Thermolab Trinity CPU Cooler Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The Trinity is the first Thermolab cooler I have looked at since I reviewed the Barram back in 2009. Overall, I am happy with the Trinity. The cooler is a solid performer, easy to install, and coming in at the $55 mark, it is easy on the wallet. Thermolab is still new to some enthusiasts; Trinity is their 7th cooler for the enthusiast market, but they are doing well. The Trinity was within 4 degrees of the top coolers throughout most of the testing. Looking at just the air coolers at 4GHz, the Trinity comes in 3rd place, but is less expensive than the two coolers that beat it: the Zalman CNPS9900 Max and the Prolimatech Super Mega.

The Trinity’s base being a HDT or Heatpipe Direct Touch style helps with its performance. This also helps with the cooler’s overall weight. The big block of copper normally used on the base is not there: less weight, less stress on the socket. Even coming in at 735g the Trinity is still over the limit Intel says is recommended, but is way better than the 900g+ tower coolers that have been released here lately.

There were only a couple of issues I found with the super mega. The first was the cooler side of the mounting system. It is more difficult than it needs to be. Other manufactures have 2 top plates that do the same thing and are not as confusing to install. The other thing is the thumbscrews. Since the thumbscrews do not have slots in them for use with a screw driver, installing the Trinity on a motherboard with tall heatsinks around the socket could prove to be difficult.

After a fair bit of looking I was able to find the Trinity for sale, oddly at a site that is known for water cooling parts. Perfomancepcs.com has the Trinity for $54.95 plus shipping. At that price the Trinity CPU cooler is near the higher end when it comes to the air cooling HSF market. Which is about where it performed. The Trinity would make a solid upgrade from stock cooling on any Intel or AMD system.

Legit Bottom Line: Thermolab Trinity lives up to meaning behind its name: compatibility, performance, and noise. It costs $55 plus shipping and comes with a 1 year warranty.