INTRODUCTION

   We've mentioned plenty of times in the past that CPU Coolers come in many sizes and designs but what happens if you take one of the top performance tower (U-type) models and shrink it just enough to fit virtually every PC case? Well we know that you will not have nearly the same cooling efficiency as the regular sized model but you should get better results compared always to a top-down (C-Type) CPU cooler. Noctua did this with their NH-U9S CPU Cooler which we reviewed a while back so it was really a matter of time before we came across other similar models by the leading manufacturers in the field and so just days after that review with us we have the brand new Macho 90 by our friends over at Thermalright.

   Thermalright is an elite design house that manufactures cooling products for computer components for the best quality and performance your money can buy. In 2002, AMD released its first generation Thunderbird CPU and since then we have been there every step of the way to counter high voltage and high heat with innovative design and highly acclaimed cooling solutions not only for AMD but for Intel as well. One of early well known solutions was the SK-6. With many positive and rave reviews under its belt Thermalright bolted to the top as the heat sink manufacturer mostly preferred by Overclockers and enthusiasts around the World. To this day, innovation never left our vocabulary as we keep coming up with leading edge designs staying ahead of the competition.

   As clearly stated by its name the Macho 90 is part of the Macho line of CPU Coolers but compared to the Rev.B or the Zero it's less than half in size so it's no surprise that Thermalright markets it primarily for small mATX/mITX systems (so for example support for LGA2011-1/3 systems is not available unless you purchase the extra mounting kit). Also as stated by its name the Macho 90 is bundled with a 92mm high-speed (800-2000RPM) PWM fan (the cooler can accommodate up to two 92mm fans) which according to Thermalright is actually quite silent (just 27dBA max) making the cooler ideal for use in HTPC systems. So let’s see how the Macho 90 (Macho Junior as i like to call it) does against other similarly sized CPU coolers aimed primarily for use with mATX/mITX systems.