All in all the Thermaltake Contac 29 CPU Cooler can hold its own and the proof is there. When a sub $40 cooler can keep a blistering 140w AMD Phenom II X4 965 overclocked to 3.6GHz with 1.4v under 60 degrees Celsius, you know you have value! It would be no surprise to assume the heatpipe direct contact solution is what kept the temperatures low during testing. Of course the sophisticated design and trademark fan also deserve some attention. To add to the Contac 29 conclusion, the included PWM 120mm fan proved its worth. The fans special low noise blades were able to minimize any noise coming from the cpu cooler.
As for cons; yes there were a few, luckily nothing drastic. One was how easily the fins could bend. While the width does help towards greater surface area for dissipating heat, it was quite easy to damage the coolers structure. Take good care and handle well and this should be non existent. The next con was the installation. With the way AM3 locks down coolers, you need to focus how you install it and make sure it's directly above the processor's IHS and seated correctly. The Last con is the dimensions of the cooler. While it maybe compact it might interfere with ram modules that have a rather unusual or large heatsink. My corsair ram heatsinks fitted just fine, so don't dread too much on this con, it's only the ram with largely exaggerated heatsink that you should worry about.
For US$40 the Thermaltake Contac 29 is a great value cooler capable of providing adequate cooling stock or overclocked.
Pros:
- Price
- Performance
- Quiet
- Compact
- Heatpipes with direct contact
- Can accommodate dual 120mm fans
Cons:
- Installation (once motherboard is installed)
- Might interfere with certain ram modules
- Fins can bend “too” easily
If you have any further questions about this cooler, please feel free to post them in our forums HERE.
