Introduction

OCZ are well known for producing high performance PC memory components for the enthusiasts and they've only been at it since the beginning of the millenia, th e enthusiast market has grown over the years, and now OCZ technology are probably one of the brand names that's being noticed among enthusiasts.

OCZ Technology produce a wide range of memory products including their high perforamnce DDR and DDR2 ram for gaming and overclocking. Their Platinum range includes modules that offer low latency and good overclocking abilities. Memory aside, OCZ also manufacture and produce other products within the enthusiast PC market ... these include power supplies and CPU cooling, its no surprise that they have a CPU cooler for enthusiast that looks pretty beasty and powerful.

Thanks to OCZ we have great chance to review their only CPU cooling product the OCZ Tempest, and as their website suggests:

"Designed and built to address the demanding cooling requirements of gamers and enthusiasts, the OCZ Tempest is the pinnacle of air and heat pipe cooling technology. The Tempest features four copper heat pipes that rapidly transfer heat away from your CPU up into the dense fin array where the heat is quickly and effectively dissipated. The Tempest's superior heatsink layout allows for a compact footprint while still delivering maximum cooling efficiency and can be used with the vast majority of motherboards and cases."

The OCZ Tempest is compatible with a majority of CPU socket fittings including the latest Intel 775 and AMD AM2 becuase it comes with a number of mounting sets.

And in the tradition of enthusiasts especially those into mods, the Tempest allows the user some modification freedom in terms of choice of replacement fan:

"Gamers will appreciate the Tempest's quiet operation and unrelenting cooling during even the most intense gaming. The Tempest also gives enthusiasts the unprecedented freedom to customize their cooler by providing two sets of mounting holes to accommodate a wide range of replacement fans. Additionally, the fan mounting hardware ensures different fans can be easily swapped in and out without having to remove the installed Tempest heatsink."

Can the OCZ Tempest CPU cooler and its four copper heatpipe plus dense fin array keep its cool? Let us see how well it does