Thermaltake Jing CPU Cooler Preview

Introduction

With a company like Thermaltake we are used to seeing a unique take on things and normally at very affordable hits to our wallets. In our preview of their new cooler, the Jing, we are going to see yet another product from them that is both unique and budget friendly, but also accomplishes them with very little noise, hence the name of the cooler. For those not so brushed up on their Chinese to English translation, the word Jing means Silent. Along with this silence is the overall theme of being "green". As so elegantly stated at Computex, noise is part of the environment, so with the silent green fans it carries that idea into the finished product.

The basic idea behind the Jing is to take the Frio, which is based for performance, and make it silent. Accomplishing silence doesn't seem to be that easy to do, or every cooler made would already be this way. Thermaltake took the fans and re-engineered the blades and the speed of the fans to bring silence. With a push/pull setup out of the box, the exhausting fan is also engineered a bit differently than the intake fan to maximize airflow. Now, when I think silent coolers, the number one name that pops into my mind is Noctua. While some may not like their color scheme, they do offer some of the quietest fans available. If the Jing is anywhere near as silent, that is one heck of a starting point.

Today we will get a good look at what to expect from Thermaltake with the Jing, but in reality, this is an almost complete package. Via some e-mails back and forth since Computex, we have been given an early sneak peek at this cooler, but as you will see, some things aren't completely finished yet, but will be ready when the samples go to retail shelves. With that said, please note that this is a pre-release sample and therefore the final retail version may differ in some way(s).

If the temperatures are even competitive, Thermaltake will have a hot commodity on their hands. Let's delve into the specifics and features and then we can get a closer look at what the Jing brings to the table.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

The Jing is based on a tower style concept that uses forty one aluminum fins. These fins are pressed onto five, nickel plated, 6mm diameter heat pipes. The heat pipes are held in place with an aluminum top half and a copper bottom half. The copper base is also nickel plated to help fight oxidation and aesthetically the nickel looks better with green than does the orange-ish color of exposed copper. On each side of this tower cooler you will find two fans housed in unusually designed cages. Then over the center of the top, there is a matching green clip to cover the top of the Jing.

The fans are unique and very new to Thermaltake. They have designed the fans with seven, highly curved, green blades to produce very little noise at their maximum 1300 RPM. If you look a bit below the middle of the specs chart, you will see that there are two sets of numbers for the fans air flow and pressure. This is because not only are the fans designed to be quiet, they are tuned to work in better sync acoustically and in aiding the performance of the cooler. The front or push fan is represented in the left set of figures and the rear, or pull fan is the lower of the values.

Availability of this cooler is expected very soon, but currently I am still waiting to hear a definite launch date. If the cooler I received is any indication, I would say mine was 90-95% ready for retail. I mean, I was short the manual and maybe a slight change that may or may not happen before retail release. What you will see here is expected to be the retail product, but anything can happen. Pricing is just a relative number as well. If you have seen the news video we hosted, Ransom says the cooler is going to have a MSRP of around $50. I would imagine with a name like Jing, the cooler has to be quiet, but can it perform? If it can handle itself in a competitive fashion, I would have to think Thermaltake will have quite the cooler at a very reasonable price. Now, let's have a look at the Jing and get to those numbers and see what Thermaltake's silent cooler can do.

Packaging

The Package



With the colour green come the thoughts of eco friendliness and Thermaltake looks to have run with the theme. Images of water and blades of foliage give the package a calming feel. Never fear, you can still spot a bit of the traditional red and black that we are used to seeing. The Jing is capable of cooling 200 watts worth of head load and apparently your kitty can be sleeping near it, not bothered by the noise.



This side bears a bit more of that Thermaltake red and under the bold stripe is a multi-lingual list of that it is a CPU cooler, it has two fans and has universal mounting.



The back will show you visually what is included as well as the text on the detailed features to help explain the included cooler and parts.



On the last side Thermaltake loads the panel with specifications of both the cooler and the fans. On the left side you will also find a list of compatibility for mounting the Jing to the appropriate sockets.



Removing the Jing from the box, I found it centered in high density foam halves. There is a finger hole in the top to more easily get a hold of it for removal; the cooler is snug inside, so be gentle when pulling this apart. The black box you can see on the right holds the new hardware kit Thermaltake is now offering.

The Thermaltake Jing CPU Cooler

Light green and grey are the colors of the hour and I have to say, while I wasn't fond of it in the video, the color scheme does grow on you. Well, it did me at least. There are finger guards to keep hands safe if you like to tinker in the case; they are shaped and designed not to impede too much air flow, maximizing potential.



The sides are not completely enclosed, but the fan shrouds/mounting does keep most of the air inside the body of the cooler. The five heat pipes you see at the bottom are staggered as they pass through the fins. Again, this is to get more air on more pipes at once, making the cooler more efficient than if they were in a straight line.



On the top, Thermaltake covers most of it with this lime green cover. The centre has a cut out that exposes the Thermaltake logo and Jing etching found on the top aluminium fin. There are also handy little arrows on this cover to help remind users of the direction of air flow.



The milled copper base is for the most part flat in the center, but the edges did show a bit of a gap. The nickel plating helps to smooth out the imperfections, but you can see in the reflection, or lack thereof, that the base isn't mirror like in any way. The base on this sample seemed a bit "tweaked" but I'm sure the retail coolers will have this sorted out. The two holes on either side are to accept the AMD and Intel mounting hardware.



Wanting to get a look at the actual tower, I started to dismantle the Jing. I found handy little lock tabs are what holds the fans in place and really make it simple to get the fan out for cleaning.



Underneath each corner of the fans, the fan shroud has rubber pads to further isolate them from the cooler. These shrouds release from the sides of the Jing with two tabs on either side.



Now we can see the actual shape of the coolers fins. There is a nice gap for the air to build pressure before and after it exits the fins. If you really need to look at the top any deeper, it will require the removal of those four Phillip screws mounting the plastic trip to the fins.



With all the plastic out of the way we can get a good look at the airs path through these forty-one fins. If you ask me, the base plate looks a little unfinished, or should I say, it's a perfect place for some sort of pre-cooler.



The fans are powered by a 3-pin fan connector, and as with other fans from Thermaltake, the little inline fan controller comes with these as well. Unfortunately, in my sample there was no adapter to run both fans off of one header. Again, maybe something that gets included in the full package, just not mine.

Accessories and Documentation

I got this sample early and the manual wasn't ready yet. I've put together quite a few coolers, so I think I've got it down by now. With the hardware included it was relatively easy to figure out what parts go where.



Thermaltake offers a "kit" of hardware this time. I say kit to mean that they deliver all the mounting hardware in a convenient little box. Opening the cardboard outer box shows a parts list under the lid. Inside I was greeted with an Intel back plate and a closable plastic box with all the mounting hardware.



Diving in a little closer, you can see the case is compartmentalized and offers a secure place to store your extra hardware, just in case you decide you want to swap camps later and keep the same cooler in use.

Test System & Testing Results

Test System & Test Results

TweakTown uses a different method for testing CPU heatsinks which allows for an even playing field across all product tests. We feel that by using the same ambient temperature and strict lab-like testing procedures we are able to accurately compare one product to another. More information on our testing procedure can be found in the T.E.C.C. article here.



I know this is just a preview sample, but I couldn't help but put in on the T.E.C.C. and put it through its paces. Idling at 51.3 degrees is no slouch, especially considering the limited airflow specs of each fan.



At full load the Jing still holds on in the top ten coolers. Not quite as good as a Noctua, but darn near as dead silent as you will soon see.



At idle the Jing is near inaudible. As the chart shows, silence is key!



Once we set the fans loose with maximum voltage, they do become audible, but as you can see it isn't by much. In the end I got Noctua like noise and similar performance; quite impressive to say the least.

Final Thoughts

If the retail sample keeps all of the same attributes, Thermaltake is about to make a bigger name for themselves. They have always brought us innovative and less expensive options, but this time it's really up there with some of their best products ever. The Jing will not only please your ears, even under the toughest gaming sessions your PC can dish out, it isn't going to hit your wallet like most of the premium coolers on shelves currently. I love that I get very quiet operation, but Thermaltake is delivering great performance as well, while keeping below the good old magic $50 mark.

The new hardware is great. The mounting is solid for both AMD and Intel, where as with older coolers the old latch over the center left a bit to be desired. The foam line box is handy for keeping the spare parts and extra TIM handy for a later date. Most times it just floats freely in the box for my extra goods and I know a lot of you don't keep the boxes long, and guess what; there goes your optional hardware. Cleaning and maintaining the Jing is made simple as well. To get the fans and shrouds off, there are no tools needed. Four clips hold each fan and four clips hold on each shroud. Just a bit of time and some compressed air and cleaning can be handled in just a few short minutes.

I wish I could tell you when to expect the Jing, but I am still in the dark on a final date for release. With the numbers I got during testing, all I can say is, get used to the color green in your case. If you are in the market for a silent cooler, you should look to the Jing. If you are in the market for a silent cooler that can handle its own weight with the big boys, the Jing is still your answer. The best fact is that even though you are getting some of the top end performances, it isn't going to set you back $100 or even $80 like some premium coolers on the list. The Thermaltake Jing is only going to set you back roughly $50 before shipping. I guess sometimes in life you can have your cake and eat it, too!