Macho Direct

FAQ 1
Question : There are already many heat-pipe direct touch (HDT) coolers in the market. What’s the difference between Thermalright HDT and its competition?
Answer : Other HDT makers use CNC to make a very flat base for the ease of manufacturing while the surface of the CPU IHS is never true flat (a bit of concave most of the times.) And thus one can imagine the contact between the heat-sink base and IHS is not ideal.
The way Thermalright makes HDT is to make each heatpipe convex (by less than 0.15mm) in the area that contacts CPU IHS. So, the heat transfer rate in that area is increased due to true direct contact.
Our internal tests on real computer systems with Intel processors show Macho Direct with better performance than its competition by 4°C~6°C in average.
FAQ 2
Question : There are sayings HDT coolers can only be used with budgetary CPU’s with very low power consumption because the heat-pipes are flattened so the capacity to transfer heat is very limited.
Answer : When tested on a simulated test bed that reads power input, Thermalright Macho Direct is verified to be able to handle heat up to 200watt, which is more than required by the top Intel 2011-3 processor Ivy Bridge 5960X CPU (TDP 140watt). When tested on a real 2011-3motherboard, overclocked to 4 GHz,the temperature is well maintained in the mid 70°C. When tested on the top Skylake processor 6700K, over-clocked to 4GHz, the temperature is maintained in the vicinity of 70°C. These tests were made use with a quiet Thermalright TY-147A fan, with maximum noise of 21dBA。
FAQ 3
Question : I once switched to use my Thermalright HR-02 Macho from an ATX system to a micro-ATX system and found the stock fan is touching the first memory. Do I expect the same problem with Macho Direct?
Answer : Macho Direct’s fin stack is moved backward by 3.3mm compared to HR-02 Macho. So, the problem of tight space between heat-sink and first memory on a few micro-ATX motherbords does not exist anymore.
FAQ 4
Question : I already noted Macho Direct heat-sink is moved towards rear system fan compared with HR-02 Macho. Is there enough space for me to install second fan at the rear? If yes, where can I buy another set of fan clips and rubber pads?
Answer : Although Macho Direct heat-sink is now getting closer to the rear of the system, there is still plenty of room for a second fan. And Macho Direct already comes with two sets of fan clips and rubber pads.
For those who are interested in a dual-fan setup, we strongly recommend Thermalright TY-147A fan for the best performance.
FAQ 5
Question : I used to use a Thermalright fan duct with my Macho Zero heat-sink. Can I use that fan duct on Macho Direct, too? And do without the stock TY-140 black fan (semi-passive cooling)?
Answer : Yes. Both Thermalright 120mm fan duct and 140mm fan duct can be used with Macho Direct for semi-passive cooling. In fact, even without a fan duct, when with good air flow management, a 6700 K CPU (91watt TDP) can be maintained at less than 80°C. For mainstream 65 watt processors, CPU temp can be maintained below 70°C.