With so many aftermarket heatsinks out there, it can get confusing for those shopping for a cooler to work on their particular CPU. Nevermind the fact that if you switch CPU manufacturers, there's a good chance the one you currently have may not work on the new CPU. hopes to correct that, and they've released the Volcano 7+ which out of the box, can work on P4s and XPs. We got a lot to cover today, so let's just get started...

Specifications

P/N: A1254
Fan Dimension: 70x70x25 mm
Rated Voltage: 12VDC
Started Voltage: 7.0VDC
Rated Current: 0.55 AMP Max.
Power Input: 6.6 W Max.
Fan Speed switch Cable: H,M,L Fan Speed
FAN Speed H: 6000 rpm, M: 4800 rpm, L: 3000 rpm
Max. Air Flow: 49.0CFM
Noise: H 6000rpm@47 dB(A), M 4800rpm@35 dB(A), L 3000rpm@24 dB(A)
Bearing System: 2 Ball bearing
Life Time: 50,000 hours
Connector: 3 PIN
Thermal Resistance: INTEL P4: 0.29C/W, AMD XP: 0.32C/W

Thermaltake has included quite a bit in the package. You get the heatsink and fan of course, as well as mounting equipmment, thermal paste and a fan control switch.

There are a few things that differentiate the Volcano 7+ from the original Volcano 7. To begin with, it's smaller than before. The fan this time around is only 70mm as opposed to 80mm. Also, unlike before, the Volcano 7+ is an all copper solution, as compared to the aluminum heatsink/copper insert that was part of the older design.

Like past Themaltake heatsinks we've looked at, the construction is top notch. The base itself is actually quite smooth and shiny Before we get more into the big feature, let's examine the heatsink more closely...

The base is well machined, and although it might look nasty, it isn't. I wanted a hi-res shot of it, and I guess the light from the scanner went through the clear coat on the heatsink. You could go ahead an lap it, but I couldn't detect any imperfections. One notable feature is that the fins are not soldered on, but rather, they're molded from the same block of copper as the base.

Other than the copper insert from the previous version of the Volcano 7 being omitted, Thermaltake really upped the fin count this time around. There are a total of 72 thin fins (36 on either side) now. As you may, or may not know, thin fins allow manufacturers to pack more of them in. This increases the total surface area for heat to dissipate. Because they're thin, this would also speed up the heat dissipation, which is good, considering copper, by nature, retains heat longer than aluminum.

Here's a close look at the shroud Thermatake setup for the Volcano 7+. I'm sure something this big adds to the cost of the heatsink, but damn! It looks good.

Like the previous Volcano 7, the big selling point of the cooler is fan control. What differs this time around is fan speed isn't determined by a thermal probe. This time, fan speed is controlled via a switch.

Depending on what you're doing, be it overclocking, or simply web surfing, you can now adjust your fan speed accordingly. I don't have wav samples handy, but you can check site out, and fool around with their "3D View" of the product.

One problem I did have with this switch was that the cables aren't very long. Without modding, you'll be hard pressed to run it to the front of your case if you have a pre-cut hole for it. Actually, I guess that's the first problem. The second problem is unless you mod it, you're going to have to run your PC with the side cover off if you intend to make use of the switch. Sure, you can remove the case side when you need to access it, but I think most people will leave it at high all the time.

All the mounting clips and screws are included. The Athlon assembly is a snap, though the Pentium 4 setup will require a bit more elbow grease. Like most P4 coolers, you will not need to remove your motherboard to install the cooler.

Performance

AMD Athlon XP 1700+ (1.75v), with
MSI KT3 Ultra2-R
Lian-LI PC65
Prime95 is run for 20 minutes
Room temperature is maintained at ~23C/74F

Pretty self-explainitory I'd think. Obviously, as fan speed increases, the temperature lowers. If your CPU needs are modest, low speed is fine. Of course, we know everyone here does more than type Word documents...

I rounded up some coolers of similar size, such as the Swiftech MCX462 and the Volcano 9. I attached an 80mm Smart Fan 2 to both coolers, and allowed them to run full speed. The noise level is comparible to the Volcano 7+ at full speed, so I felt this would be a good test to see the performance under the best circumstances.

Although the Swiftech pulls ahead of the pack, it's also quite a bit more expensive than the Volcano 7+. That being said, the Volcano 7+ does very well for itself, though your ears will pay the price. I may have gotten used to quieter solutions this past year, and I have little tolerance for high noise levels these days.

Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz
MSI i845E Max2-BLR
Nanotherm Ice Thermal Compound
Prime95 run for 20 minutes as a background task

A quick look in Windows XP showed us a 100% CPU load, which told us it's time to watch the temperatures. Temp readings were taken at idle, as well as full load. Room temperature was maintained at 23C/74F during testing.

Lower fan speeds = higher temps. 'nuff said.

I grabbed our Vantec CopperX 478 and the stock Intel cooler for comparison. I've been told there are two stock Intel coolers, but we'll be using the one that came packaged with the 2.4GHz 533FSB P4 "B". This particular cooler is all aluminum (no copper or copper core)...

The first graph already demonstrated the best performance the Volcano 7+ managed, which was 51C. This is also the best performance we've gotten out of the P4 coolers we've tested thus far.

The second graph illustrates performance at comparitive noise levels. Both the stock solution and CopperX use slower spinning fans which make very little noise. To be fair, I ran the Volcano 7+ at its lowest setting, and it ends up tying the CopperX. Honestly, even at its lowest setting, it's a little more noticable than the Vantec cooler, yet still performs the same.

Final Words

Thermaltake scored a slam dunk with this cooler, no doubt about it. For the casual user, the fan speed options are great. Why deal with excessive noise when occasional gaming and work are your primary uses? Switch the fan to "low" and you're set.

For power users, the Volcano 7+ performs very well, keeping our 1700+ under 50°C. As for the Pentium 4, the fan at full speed is a lot more powerful than the comparison heatsinks, setting the lowest temperature of the 3. Set the fan to "high" and leave it be.

For case window enthusiasts, you certainly have a heatsink worthy of your attention. It's a beauty to look at. Set the fan level to anything you want, as if you really care. Looks are everything.

Outside of the heatsink, Tt covered their bases here. You get two mounting options, covering modern CPU installations, thermal paste, a case badge, and install instructions.

Our only complaint is the fact that I don't see anyway for someone to easily access the fan controls out of the box. Opening up your case all the time is going to be a bit of a hassle. I was getting annoyed myself during testing. Then again, if you know what you want out of the Volcano 7+, you can set it and your desired speed level, and leave it be.

Pros: Easy installation, good performance, great construction quality, fan control, looks great.

Cons: Fan control needs longer cabling. Mediocre performance at low speeds.

Bottom Line: It's one of the better performing heatsinks we've used, but only at full speed. If great, and silent performance is what you're after, you're best to look elsewhere.

If you have any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.

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