Today we are checking out a new and fairly unusual product from Thermaltake called the MeOrb, and while it may not look all that unusual at first, keep in mind that this new cooler measures just 47mm tall. Typically to be a proper desktop heatsink it would need to be, as Zoolander would say, at least 2 to 3 times bigger than that...
So why is the new MeOrb such a squatty little thing? The low-profile design enables the MeOrb to be used in a range of HTPC’s (Home Theater Personal Computer) as well as mini-ITX computers. The problem that we have run into time and time again when building these impressive looking ultra low-profile HTPC systems that are capable of 1080p playback involves cooling.
Either we struggle to keep the system at a safe operating temperature, or in order to do so we have to watch TV with ear muffs on. Of course the simplest solutions are to either get a bigger case that can support a larger cooler, or use a slower processor that may not be able to handle 1080p content. However those that do not want to compromise now have the Thermaltake MeOrb.
Although low-profile heatsinks have been around since the dawn of time, very few have really been any good. Interestingly, Thermaltake lists the MeOrb as being compatible with Core 2 Extreme and even Core 2 Quad processors, while the AMD Phenom is also mentioned. Therefore we are very interested to see how the MeOrb handles our Core 2 Quad processor, and if it can provide a significant performance improvement over the low-profile 45nm Intel box cooler.
