Thermalright Macho Rev.B CPU Cooler Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

There are plenty of ways to look at the evolution of the Macho series of air coolers from Thermalright, and how it all culminates into the cooler we are going to see today. What we do know is that the Macho series was originally made with 120mm fans for cooling. The series later moved to the Rev.A with a TY-140 fan in control of the cooling, and most recently, Thermalright released the much smaller Macho 90 we just had a look at. At this point, there is no doubt that Thermalright's past successes are paving the road to new successes. Today, with yet another take on what a Macho series cooler should be, we get to see exactly where the evolutionary path of the Macho series has led.

The cooler we are reviewing today keeps the same physical dimensions as the Rev.A, but there are some changes afoot that make this latest version stand out in the crowd of Macho coolers. Things like nickel plating the pipes, and also anodizing the top of the cooler black, really help dress things up. Rather than offering a TY-140 fan in tan and blue, this time around, we are back to the basics with a black and white offering to better match motherboard and chassis color schemes. Of course, some other minor changes have been made as well, but we have to save something for the rest of the review.

Thermalright has taken the larger Macho Rev.A and modified it, giving it the new moniker of Macho Rev.B. While the Rev.B is not leaps and bounds different from the Rev.A, the Macho Rev.B is definitely a different take on the cooler. Stick with us through this review because even if you missed out on the original 140mm Macho cooler, or even if you were never aware of the Macho series in general, now is the time to pay attention. Thermalright has definitely put the right foot forward when offering this latest Macho series incarnation, the Macho Rev.B.

Thermalright offers just the basics when it comes to their specifications list. As for the cooler body, we see the size stays exactly the same as the cooler body of the Rev.A. The only major change in the top section of the chart is that the Macho Rev.B has taken on an additional ten grams in plating, and now weighs 720 grams. It also states that the cooler has six 6mm diameter heat pipes, but it isn't until they cover the copper base that there is any mention of the nickel plating that covers both the base and the heat pipes. The chart does not tell you that there are still thirty-one aluminum fins, each 0.150mm in thickness, and each fin also has sixty tabs cut into it to channel and direct the airflow from the fan that comes along in this kit. The chart also does not mention that just as the Macho 90, the Macho Rev.B also has a black, anodized top fin.

Speaking of the fan included in the kit, the chart does state that we are given the TY-147 fan this time around. Essentially, all of the specifications identically match those of the TY-140. The TY147 and TY-140 share the same 160 gram weight, 1300 RPM maximum speed, 73.6CFM airflow rating, and 21 dBA noise level. The only real difference is that the frame of the TY-147 is black, and all seven of the blades are white.

Since Thermalright is based over the pond, coolers do take quite a bit of time to get packed up, put in a container, shipped, and passed through customs before they can hit U.S. shelves. Understandably, the Macho Rev.B is not available on this side of the pond right now. We did look around at various online locations, and we found that most locations that stock the Macho Rev.B are sticking close to the 42.99 Euro pricing of the MSRP. That works out to roughly $52, and just a couple of cents in USD. At this price, our outlook isn't that high, as most coolers in this price range tend to be pretty mediocre. However, by the end of this review, you may be slightly surprised at what this cooler is capable of, and just how well this thick tower cooler fits into most systems.