Thermaltake Frio Extreme CPU Cooler Review

Installing the Frio Extreme

Thermaltake includes all that is needed to mount the Frio Extreme to all Intel LGA sockets as well as AMD 2/3 and FM1 sockets. Also included is a tube of thermal paste, a power cable, fan controller, and fan clips for mounting two fans.

I will be installing the cooler on our Intel LGA2011 test system. First, you install the mounting studs and mounting bars.

Then with the cooler in place install the top cross bar.

With just the Frio Extremes main body installed it looks promising. The cooling fins give ample headroom for medium height RAM, and only cover part of the first RAM slot front and rear.

With the fans installed, on the other hand, there is no room. The front fan is sitting directly on top of my RAM to get it as low on the cooler as I can. Even then the top of the fan is higher than the top of the cooler. The center fan clears things nicely. The way the Frio Extreme is made for systems other than LGA2011 the front fan could be moved to the back side if you have the room between the cooler and case. Then, depending where the RAM slots fall, you may not have any RAM clearance issues.

Fully installed and ready to go. I promise; there is a full ATX motherboard under there.