INTRODUCTION

   No matter how many CPU air coolers pass through our lab the basic concept always remains the same so whenever a manufacturer wants to introduce a high TDP (thermal design power) model in the market the best way is to use a large heatsink which almost always assures high cooling efficiency levels. Some exceptions to that rule have emerged over the years but nothing really substantial to tip the scale. Thermalright is perhaps the only manufacturer in the market today that has focused their resources towards the release of models based almost solely on large heatsinks and what better example than their ever growing (16 models already and counting) and award winning Macho line of CPU coolers. The latest addition to that line is the Le Grand Macho RT model and we have it here with us today.

   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.

   The Le Grand Macho RT is basically a Le Grand Macho bundled with a 140mm PWM fan and although it's not the first time Thermalright takes an already great product and improves it by adding something really tiny i can't say it came as a surprise. The reason is simple really, when you have a great passive CPU cooler in your hands then you also have an even better active one so instead of leaving it up to each and every consumer out there to make that decision why not do it yourself by using a fan you know works well with that particular model? In this case Thermalright has used their brand new TY-147B 140mm PWM fluid dynamic bearing fan which can spin up to 1300RPM to produce up to 73.6CFM of airflow with just 20dBA of noise. I don't really need to point out that we don't expect miracles with the addition of a single 140mm fan but the Le Grand Macho did extremely well with just a wind tunnel attached so results should be interesting.