The key focus of the Thermaltake Jing is to deliver an almost silent CPU cooler that still provides maximum cooling efficiency. Thermaltake claims that when the fans are wound down to just 800 RPM, the Jing puts out an almost inaudible 16 dBA. Despite this extremely quiet operating volume, the Jing is said to be able to cool processors capable of throwing out 200 watts of heat.

That said, given the size of the Jing we do not have trouble believing that claim. In fact the Jing heatsink is a similar size to that of the popular Thermalright Venomous X and Prolimatech Megahalems, both of which cost $60 US just for the heatsink alone. The Thermaltake Jing on the other hand sports a pair of impressive looking 120mm fans, each armed with fan speed controllers. More over, the universal socket design makes the Jing compatible with all currently available processors.

However such a huge heatsink paired with dual 120mm fans cannot be cheap given the pricing of the competition. While the Jing may not be affordable, it is actually quite good value at $60 US given all it includes. Already this new Thermaltake product looks to deliver in terms of features and value, though we will be unable to determine its true value until we take a look at the performance figures. With that being said, let's first check out the Jing in more detail before seeing how it handles itself.

The fins have been constructed from aluminum, while the base and heatpipes are made from copper. This makes for a total weight of 920 grams, which is very heavy, though this is becoming typical of high-end air-cooled heatsinks. The Jing is, as we have mentioned, a universal cooler meaning that it supports the LGA1366, LGA1156, LGA775, AM3 and AM2+/AM2 platforms.

Thermaltake has decided to maximize cooling efficiency by using five dual heatpipes that extend through a large series of aluminum fins. The heatpipes do not pass through the fins in an unusual formation as they do in most high-end coolers. Rather, they form a “W” like shape at each end of the fins.

In total there are five copper dual heatpipes measuring 6mm in diameter that run through the copper base and up through the fins on each side of the heatsink. Although the base has been constructed from copper it is nickel plated, and therefore has a smooth silver finish.

The dual 120mm lime green fans each feature their own voltage regulator designed to adjust the speed anywhere from 800 to 1300 RPM. While one fan is used to push air through the heatsink, the other is designed to suck it out, creating a constant flow of fresh air over the heatsink.

Adjusting the fan speed is not something that can be easily done as the user must first remove the case door, find the controllers at the bottom of the cooler, and adjust them. This is most likely something you really only want to setup once and then leave, which is not necessarily a bad thing as everyone has their own idea of what a tolerable operating volume should be. Finally, each fan features a 3-pin power connector which is designed to plug directly into the motherboard.

Furthermore, because heatsinks such as the Jing feature dual 120mm fans, getting access to them for installation is difficult as they cover the socket area entirely. So then while the Jing does come largely pre-assembled, the user will have to remove both fans before installation of this product can take place. They will also need to attach what Thermaltake calls the “T-Mounting bars” to the base of the heatsink, which allows it to be secured to the mounting bracket.

Helping to make the process a little more simple is the universal back plate, which is designed to work with the supported AMD and Intel platforms. A set of four long screws is next secured to the back plate using four plastic spacing nuts. Then either the Intel or AMD mounting bars are put in place and secured using four steel nuts.

For those that have installed any kind of universal CPU cooler before, the installation process should be quite easy to follow and we believe many will find it self-explanatory. For those of you who are not quite as confident, we found the manual was very easy to follow despite only using extremely small diagrams to explain the procedure.

Also helping to simplify the process is the neat little accessory pack, which sorts all the components together and provides labels of what everything is. Normally all these fittings are crammed altogether into a single plastic bag with no real indication of what is what, leaving the user to try and figure it out for themselves. All up the process took us less than 5 minutes to complete and was very painless.

When testing the coolers we remount them onto the CPU three times and record the idle/load data. Each time the thermal paste is wiped clean from both the CPU and the heatsinks base. The best result is displayed rather than the average of all the recorded data.

The heatsinks that come with their own fan are naturally tested with that particular fan. The heatsinks that do not come with a fan are all tested with the same fan(s), that fan(s) being the Thermalright TR-1212PSL which operates at between 1000 ~ 1800 RPM.

For testing purposes we lock the fan in at 1500 RPM and monitor this speed throughout the testing process. Heatsinks that take 140mm fans use the Xigmatek XLF-F1453 (supplied and recommended by Prolimatech) and this fan is rated at just 1000 RPM. At this speed the fan moves 63.5 CFM while working at a whisper quiet 16 dBA. At the time of writing this, these fans are retailing for roughly $13 US.

Because we record the temperatures using EVEREST Ultimate Edition, the same version is used every time with the same motherboard using the exact same BIOS revision. Furthermore, the same Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition processor overclocked to 3.70GHz is also used each time. Also please note that all tests have been conducted using vertical motherboard orientation, positioned upright in a traditional tower computer case. Furthermore, the heatsinks that feature heatpipe technology are positioned so that heatpipes span horizontally.

Hardware - Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition (Overclocked @ 3.70GHz) - x3 2GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 (CAS 9-9-9-24) - Seagate 500GB 7200-RPM (Serial ATA300) - Radeon HD 5870 (1GB) - Asus P6T Deluxe (Intel X58) Software - Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) - ATI Catalyst 10.7

The idle performance of the Thermaltake Jing is not bad, especially given the low operating volume. With both fans operating at just 1300-RPM the idle temperature sat at 27 degrees, making it just a degree warmer than most of the heatsinks we have tested on the system. With the very best results just 3 degrees cooler, we were impressed with the Jing. Lowering the fan speed to 800-RPM allowed for an idle temperature of 30 degrees, and while this was 3 degrees warmer than the full speed test, we were unable to hear the fans at all once in the case.

The stress test results again placed just 3 degrees between the 1300-RPM and 800-RPM setting. With a stress temperature of 69 degrees we really liked the near silent 800-RPM setting, which several much noisier heatsinks have been unable to beat. The 66 degree temperature of the 1300-RPM setting is also not to be scoffed at, as this is within a few degrees of some of the industry’s best coolers.

However after more than a decade of releasing CPU cooler after CPU cooler, Thermaltake is starting to run out of exciting names, hence Jing. Of course a name is just a name and really it has nothing to do with the quality of the product or how it performs. Still, the Jing is up against some pretty impressive sounding products such as the Megahalems (forgot what it means but it sounds cool), Venomous-X, Armageddon and the list just goes on.

So while the Jing might have a pokey little name, it actually packs quite a punch. With the dual fans operating at full speed, which we might add is still very quiet, the Jing operated within a degree of the Prolimatech Megahalems using a single 120mm fan, which was a little faster and louder. It is also worth noting that the Jing matched the performance of the Thermalright TRUE Copper which was also outfitted with a single 120mm fan.

Therefore, although the Thermaltake Jing is by no means going to set any new air-cooled records, it does provide impressive results without making much noise. Furthermore, when winding the fans back to the whisper quiet 800-RPM setting, the load temperature only increased by a mere 3 degrees which is impressive.

There is little not to like about the Jing as it is easy to install, supports all current AMD and Intel platforms, while the price tag of $60 US is quite reasonable given what it offers. Perhaps the only real issue some users might have with this product is its appearance. The Jing is not an ugly CPU cooler, unless of course lime green doesn’t speak to you, which in my case it doesn’t. Given that the flamboyant color scheme does not appeal to me, I am finding it hard to say good things about the design.

Having said that, when it boils down to it, the products appearance is about as important as the name, which could actually be a problem for the Jing given that the majority of consumers actually care the most about these details. Keeping that in mind, if you don’t mind owning a Jing and lime green is your thing, then we feel this CPU cooler has a lot to offer given its excellent performance, low operating volume and reasonable price tag.

Actually, while we do believe the Thermaltake Jing should be priced at $60 US or perhaps even a little less, at this stage we are not entirely sure as to exactly how much this new product will cost or even when it will become available. Thermaltake has suggested an MSRP of around $60 US so we will just have to wait and see. Given that they are known for delivering quality CPU coolers for around the $50 US mark, we have no trouble believing that the Jing will retail for $60 US or less, and for that money it is a great buy.