Thermolab Trinity Ultra-Quiet CPU Cooler

I have to say a big thank-you to Andy (of Quiet PC) who recommended this cooler to me - I was going to try to get the much larger Noctua Cooler into my case be for the recommendation, and I have to say, it would have been a mistake, I would have had to return it, as it would have protruded from the side of my case. It would have made an interesting case mod - but not the look I was going for,

The cooler is excellent. It replaces in my case, the stock one supplied with the CPU. I didn’t replace the stock one because it wasn’t effective, it was just that the original stock fan had a sound that was very annoying, it sounded like a hoover that was changing its speed every other second GRRRR!

This one isn’t noticeable at all and it is around 8-10 degrees cooler also.

So, buy one - you won’t be disappointed.

I have say that I thought that I might be able to do the replacement without taking the mobo out of the case - I was wrong, I could get the back plate in and even the fan on top of the cpu, but restrictions around the rest of the components prevented me from getting the thumb screws onto the studs, so had to remove the mobo in the end. It took around 10 mins in all, including cleaning off the old thermal paste.

Don’t hesitate to buy this cooler if it suits your CPU, it has excellent cooling ability. I’m using on an AMD X6 Phenom 1100T 125W on an ASRock 990FX Extreme 4 board. With my original ASUS Silent Square this CPU ran at 42C idling…now it’s running at 32C. Yet to test under load but I expect to see a reasonable difference going on idle temps.

Regardless of whether you have a cutout in your case for heatsink removal without motherboard removal or not…Take the time to remove your motherboard to fit this cooler! It has fiddly thumbscrews securing it to the baseplate..the top two are fairly accessible but the bottom two (those nearest the centre of the board) are a nightmare to get to and there’s no way I would have been able to get to them had I left the board in the case. You really do need full access to the board to fit this cooler…either that or get ready to tear your hair out and wish you’d taken your time.

I found the instructions a little misleading, mainly due to the photos being small. A little bit of a read up first will get you more acquainted with what’s to come.

Don’t let my grumblings put you off though…if you take your time and prepare then you’ll be rewarded with a very cool CPU. I won’t comment on noise as everyone’s setup is different but it’s no louder than my Silent Square was and if I turn the fan speed down to let it run at the 42C it was at before then it’s actually a lot quieter.

Thanks to Andy at Quiet PC for taking the time to answer my query and recommending this cooler.

My main problem was not the temperature but mostly the sound. I replaced my default stock cooler Intel E29477 (on a CPU intel i7) and I saw a major difference. Now with the PWM resistor connected, the only noticeable source of sound is the power supply, the CPU cooler is almost inaudible. Really good choice in a really good price. Though, you should be comfortable with dismantling the pc and mantling it again, or have a good friend who does and is willing to help you!

Also congrats for the service, Andy there was really helpful, I send an email with some questions and the same day I got a full detail answer. Thanks guys!

There’s no doubt that this cooler keeps the CPU cool. My reasons for giving a less than perfect rating are twofold. Firstly, I found fitting it on an Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 in a Fractal Define R3 case very difficult. It is essential that the case has porthole allowing access to the back of the motherboard after installation, otherwise you cannot fix the backplate for the cooler. The cooler is large and heavy, with the fixing bolts obstructed by the cooler itself. Fitting the bolts took great patience. Secondly, the weight of the cooler is such that the installation instructions say: “before transportation of the system, TRINITY must be removed. ThermoLab Co., Ltd. is not responsible for any damages that occur during transport of a system”. If you need to transport a system after building, I’d suggest using the CPU stock cooler for initial testing and then fitting the Trinity when the PC is at its final destination. Regular home - Uni journeys would not be a good idea.

After fitting this cooler, my CPU temps are down significantly and the PC is much quieter. Can’t really ask for much more than that.

If I have one annoyance it’s that the thumb screws are a bit fiddly if you fit the cooler once you’ve put the motherboard back in the case, but it’s not a big deal. Overall I’m extremely happy.