The cooling solution from Thermaltake features a unique, V-shaped design with two sets of heatsink fins that hide the four heatpipes starting from its bottom. Built exclusively from copper, the cooler weighs about 340 grams and the universal heatsink supports a wide range of processors, both Intel and AMD. The 110 mm fan in the middle blows the hot air along the copper fans and thus gives a helping hand at dissipating the heat.

Despite what the user might think when talking about a 640-grams cooler, the V1 performs quite silently, with a noise rate between 16 and 24 dBA at 2000 rpm. The fan speed can be manually controlled via the fan's sleeved speed controller until the minimum of 1300 rpm. Thermaltake hasn't forgotten about the artistic experience. The transparent fan has blue LEDs built in that keep sparkling as the fan's blades spin.

The installation process is very simple and does not require the motherboard removal. The installation kit includes the mounting hardware for both CPU platforms, thermal paste and the user manual. Thermaltake has taken all the necessary precautions for the cooler base to have an exquisite finishing, as perfect alignment with the processor is required for maximum thermal conductivity. Once the cooler has been seated onto the processor, the user has only to fix it with the shipped clip, according to the processor type. Extra precautions should be taken when orienting the clip, as the maximum air ventilation efficiency is reached when the fan's anchor faces the rear of the case.

The Thermaltake V1 cooler is definitely a good choice for either older or newer processors. If we consider that the product is quite high-end, the $20 retail price becomes a true bargain. The user doesn't need to worry about processor overheat anymore, but instead to make sure that the case can house the V1 monster.