Thermalright T-Rad 2

CONCLUSION

The T-Rad 2 is an exceptional addition to any overclocker's custom PC. It excelled in its cooling ability, proving that a stock cooler, no matter how good, will be out done by a high quality aftermarket cooler. On the side of temps, it kept the load temps well under what Nvidia claims is a safe level. Even if you live in a hot climate you will still see amazing results from this cooler.

One bad point about this cooler is its cost. At around $52 USD, this is by no means a cheap cooler. It does offer great performance for the price though. So, you can be rest assured that you spent $52 wisely on this cooler.

On the overclocking aspect of the T-Rad 2, it really depends on the card you are useing. Had my HD 4850 worked, I might have gotting a huge overclock with that card. The 9800 GTX+ really seemed to be limited by the voltages on the card's RAM and GPU. Had this cooler worked for a card such as the 4870X2, which is severly limited with the stock cooler, there may have been a significant gain in overclock because of the cooler temperatures.

The look is a toss up. It certainly doesn't have the look that some CPU coolers have such as the Thermalright TRUE Black 120, but nonetheless, it's not that bad. The finish on it is at least polished, so it doesn't look like someone took a grinder to your cooler. The design is not really all that important considering the cooling ability of this cooler, but it adds a nice finished touch that defines the cooler, making it identifiable at the first look.

Pros:

+  Cools exceptionaly
+  Option for different size fans
+  Solidly built
+  Fits latest cards

Cons:

-  Looks
-  Price

With a final score of 8 out of 9 the Thermalright T-Rad 2 receives the Bjorn3D Seal of Approval.