Verdict: A nickel-coated monster, but poor value for money.

Thermalright was one of the first companies in the world to produce branded HSFs designed specifically for enthusiasts, and the company continues to refresh its product range on a regular basis.

Unlike earlier Thermalright heatsinks, which were massive, horizontally mounted affairs, the Ultra-120 stands out from the motherboard, making it much easier to fit than its predecessors. Unlike most heatsinks, which are made from copper, the Ultra-120 works by conducting heat away from its nickel-coated copper contact plate via eight nickel-coated copper heatpipes, which in turn are soldered into a huge nest of aluminium fins. Thermalright doesn't supply a fan with the Ultra-120, but provides clips for mounting any 92mm or 120mm fan.

Mounting kits are provided for Socket 754/939/940 AMD64 processors and LGA775 CPUs, but not Socket AM2. You have to dismantle your PC to fit the Ultra-120, as a metal baseplate has to be bolted through the motherboard to hold it in place. We tested the Ultra-120 using the award-winning Zalman ZM-F3 fan. At low speed, this fan makes barely any noise, and the Ultra-120 cooled the Core 2 Quad CPU to 4ûC below the reference Intel HSF. At high speed, the CPU ran 8ûC cooler than it did with the reference Intel HSF, although the ZM-F3 is too noisy for comfort at this setting.

The Ultra-120 is an effective cooler for LGA775 processors, and provides you with the flexibility to choose the right fan for your budget and ears. However, at just a penny less than £40, not including a fan, it's expensive.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
• Motherboards - 24th October 2008
• Gaming Headsets - 26th September 2008
• Dream PCs - 24th September 2008
• Headphones - 12th September 2008
• Media PC components - 22nd August 2008
• PSUs - 14th July 2008

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