Macho RT is massive in size, weighing in at 1060g with the fan. Capable of being used passively, it offers users a near-silent operation and top-tier performance when paired with the TY-147B fan. The competition should take note as Thermalright looks to steal the air-cooling crown.

*Show full review*


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## Yukikaze (Sep 12, 2016)

Looks to be solid, but holy heck, who came up with the name?!


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## jabbadap (Sep 12, 2016)

Yukikaze said:


> Looks to be solid, but holy heck, who came up with the name?!



Yeah, apart from the name the cooler is brilliant.


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## Hiryougan (Sep 12, 2016)

Damn. I definitely wasn't expecting that. Who would thought that there would be a cooler to dethronize NH-D15, while being cheaper and having better ram compatibility. Imo the name is hillarious.
The only thing that bothers me is that absolutely ugly as hell top.


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## xkm1948 (Sep 12, 2016)

WOW this is great! Finally something that beats down D15!. Considering the gigantic size and dual fan of D15 I am very tempted to buy this to free up some space. I am truly impressed by Thermalright.


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## dj-electric (Sep 12, 2016)

Is this it? The NH-D15 beater?

Well.... hard to tell tbh. It is as quiet and as cool, but... the size is just not ignoreable.


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## aldo5 (Sep 12, 2016)

wow -the NH-D15 is down... this wins not by much but in all categories: 1) temps; 2) noise; 3) size and 4) price... what you gonna do now Noctua ?


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## Joss (Sep 12, 2016)

Now that's what I call a cooler 
Macho indeed, not one of those sissy AIOs 

Just one thing, the graphics card is installed in the first (3.0 x1) slot, right?


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## Smanci (Sep 12, 2016)

You reeeeally need to start testing coolers at a certain noise level. Running fans at 100% is in any case unbearable for most users.


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## Hiryougan (Sep 12, 2016)

Dj-ElectriC said:


> Is this it? The NH-D15 beater?
> 
> Well.... hard to tell tbh. It is as quiet and as cool, but... the size is just not ignoreable.


Wat. NH-D15 is much bigger, it even covers ALL ram slots, compare to NONE by Macho.


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## NightOfChrist (Sep 12, 2016)

I noticed one H7 Universal in the test list.
Is this supposed to be H5 Universal, or H7?
Perhaps a typo and it was supposed to be H5 Universal?


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## natr0n (Sep 12, 2016)

Use 2 fans and this will shine like no other.


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## dj-electric (Sep 12, 2016)

Hiryougan said:


> Wat. NH-D15 is much bigger, it even covers ALL ram slots, compare to NONE by Macho.



I can use all of my 8 RAM slots, both sides with the D15 in my system. The macho will not find my secondary slots friendly


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## Hiryougan (Sep 12, 2016)

Dj-ElectriC said:


> I can use all of my 8 RAM slots, both sides with the D15 in my system. The macho will not find my secondary slots friendly


Ah, the X99, didn't notice that before. Are you sure they will get blocked?


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## Sasqui (Sep 12, 2016)

Yukikaze said:


> Looks to be solid, but holy heck, who came up with the name?!


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## gasolina (Sep 12, 2016)

used to have one and happy with it


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## crazyeyesreaper (Sep 12, 2016)

NightOfChrist said:


> I noticed one H7 Universal in the test list.
> Is this supposed to be H5 Universal, or H7?
> Perhaps a typo and it was supposed to be H5 Universal?



what do you think H7 Universal in the charts means? its the H7 and its the universal aka thin fan model.

Only Cryorig models in the review are the C7 which is mini-ITX cooler the R1 Universal and the H7 Universal.  The H5 is not in the test data.


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## Supercrit (Sep 12, 2016)

aldo5 said:


> wow -the NH-D15 is down... this wins not by much but in all categories: 1) temps; 2) noise; 3) size and 4) price... what you gonna do now Noctua ?



5) no ugly brown


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## crazyeyesreaper (Sep 12, 2016)

Keep in mind at typical daily OC loads aka Wprime and Aida64 The D15 and D15S performance pretty much on par with the Grand Macho RT.

typically the D15 is ahead by 1'C while the single fan D15S trails by 1'C

But typically the Noctua and Thermalright options are on par however what little wins one has over the other is a bit of a wash as thermalpaste I use is pretty crap aka cheapest of cheap. Using High end pastes may see the performance change. Stranger things have happened but still. For non x99 systems this is a solid air cooler. It might be big but its also silent.



Joss said:


> Now that's what I call a cooler
> Macho indeed, not one of those sissy AIOs
> 
> Just one thing, the graphics card is installed in the first (3.0 x1) slot, right?



Yes i test with clearance in the first slot for users that go Micro ATX and Mini-ITX we all know most typical ATX boards are fine since the first expansion slot is usually PCI / PCIe x1 or x4 etc. I use a dead GPU which i cut away some of the PCIe fingers on in order to use it for clearance testing. In this way any cooler that clears this test is 95% likely to clear the PCIe slot on Mini-ITX or Micro ATX builds.


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## dwade (Sep 12, 2016)

The king is back. No more reason buying overpriced Noctua's.


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## xkm1948 (Sep 12, 2016)

I can't find any MoBo compatibility report for this. Would love to get a smaller yet better air cooler. But I need to figure out whether it will fit on my X99 first.


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## xkm1948 (Sep 12, 2016)

Can you do a size comparison between this and the D15, like right next to each other?


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## msimax (Sep 12, 2016)

that is a nice cooler


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## NightOfChrist (Sep 13, 2016)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> what do you think H7 Universal in the charts means? its the H7 and its the universal aka thin fan model.
> 
> Only Cryorig models in the review are the C7 which is mini-ITX cooler the R1 Universal and the H7 Universal.  The H5 is not in the test data.


Sorry I had to ask.
I never heard of H7 Universal before and because there is no H7 Universal in Cryorig site so I thought it was a typo.
I did not know it was H7 with custom fan.


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## Caring1 (Sep 13, 2016)

Forum is playing up for me and it wont let me read the review.
Works now *thumbs up*
Can it be mounted so the fan is facing the GPU side?
Being offset, it should allow it to blow from bottom to top of case.


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## Assimilator (Sep 13, 2016)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> But typically the Noctua and Thermalright options are on par however what little wins one has over the other is a bit of a wash as thermalpaste I use is pretty crap aka cheapest of cheap.



Why not use the paste that comes with the cooler itself, like 99% of all buyers will do? Bad paste could make a great cooler just good, good paste could make a mediocre cooler great... etc. I understand using the same paste makes for a more fair comparison, but IMO it's more useful to test the cooler in the way most people will use it.


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## lZKoce (Sep 13, 2016)

Now make something that beats NH L9i in the same size and doesn't cost ~40 EUR


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## newbsandwich (Sep 13, 2016)

Nice job CrazyEyes, thanks for the great review.  The heatsink might be big, but sounds worth it for such good performance and low noise levels.  Would be interesting to see it tested with 2 fans...


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## Vayra86 (Sep 13, 2016)

Assimilator said:


> Why not use the paste that comes with the cooler itself, like 99% of all buyers will do? Bad paste could make a great cooler just good, good paste could make a mediocre cooler great... etc. I understand using the same paste makes for a more fair comparison, but IMO it's more useful to test the cooler in the way most people will use it.



I disagree. We are talking high end air cooling here. I can imagine the buyers of these coolers are sensitive to these small differences and look for the best cooler for the money or the job. At that point I would also say they will likely use the paste they deem best, not necessarily the one offered with the cooler. After one or two builds you DO have spare paste lying around, so there's that. I think its much better to have the relative performance charts based on the exact same conditions, that way you're truly comparing coolers, and not cooler packages with paste.

With regards to 'judging' the paste offered with the coolers, I would say that warrants a separate review and it will probably produce interesting results, too.


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## Kissamies (Sep 13, 2016)

Weird thing that it doesn't come with clips to attach a second fan, since my cheaper Macho Direct did have those on the retail box.

Also, did you find the screwdriver?


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## Farmer Boe (Sep 13, 2016)

Great review for a great product. I'd like to replace my NH-D14 with this just for aesthetics.


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## crazyeyesreaper (Sep 13, 2016)

NightOfChrist said:


> Sorry I had to ask.
> I never heard of H7 Universal before and because there is no H7 Universal in Cryorig site so I thought it was a typo.
> I did not know it was H7 with custom fan.



When it first came out it was marketed as Universal because its small size and offset meant no ram compatibility or gpu compatiblity issues regardless of AMD / Intel. However they eventually dropped it from the looks considering I last looked at the cooler it was over a year ago.



Assimilator said:


> Why not use the paste that comes with the cooler itself, like 99% of all buyers will do? Bad paste could make a great cooler just good, good paste could make a mediocre cooler great... etc. I understand using the same paste makes for a more fair comparison, but IMO it's more useful to test the cooler in the way most people will use it.


Really? Ask the people on this forum what TIM they use. Guess what 99% of the time its not the stock paste. No matter which way i test to be honest not everyone is going to be happy.



9700 Pro said:


> Weird thing that it doesn't come with clips to attach a second fan, since my cheaper Macho Direct did have those on the retail box.
> 
> Also, did you find the screwdriver?



Yes i did find it it had rolled back under the desk where thankfully the cat found it which allowed me to find it. Love Thermalright screwdrivers. perfect for installing all coolers hell use it in most builds I do too.


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## sutyi (Sep 19, 2016)

Macho, macho fan,
I gotta be a macho FAN!
Macho macho fan,
I gotta be a macho!


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## thebluebumblebee (Oct 3, 2016)

aldo5 said:


> what you gonna do now Noctua ?


Oh, just continue to warranty products for six years (verses one year), include extra fan clips, and provide, free of charge, updated mounting brackets when needed.


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## the54thvoid (Dec 1, 2016)

@crazyeyesreaper - did you get to keep the cooler?  I cannot for the life of me buy one, even in Europe - every single supplier on their 'where to buy' list is out of stock.  Gold dust.....


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## crazyeyesreaper (Dec 2, 2016)

sitting on a shelf @the54thvoid


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## thebluebumblebee (Jan 5, 2017)

Are you sure that Le Grand Macho RT isn't a misprint?  The RT part?  Is it supposed to be Le Grand Macho ™?  It's now listed on Amazon, but no RT in the name.


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 5, 2017)

At the time of review @thebluebumblebee yes it was correct.

On Thermalright's website the Le Grand Macho = passive Le Grand Macho RT = includes fan I would verify http://www.thermalright.de/kuehler/56/le-grand-macho-rt?c=5


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## Vario (Jan 5, 2017)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> At the time of review @thebluebumblebee yes it was correct.
> 
> On Thermalright's website the Le Grand Macho = passive Le Grand Macho RT = includes fan I would verify http://www.thermalright.de/kuehler/56/le-grand-macho-rt?c=5


Road & Track edition


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## CNex (Jan 13, 2017)

Is it really possible to mount a second fan on the back? From the pictures it looks like the aio armor might be in the way for a 140mm fan. Thanks in advance for the reply


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 14, 2017)

CNex said:


> Is it really possible to mount a second fan on the back? From the pictures it looks like the aio armor might be in the way for a 140mm fan. Thanks in advance for the reply


Is it possible sure but their are a lot of caveats. Likely compatibility issues depending on case due to motherboard heatsinks. etc. If you want better cooling adding a 120 would be possible but fan clips for such would have to be custom made. That or use zipties, eitherway its likely not worth it the it already out performs every other air cooler I have tested thus far. Its likely adding a fan will offer 0-1C different at best. At least on mainstream sockets. 6950k yeah might drop a few more degrees but likely not worth the effort.


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## CNex (Jan 14, 2017)

Thanks, I was just curious about it


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

i loved this cooler the moment i saw the review. but does it fit in the nzxt s340 elite case?? the case clearance for cooler height is 161cm. the problem is that in thermalight's site says the cooler height is 159cm but in the manual it's 162.15cm. thanks in advance.


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## crazyeyesreaper (Mar 17, 2017)

Measuring from base to the top of the heatpipes i got roughly 158 mm fan height depending on how its set can raise the height somewhat.


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

thanks for the quick reply. 
http://www.thermalright.de/en/cooler/56/le-grand-macho-rt#prettyPhoto
if you go at the official site and open the manual the measurements in the last picture are 162.15cm


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## crazyeyesreaper (Mar 17, 2017)

its 159 mm   I am getting around 158 roughly so looks like they rounded up to 159.


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

http://www.thermalright.de/media/pdf/hr-02-eng.pdf
i mean about this manual which is at the bottom of the  le grand macho product page


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## crazyeyesreaper (Mar 17, 2017)

i have the damn cooler sitting in front of me i measured it with a tape measure i got 158.75 rounded up thats 159

Stood it up place level across top. measure from desk to level. rough measurement 6.25 inches or 158.75mm.


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

ok thank you and sorry i just want to be sure if im gonna buy it or not


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## thebluebumblebee (Mar 17, 2017)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> fan height depending on how its set can raise the height somewhat.


So it's very likely that the 162.15 figure is actually with the fan.
@blackreaper7 , if you can buy it without the fan, then I'd suggest getting a 120mm fan to put on it instead of the stock 140mm fan.  Or be prepared to swap fans.


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

well maybe thats the case but in the pictures here it looks like the 140mm default fan is in the exactly same height with the top of the heatsinks


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## crazyeyesreaper (Mar 17, 2017)

I think the 162 is a typo. All other material uses 159 even the box.


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## blackreaper7 (Mar 17, 2017)

ok then. ty both of you for the help


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## zenstrive (May 9, 2017)

Hi,

I am a Ryzen R7 1700 user using MSI B350 Tomahawk.
I overclocked my chip to 3.8 Ghz 1.35v, and my ambient temperature is around 28-30 oC, with idle CPU temp around 55 oC, and on CPU-Z stress test my CPU can go up to ~90 oC using the Wraith Spire cooler.
I already have a noctua industrial fan to blow hot air out of the back of the casing.

I am also using MSI Gaming RX 580 8 GB, a beefy card.

My home no longer have power capacity to support an air conditioner unit yet, so i am looking to replace the cooler with either True Spirit 140 direct or this Le Grand Macho. They seems to be quite, powerful, and less costly than Noctua.

For The TS 140 Direct, I love its slim profile, but scared that the clearance to the GPU is too small, a slight dust buildup could become the bridge that short circuit them. Or is this baseless fear?
For the LGMRT, I am still uncomfortable by its big size. Will it hinder any Ram clearance?

What do you guys think?


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## crazyeyesreaper (May 9, 2017)

zenstrive said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am a Ryzen R7 1700 user using MSI B350 Tomahawk.
> I overclocked my chip to 3.8 Ghz 1.35v, and my ambient temperature is around 28-30 oC, with idle CPU temp around 55 oC, and on CPU-Z stress test my CPU can go up to ~90 oC using the Wraith Spire cooler.
> ...



If the first slot on the motherboard is a PCIe x1 slot then you will be fine. The clearance photo in the review is more targeted for Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboard users as generally speaking the first expansion slot is X16 on those boards. Standard ATX normally utilizes PCIe x1 followed by PCIe x16. In which case the Thermalright cooler will fit without issue.


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## zenstrive (May 9, 2017)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> If the first slot on the motherboard is a PCIe x1 slot then you will be fine. The clearance photo in the review is more targeted for Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboard users as generally speaking the first expansion slot is X16 on those boards. Standard ATX normally utilizes PCIe x1 followed by PCIe x16. In which case the Thermalright cooler will fit without issue.



Thanks, I think it's PCIe x1, so it should be an issue. I think I am leaning toward the True Spirit 140 Direct now.


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## crazyeyesreaper (May 10, 2017)

zenstrive said:


> Thanks, I think it's PCIe x1, so it should be an issue. I think I am leaning toward the True Spirit 140 Direct now.


What motherboard are you using?


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## thebluebumblebee (May 10, 2017)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> What motherboard are you using?





zenstrive said:


> I am a Ryzen R7 1700 user using MSI B350 Tomahawk


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## crazyeyesreaper (May 10, 2017)

facepalm been a long day completely missed it. Worse yet I even quoted it.. fail

On that motherboard the Thermalright Le Grand Macho will fit with no issues. The only problem would be if @zenstrive plans to use the PCIe x1 slot for say a sound card. Otherwise its a non issue and the cooler will fit without issue on that board. Due to the offset design even memory clearance should be A-okay as well.


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## zenstrive (May 11, 2017)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> facepalm been a long day completely missed it. Worse yet I even quoted it.. fail
> 
> On that motherboard the Thermalright Le Grand Macho will fit with no issues. The only problem would be if @zenstrive plans to use the PCIe x1 slot for say a sound card. Otherwise its a non issue and the cooler will fit without issue on that board. Due to the offset design even memory clearance should be A-okay as well.


Thanks for the reassurance, @crazyeyesreaper , I am saving up for either the True Spirit 140 Direct or the Le Grand Macho.


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## crazyeyesreaper (May 11, 2017)

I would take the Le Grand macho its capable of running without a fan as a passive cooler. If memory interference does happen you can likely sub in a thinner 140mm fan to improve clearance with a bit of improvisation.


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## zenstrive (May 12, 2017)

I won't bet on passive cooling as my ambient temperature alone is 30 oC and my Ryzen could go over 90 oC on load (CPU-Z stress test) using the Wraith Spire.
But if I do buy it, I will try it passive first anyway, to see if my Noctua industrial fan (used as casing fan) can help it. It's very noisy at 2000 RPM though...


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## Rnk (Jan 30, 2021)

Halo sry if im asking in this old thread but i want to know can this cooler fit on my b450m bazooka plus motherboard with abkoncore cronos 650 chassis? I found this cooler 2nd hand only $35 and i want to buy it. Is it worth? Thanks


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## RichF (Feb 4, 2021)

Assimilator said:


> Why not use the paste that comes with the cooler itself, like 99% of all buyers will do? Bad paste could make a great cooler just good, good paste could make a mediocre cooler great... etc. I understand using the same paste makes for a more fair comparison, but IMO it's more useful to test the cooler in the way most people will use it.


I don't agree.

Many many shoppers who make the effort to research and purchase a top-tier cooler are going to also research better paste.

I do think, though, that paste should not be bundled with coolers.


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