Thermalright HR-02 CPU Cooler Review

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅23-09-10
Conclusion

Normally when manufacturers send me their latest coolers, I get a sense of excitement that exceeds that of a new graphics card and motherboard. And when the said companies are Noctua or Thermalright, I know to expect a new leader on our charts. The NH-D14 and the Silver Arrow demonstrated that point clearly. With the HR-02, I knew that it couldn't deliver the same promise seeing as how it was aimed for low noise or even passive operation. After all, if it had been the new champion, it would have made the Silver Arrow somewhat useless. Consequently, my expectations were different and I was unsure as to where it would slot in amongst the vast selection of coolers I had tested. Thermalright themselves were comparing it to the Venomous X and based on our own review, the HR-02 undoubtedly had a tough task at hand!


In short, it failed to meet those particular claims. That doesn't mean that I wasn't impressed with the heatsink because it beat most of the competition. The Thermalright HR-02 is an excellent passive cooler, both at stock speed and under an overclocked environment. Its design not only helps the aesthetics but every small touch caters towards better performance, whether it be the punched holes and notches, or the widely spaced fins to help ventilation. The asymmetrical shape also solves the growing issue of memory compatibility with ever bigger heatsinks. Ultra low noise performance was also very good with the TR TY-140 attached and running at 850RPM. In fact, it was comparable to many other solutions using two fans or high RPM ones such as the Coolink Corator DS or the stock all liquid cooling units. It is definitely a cooler worthy of the high end status.

Its main downfall comes twofold. Firstly it was outclassed by the other Thermalright coolers and Noctua NH-D14 by a large margin when concentrating solely of heatsink efficiency and when looking at the passive results, the Silver Arrow somehow ended up being the better alternative. Secondly is its price. At around £55, it is slightly more expensive than the Silver Arrow or Venomous X and yet lacks a fan.

On the whole the HR-02 is a unique cooler that will definitely appeal to people for its design features.

Pros


+ Good performance
+ Memory compatibility
+ Very easy to install
+ Attractive finish
+ Excellent packaging
+ Bundled Thermalright Chill Factor III

Cons


-No AMD support (although support is coming soon)
-Doesn't compete with top coolers
-Price


The Thermalright HR-02 deserves the Vortez Silver Award.


I would like to thank Thermalright for providing this sample. To discuss this article, please visit our forums.



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