Conclusion

ThermoLab BARAM cooling solution tested today deserves our best feedback. However, it is not because this cooler managed to slightly outperform the former efficiency leader. Most importantly the manufacturer achieved it not by increasing the size and weight of their solution, but by squeezing everything they could out of a relatively modest-looking heatsink. All the optimizations of the traditional tower heatsink implemented by ThermoLab engineers allowed BARAM to cool the overclocked processor 1-3°C better with 1 less heatpipe, smaller size, lower weight and at a lower cost than the reputed Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme. Well, as they say: the king is dead, long live the king!

However, we can’t help pointing out the drawbacks that we discovered during our test session. The biggest problem seems to be the extremely inconvenient installation procedure for LGA775 platform. You will either need an assistant or experience in holding the heatsink with your legs in order to successfully install ThermoLab BARAM onto this platform. We also wish there were a new LGA1366 retention kit and four shock-absorbing silicon strips for the fans included with the cooler. Some potential users may be upset that there are no fans, so I would suggest that ThermoLab should also offer a BARAM modification with two fans besides the current one with only a heatsink. I sincerely hope that the manufacturer will take note of my findings and we will very soon see an even better optimized "air flow".