Spire TherMax Eclipse III CPU Cooler

I wanted to start from this angle to show the four most important things that lead to the success of this design. There is the V-configuration of the 8mm heat pipes, the dimples in the fins, the side of the cooler being "closed" and of course the choice of fans, even though one is still in the hardware box.

The 120mm BlackStar fans that come with the TME III covers the vast majority of the dimpled fins to take the most advantage of the 74 CFM and 2.8mmH2O static pressure provided for both sides of the Eclipse tower design.

On the side of the TME III the sides of all forty-six fins are bent over to close off the sides of the cooler to better utilize the fans airflow.

Both of the sides are identical to this, as the fins use five scoops into the fins to allow the fan to build pressure, more at the center and less toward the edges. This helps to concentrate the airflow over the configuration of the heat pipes.

Each of the fins in this stack are identical to the top fin seen here. They all utilize the dimple pattern and allow the heat pipes to form V's on both sides of the cooler, right in line with where a fan performs at its best.

The top of the base of the TME III keeps the same 54 fin pre-cooler that the previous coolers had. This in conjunction with the fan being set a little lower than the bottom fin, allows for a bit of cooling before that heat even gets to the fins.

The universal mounting plate come attached to the base with a Phillip's head screw on either side of the five direct contact heat pipes that are currently covered with the protective film. As it states, remove this film before use.

With the film removed you can get a better look at the contact area. The five pipes are milled flat with the aluminum spacer in place to make for a level surface across the top. However there are pretty large gaps that will need a bit of TIM to fill before use.