Thermal Grizzly Der8enchtable Review

It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to review computer equipment for which it was almost specifically designed Ibut that’s exactly what Der8enchtable from Thermal Grizzly is. Well, it was actually created by Roman “der8auer” Hartungin collaboration with Jon Sandström from ElmorLabsto make it easier for them to test motherboards, CPUs, coolers, etc. And since he happens to be the CEO of Thermal Grizzly, now I can apply him for the same purposes as well.

For $269 (directly from Thermal Grizzly), you can have it too, although let’s be straightforward: Der8enchtable will be useless to the extensive majority of PC enthusiasts. This is because it is simply a printed circuit board on an open platform to which you can connect the motherboard and control fans, pumps and lighting separately; it also provides external storage options so you don’t have to apply the ones on your motherboard.

This may be a little “inside baseball,” but let me explain why it’s so useful for testing equipment. When I get a up-to-date motherboard or processor for review, I apply a basic open case to mount the motherboard and power supply, then connect everything, and then spend a lot of time installing the OS and testing the software. I also have to fiddle with the BIOS to get a consistent cooling profile to ensure that thermal results across the products I test are comparable.

Der8enchtable streamlines the entire process by centralizing fan storage and control. It comes with two SATA ports and four MicroSD card slots that can be used to host operating systems, applications, or anything you need to run and test your motherboard, etc. It doesn’t matter that neither of them is very quick, because the CPU/MOBO checker is set up in such a way that the measured performance of the product is independent of elements such as drives.

To see how it all works in reality, I configured two separate SATA SSD drives: one for the AMD AM5 chip and the other for Intel LGA1851. On the edge of the Der8enchtable there are two SATA ports that are outputs: they are connected to the own SATA ports of the tested motherboard using separate cables. Everything worked exactly as intended, and all I need to test AMD/Intel motherboards now is connect the appropriate SATA cable.

In the case of MicroSD slots, they communicate with the motherboard via a dedicated USB 2.0 connector, which, like the SATA outputs, is connected using the included USB cable. None of these options can be called quick, but as mentioned earlier, it does not matter. What you want is stability and compatibility, and USB 2.0 is perfect for that.

If you want a very basic setup, all you need to connect to the Der8enchtable is the previously mentioned USB 2.0 connector and a six-pin PCIe power cable from the power supply. The latter can be mounted underneath the Thermal Grizzly PCB, although this requires the apply of the included black anodized aluminum legs and brackets.

If the motherboard under test does not have built-in power and reset buttons, Der8enchtable has connectors for them that simply plug directly into the motherboard. The same goes for fans, pumps and RGB headers: apply them normally on the mobo or connect them to Der8enchtable and control them that way.

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Everything is very effortless to put together (even easier if you don’t take the same carefree approach to instruction manuals that I have) and basic to apply. Of course, to some extent, this requires understanding how all the different connectors and ports work, but without this you wouldn’t be testing motherboards.

You don’t need to install legs to raise the Der8enchtable to make room for the PSU, nor do you need to install a PCI slot bracket (for supporting GPUs, etc.) or radiator supports. Screw four miniature feet to the bottom of the board and you can have a very low-profile test platform. Personally, I prefer it with everything that’s included, if only because it looks so good.

Speaking of looks, the Der8enchtable also features edge-to-edge ARGB lighting, which turns on if you connect the board’s external ARGB connector to any such equivalent on the motherboard. Totally unnecessary for benchmarks and reviews, of course, but it really does look spectacular, and I’m not a huge fan of RGB.

Even though it may sound too lively, everything about Der8enchtable is exceptionally good. From the quality of the board, to the fit of the attachments and the detail of the user manual, Hartung et al they did a great job. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s better quality than most $600+ motherboards, although it’s not mass produced to the same extent as these. Even the packaging is of the highest quality.

For this reason, it is quite pricey for what it is. Paying almost $270 for a PCB with basic components and lighting and a few pieces of aluminum may seem excessive, but the Der8enchtable market will Very miniature. It is a niche product and as such it is impossible to recover the costs by selling it in huge quantities.

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But for the right person, $270 is a bargain, especially for something so well made and so useful. I suspect I’m not the only one who feels this way, as at the time of writing there is no Der8enchtable on the Thermal Grizzly website. I should imagine that every hardware reviewer and top overclocker has already bought one, especially the latter, because if you’re using liquid nitrogen for cooling, it’s a good idea to keep your drives away from this stuff.

Can it get any better? It depends on your needs. For example, if these were E-ATX format sockets or had M.2 or U.2 slots, it would be fantastic for running workstation/server class boards or for testing the throughput of various motherboard ports. However, adding all this would make it much more pricey, and such scenarios are even more niche than what it was already designed for.

Right now, Der8enchtable’s Thermal Grizzly is basically the perfect platform for any hardware tester, reviewer, or very sedate overclocker. My only problem is that now I want one more…maybe even two. I can actually think of a third scenario for one. Oh, my destitute wallet.

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