Thermaltake CL-W0011 Rocket

Aside from looking suspiciously like a massive marital aid, this tall, aluminium-finned heatsink sits among the larger of the heatsinks we’ve checked out to date.

Aside from looking suspiciously like a massive marital aid, this tall, aluminium-finned heatsink sits among the larger of the heatsinks we’ve checked out to date. It’s clear that this is Thermaltake’s take on reservoir cooling, because if you hadn’t noticed the tubes, this unit also uses water/coolant.
 
Usually water cooling is a careful affair for obvious reasons, and Thermaltake’s Rocket has a meticulously crafted cooling block and silent pump to ensure safe contact and smooth operation.
 
However, having left the Rocket running overnight, we discovered in the morning it had spilt forth its mighty green juice all over our benchtop, giving its once white surface a new shade of pulsating green. On close inspection, the base of the tower (the reservoir) appeared damaged and wasn’t actually sealed-off properly. We contacted Thermaltake and they confirmed this was an anomaly, and likely a result of the unit being constantly shipped around as a review unit (or maybe it had been used as a marital aid afterall). Expect off the shelf units to work flawlessly.
 
And how well does it cool?
 
Not too shabbily, if we say so ourselves. Considering its passive cooling nature, it peaked at 54C load on Chernobyl at 80 watts – representing 100 percent CPU usage – in 26C ambient. Not bad for a silent solution.
 
Indeed, add some airflow with a desk fan and you can improve on these results. While the Rocket does have a large surface area, airflow can always make a big difference.
 
Overall the all-aluminium Rocket is as much a status symbol as it is an efficient cooler. It’s not exactly the type of thing that’s easy to lug to LANs, but you can get get  oohs and aahs out from your peers when they pop over for a fragging session. If you’re into cool temps and cool looks, the Rocket will suit you fine.