General

FAQ 1
Question : How to remove glue residue on heat sink base?
Answer :Some of our users had recently report glue residue on the base of their newly purchased HSF after removal of protective film. We are working with our factory to see if there is a feasible alternative that is readily to adapt. In the mean time, we suggest these steps for customers with glue residue problem to remove these sticky unsightly performance hurdle, and realize the true performance potential of our HSF.
* The glue from the protective film is a thermal insulator, which would keep thermal energy from working CPU right on top of CPU die For removal of these glue, you need:
Petroleum based solvent or acetone (automotive carburetor cleaner, paint thinner, nail polish remover, etc.)
1 pair of rubber gloves
1 clean soft ragPlease keep away from heat source and always work in a well ventilated area.
peel off the protective film
put the rubber gloves on, take the soft rag and put a little amount of acetone on the cloth
gently wipe the HSF base with rag, let the base dry for 10~15 sec. visually inspect the surface for any more residue
repeat the steps 2 and 3 if necessary
take the gloves off and inspect HSF base surface under a light source, double check to see if the residue is totally removed with different angle.
apply a thin layer thermal paste evenly, and proceed to HSF installation.
FAQ 2
Question :Do I have the fan blowing down or drawing air up?
Answer : The fan used should always be blowing down for all Thermalright heat sinks.
FAQ 3
Question :Do I use a shim with Thermalright heat sinks?
Answer :For experienced users, a shim is not needed in installing socket A heat sinks. Besides, a shim does accumulate heat around CPU die. Our experience shows a shim may have higher temperature than without a shim for about 2~3°C in normal operation.
Please note: if you must use a shim, be sure to purchase one that is non-conductive.
FAQ 4
Question :Why does Thermalright not posting Thermal Resistance of their heat sinks like its competitors?
Answer : Different Vendors use slightly different method as well as different thermal diode locations in gathering data for Thermal resistance calculation. for instance, Int*l and A*D both has their own Thermal design guides, however the locations for thermal diode are different. We at Thermalright feel that it is better for 3rd party to post these numbers/information than we post our testing results ourselves. You may able to use information from following websites to get a pretty good feel on how our products will perform for your configuration.
http://www.dansdata.com/coolercomp.htm
http://www.frostytech.com/
http://www.overclockers.com/articles373/
Thank you for your inquiry on Thermalright products, hopefully these information may somewhat let you make a more informed choice for your configuration.
FAQ 5
Question :How do I install fans on a SP/SLK heat sinks?
Answer : Please refer to our fan installation guide.
FAQ 6
Question :The fan clips look flimsy?
Answer : A. In the field of engineering, “look” often is a deceiving concept. Here is a picture demonstrate how strong our clips are. The hole HSF and motherboard were lifted by just the fan, which was held in place by those two “fimsy” clips. Please refer to our fan installation guide for proper installation steps.
FAQ 7
Question :I have bought a Thermalright heat sink. After installing it I have nothing but a black screen?
Answer : Please verify the installation steps to see if all steps are followed closely. Some customers had reported thermal couple pins penetrate the black rubber pad on the
X-Plate, however we cannot duplicate this issue in our lab. If thermal couple pins are extremely extruded from the back of motherboard, please ask your computer store to snip off the excess metal so only 1.5 mm of pins are there.
FAQ 8
Question :Your installation instruction says “place for circular pads included onto the base of the heatsink”. What are these “pads”?
Answer : The white circular pads are used for cushion and distribute the mounting pressure evenly on CPU DIE. They are preformed on a white 3M square pads in the packaging. These pads are designed for 1 installation only and will deform after multiple installation. Please provide Thermalright a picture of purchase receipt with a mailing address if replacement needed.
FAQ 9
Question :Do you have a high performance heat sink for socket 370 that takes 70mm/80mm fans?
Answer : SK-7, AX-7, CB-6L, SLK-800A/900A and ALX-800 all fir on Socket 370 and capable of using 70 mm or 80 mm fan. Please see their spec for the specific fan size they supports.
FAQ 10
Question :Will the heat sink interfere with my power supply?
Answer : Most mid tower and mini tower case should have plenty space for use our SLK/SP series HSF inside. However on the new Mini/SFF PC, it is best if customer can sent us photos of CPU HSF mounting area for us to determine if the request configuration is possible or not before purchase the HSF.
FAQ 11
Question :I’m thinking about getting a passive cooling system for my CPU. Will XP-120 or any from your XP line up work without a fan?
Answer : All of our XP products are designed for active cooling. Therefore, we do not recommend running any of the XP’s without a fan.
FAQ 12
Question :My Thermalright heat sink has heating pipes. Does it matter if I position they up or down?
Answer : Our heating pipe system is designed to work both ways. Having the heating pipes facing up or down depends on how they fit your motherboard best.
FAQ 13
Question :I would like to order directly from Thermalright. What steps do I need to take?
Answer : Contact one of our sales representatives and fill out the credit card billing information form and you’re all set! Contact email:sales@13.125.99.104
FAQ 14
Question :What is your policy on requesting for spare parts? Who do I contact?
Answer : Our policy on spare parts is that if your heatsink came without its supposedly included parts, provide a legitimate copy of purchase receipt either in PDF or in JPG format and send to support@13.125.99.104 (Mon-Fri 9:00 ~ 17:00 Pacific Standard Time) or support2@13.125.99.104 during off hours. We shall send the requested parts to you, free of charge if we believe the claim is legit.
Please keep in mind that in order to receive support and service from Thermalright or its affiliated partners, your purchased item(s) must be from an authorized Thermalright dealer.
No support will be provided if Thermalright products were purchased from on-line bidding sites such as eBay and the likes.
FAQ 15
Question :I’m looking for a passive cooling solution for my computer. I do not want noise but at the same time I do not want to sacrifice performance either. Do you have a recommendation as to which heatsink would work best for me?
Answer : The perfect cooling solution would be the HR-01. It not only cools your CPU effectively but also cools your entire computer system, working together with its fan duct and the 12cm system exhaust fan, the warm air is sucked out to the back of your case. Review Lab tests such as this one from PC Perspective have shown that the HR-01 with fan duct can beat even the mighty XP-120 and hangs tough with Thermalright’s new flagship heatsink, the Ultra-120!
FAQ 16
Question :I have one of Gigabyte P35 DQ6 series motherboard and I would like to install one of your cooler but my motherboard has its own cooling system, Crazy Cool. How do I go about removing it from my motherboard?
Answer : If you plan on installing one of our coolers, you will need to remove the Crazy Cool system. For instructions please refer to this link. (Please note that removal of stock cooling involves risk of damage. Do not proceed unless you are sure of your ability. Thermalright is not held responsible for any damage occurred before, during, and after the removal of Crazy Cool.)
FAQ 17
Question :I received my Ultra-120 eXtreme the other day and I noticed that the bottom of the heatsink is not perfectly flat and when I put it on a flat surface, it tends to swivel. Did I get a defective product? Should I return it for another one? Please help!
Answer : Thermalright has designed its heatsink base to have a slightly convex bottom. This is not by any means a manufacturing defect. This feature works best on some of the Intel CPUs for their concave surface on the part of the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader). As long as you have a firm contact between the heatsink base and the CPU, there is no need for concern in regards to swiveling.