CPU Heatsink Roundup May 2006
CPU Cooling
by jmke
@ 2006-05-01
Eight new heatsinks are compared to 21 other air cooling solutions from different manufactures. We have some promising entries from Spire, Aerocool, Scythe, Thermaltake and Tuniq for you today!
Aerocool Dominator
Aerocool Dominator:Supplied by:
ITC MultimediaAerocool is no newcomer to the cooling industry, they have been offering heatsink/fan solutions since the first Athlon S462 appeared, with the increase in heat output they have altered their designs to keep up performance, with the recent trend towards silent computing the fan size on most heatsinks has grown to provide enough airflow at lower noise levels.
Aerocool takes the extreme approach and combines a copper/alu heatsink with a massive 140mm fan, much like their latest
ATX enclosure which features a 140mm in-take fan and a huge 250mm side panel unit.
The Dominator is quite new, so it might no be available everywhere at the time of writing, in Europe it’s priced relatively low at
~€40.
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939
Intel S478 and S775
Fan included: 140mm x 140mm x 20mm - Sleeve Bearing
(1200rpm / 2.4W / 68.37CFM)
Heatsink Dimensions: L155xW140xH100mm
Weight: 630gr
In the Box :
Mounting bracket and screws for the different platforms
Instruction manual with clear pictures
Tube of thermal paste
Construction :
The Dominator shares the design idea of the popular Thermalright XP-120, 3 heat pipes are joined at the base and they transfer heat to the top where a large series of aluminum fins dissipate the heat. The base is has a good finishing and doesn’t require any extra lapping work. Depending on what platform you will install this heatsink you’ll have to install additional mounting pieces to base by using the 2 screws supplied which screw into the small heatsink that sits on top of the base.
Installation :
Installation requires motherboard removal as you have to replace the default mounting bracket with the included metal one. The heatsink is screwed tight into place without the use of tools but due to the size of the Dominator it can be hard to sufficiently tighten the nuts. With the Dominator installed and the motherboard placed back into the case it becomes evident that there’s not much room left to maneuver inside, the 140mm fan support really adds to the overall dimensions of the heatsink making it a tight fit. If you look at the photo on the right you can see that there’s hardly any room left between the heatsink and rear exhaust fan.
Performance and Noise :
For direct comparison I’ve include the SI-120 and XP-120 from Thermalright and the Thermaltake Big Typhoon, these heatsinks share a similar design philosophy where the fan is blowing down onto the motherboard and the fins are elevated from the base by use of several heatpipes. A silent Papst 120mm fan was used on those heatsinks that support it. The Dominator is restricted to its own 140mm fan as there are no other mounting holes for other sized fans available.
With the CPU at default speeds the difference between the heatsinks is not very big, the only temperature readings which stands out is the PWM with the Dominator’s fan 50%, at that setting the fan is slightly quieter than the Papst @ 100% and the Dominator almost matches performance of the XP-120.
At full fan speed the 140mm fan is noticeable louder but is not able to take the performance lead as both the SI-120 and Big Typhoon remain ahead.
The increased heat generation puts the PWM area with the Dominator @ 50% close to critical temperatures. At full fan speed the gap with the SI-120/Big Typhoon widens while the Dominator now comes out ahead of the XP-120, all the while generating more noise with the fan at full speed.
The Verdict:
Aerocool ventured into the bigger is better area with their Dominator, unfortunately this has not proven to true here today, with only 3 heat pipes not enough heat can be removed efficiently to beat make it stand out amongst the competition. The large 140mm fan offers okay performance at full speed but is quite noisy compared to other silent fans.
PRO
Good overall performance
Okay performance/noise ratio 140mm fan equipped
Multi Platform Compatible
CON
Motherboard removal required
At lower fan speeds PWM area gets very high
Where to buy?
Next up is the Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 ->
Arctic Cooling Alpine 64
Arctic Cooling Alpine 64:Supplied by:
Arctic CoolingArctic Cooling is well known for their video card coolers and excellent Freezer series of CPU coolers, their latest addition is the Alpine 64, a CPU cooler priced at
~€6 (I kid you not!). What can you expect from a heatsink which costs almost less than a Maxi Menu in your local McDonalds? It’s definitely not meant to beat their own Freezer series, so let’s see how it does compared to the stock AMD cooling solutions.
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939
Fan included: Custom size (113x100x47mm)
(2000rpm / 0.17amp / 36CFM)
Heatsink Dimensions: L78xW198xH56mm
Weight: 486gr
In the Box :
Instruction manual
Tube of thermal paste
The base of the heatsink comes pre-applied with thermal paste, the included tube is for when you decide to reinstall the cooler. I tested the Alpine 64 with it the pre-applied thermal paste and let it settle for 2 days, stressing the CPU 100% and allowing the paste to "cure". However I could not find any difference when compared to the Arctic Silver Lumiere I used, the CPU temperature results were too close to call one compound "the winner".
Construction :
The Alpine 64 has been engineered to be a cost effective unit, the whole heatsink is made from aluminum and looking at it “naked” without fan seems like we’ve traveled back in time to the Athlon Thunderbird era. The base of the Alpine 64 is rough, a good lapping sessions will improve performance a bit. What makes the Alpine stand out is the included fan which features its own anti-vibration mounting system (much like the Freezer series) and it simply clips on the heatsink.
Installation :
The installation is very simple, but does require a screwdriver; two clips need to be tightened from the top, so the installation does not require motherboard removal. Using the default AMD bracket it fits nicely and sits secure.
Performance and Noise :
The Coolermaster Susurro is pretty much aimed at the same market so it’s included in the comparison:
With the fan at full speed the Alpine 64 only falls 2°C short of the performance leader, the AMD stock heatpipe HSF, but even at full speed it’s noticeable quieter than the rest. At 50% fan speed the CPU temperature rises 7°C which is still acceptable and noise levels drop to a whisper quiet 35dBA!
Aluminum can only remove that much heat and at overclocked CPU speeds the Alpine 64 is overwhelmed, as Arctic Cooling told me also, this unit is not meant for overclocking and here you can see why.
The Verdict:
The Alpine 64 might not be for everybody out there, but those who want to swap out their stock AMD cooler with the aim to drop overall noise and don’t seek to lower CPU temperatures extremely this heatsink is extremely interesting at its very low price point.
If you are not into overclocking/overvolting your CPU the Alpine 64 will be good enough for even the highest rated Athlon X2 / FX series of processors; but there won’t be much headroom left in the cooling department.
PRO
Solid performance at lower CPU speeds.
Excellent price, very cheap.
Silent fan at 50%.
Easy installation
CON
Only compatible with Athlon 64/FX/X2 platforms.
Not for overclockers
Where to buy?
Next up is the Spire DiamondCool II ->
Scythe Katana CU
Scythe Katana CUSupplied by:
ScytheThis compact heatsink from Scythe my colleague Piotke
reviewed in September 2005, today I have the supercharged version, CU: fully Copper. Two U-form heat pipes joined at the base with the heatsink supporting a 92mm and the whole tower unit tilting a bit one way.
It’s about €/$5-10 more expensive than the vanilla version. In Europe:
€25, in US:
$35.
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939
Intel: Socket 370/478/775
Fan included: 92mm x 92mm x 25mm
(2500rpm / 50CFM)
Heatsink+Fan Dimensions: L96xW96xH138mm
Weight: 590gr
In the Box :
Instruction manual
Tube of thermal paste
PCI mounting bracket for fan speed control
a whole collection of mounting gear
Construction :
The unit is identical to its AlCu brother design wise, the base is very smooth (if you look closely at the photo you can almost make out the icons on my desktop) and the overall finishing is excellent.
Installation :
Installation of the Katana is quite cumbersome compared to the other heatsinks in this roundup, first of, motherboard removal is required, than you need to prepare the heatsink by screwing an extra mounting plate on the base, depending on how you mount this plate you can change the mounting direction. The heat pipes should not point downwards; the optimal direction is when they are pointing upwards:
Depending on the orientation you can use a screwdriver (quick) or the small wrench (slow). I installed the Katana in both directions.
Performance and Noise :
In my test setup the power supply does not feature any fans; other power supply might have an extra fan in the bottom to help remove hot air. With the Katana pointing upwards the performance is noticeable worse:
In all the following tests I’ve positioned the Katana towards the rear.
The included fan has a poor performance/noise ratio at full speed when compared to the Delta 92mm fan, but at low speeds it gives better results than the Delta fan. At Full speed it’s hardly quieter than the AMD heatpipe cooling but 5°C cooler. At Low fan speed it’s still cooler than the AMD heatpiped heatsink but noise level is only 35dBA!
For the overclocking tests I’ve thrown the Artic Cooling Freezer Pro into the mix:
Wow! The smaller Katana CU performs exactly the same as the Freezer Pro when both have their stock fan @ 100% at the same noise level! At low fan speeds the Katana has a negligible lead in CPU temp over the Freezer Pro, but PWM temps are 11°C higher, at 70°C they are on to high side.
The Verdict:
The Katana CU thoroughly impressed me, for its compact size it produced stellar performance numbers, even with low CFM fans. Its cumbersome installation can almost be overlooked when you take the multi platform compatibility into account. The included fan offers a decent performance/noise ratio as long as you don’t run it at full speed, with the included fan speed controller you’ll have all the control you need. At full speed it’s only slightly quieter than the stock AMD heatpipe cooler, but at lower speeds it goes into the silent realm.
PRO
Excellent performance with medium/higher speed fans
Silent with stock fan at low speeds.
Multi platform compatible
CON
Motherboard removal required and cumbersome installation.
Where to buy?
Next up is the Scythe Mine ->
Scythe Mine
Scythe MineSupplied by:
ScytheAt Cebit this year Scythe introduced a new high end heatsink, the “Mine”, a custom designed heatsink with a 100mm fan which sits in the middle of the unit. The Mine promises plug and play installation on all supported platforms and a solid noise/performance balance.
The retail price is situated between
$35-50 depending on where you shop in the US, in Europe the Mine is available from
~€30.
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939
Intel: Socket 478/775
Fan included: 100mm x 100mm x 25mm
(1500rpm / 42.69CFM)
Heatsink+Fan Dimensions: L109xW105xH150mm
Weight: 560gr
In the Box :
Instruction manual
Small bag of thermal paste
Clip on mounting gear for the different platforms
Construction :
The Mine’s main design consists of a large U form with 3 heat pipes running through the whole construction which transfer heat to a series of aluminum fins which have been formed to increase surface area without increasing noise generation. In the middle sits a 100mm fan which is squeezed between two metal strips. These strips can be opened and other sized fans can be placed inside, the Mine works with any 25mm width fan (<25mm doesn’t work as the strips can clamp down on fan’s bracket). base has an excellent finishing and is very smooth.
Installation :
The Mine features plug and play installation through the use of clip-on mounting gear, these are pushed into the side, unlike the Scythe Samurai Z which used the heatsink’s fins to make the clips fit, the Mine has a dedicated metal construction to prevent accidents like this (from SPCR Review) from happening. I repeatedly installed/removed the clips without issue.
The next installation step is simply a matter of placing the heatsink onto the CPU and turning the small clips’ handle to secure the installation. The included 100mm fan is also available separately from Scythe, it’s called the “Kaze Jyu, the model here is the SY1025SL12M, it has mounting holes which match with 92mm and 100mm.
Installation of a 120mm fan did not cause any issues size-wise, I tried to install the 140mm fan from the Aerocool but that one is low-profile (20mm) and I couldn’t secure it in place.
Performance and Noise :
First I compared the Mine with the Ninja using the stock fan at 50/100% and also with the Papst 120mm.
At this CPU speed there is practically no difference between the Ninja and Mine when looking at the CPU temperature. The stock fan is remarkably silent at full speed, only 36dBA, and offering performance similar to the larger 120mm Papst, the extra 20mm does play an important role when you look at the PWM temperature which drops 10°C with the Papst.
In the overclocking test I’ve added the Shogun which is also a high performance part from Scythe.
Again the results from all heatsinks are evenly matched, except when you slow down the fan speed the playing field opens up, the Shogun is not very good at lower airflow and falls behind. The 100mm fan at 50% also throws in the towel, with a 79°C PWM temperature. Equipped with the 120mm papst at 50% both the Ninja and Mine are evenly matched.
When using a larger fan than the default 100mm you don’t use all the airflow efficiently with the Mine, so I decided to do a small and easy modification: I spread out the fins on the heatsink so they took up more room. Then to guide the air better through the heatsink I added a ghetto fan duct.
I re-tested the Mine with the 120mm Papst. A quick legend, (Mod) = spread out fins. (Mod+Duct) spread out fins and ghetto duct added.
First thing that stood out was the added noise from the ghetto duct, there is no temperature advantage, so it’s worthless. The other modification showed a ~1°C drop in CPU temperature, but this is well within my margin of error.
The Verdict:
The Scythe Mine has a lot going for it, good price, easy installation and killer performance. It doesn’t get much better than this; toughest competition comes from Scythe’s own Ninja which is known to excel with low CFM fans (or no fans at all), the Mine tighter packed fins make it work best with an active airflow and its compatibility with 80/90/100/120/140/* fan sizes offers you plenty of options. Its included fan is one of the quietest stock fans at 12v I’ve yet encountered.
PRO
Stellar performance with high/medium/low speed fans
Stock fan extremely silent
Plug and play installation
Multi platform compatible
CON
Can only be mounted in one direction
Where to buy?
Next up is the Thermaltake Mini Typhoon ->
Thermaltake Mini Typhoon
Thermaltake Mini TyphoonSupplied by:
ThermaltakeAs you have correctly guessed, the Mini Typhoon is quite similar to the
Big Tyhoon. The Mini Tyhpoon, as the name reveals, is more compact, it’s also completely made out of copper and features a “reverse-flow” 92mm fan.
At
~$40 it’s about $5 cheaper than the Big version.
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939/M2
Intel: Socket 775
Fan included: custom design 92mm x 92mm x 38mm
(2200rpm / 38CFM)
Heatsink Dimensions: L112xW94xH125mm
Weight: 623gr
In the Box :
Instruction manual
Small bag of thermal paste
Mounting clips for the different platform
Construction:
The Mini Typhoon is reduced in size to fit the custom design 92mm and be easier to install. The overall design is similar to the Big one, except everything is now made from copper. The base is quite smooth but small traces from machine lapping are visible.
Installation :
The clip on system for K8 requires that you place the small metal strip between the two metal stripes which stick out the base, if you misalign this clip you won’t be able to apply enough pressure on the CPU and the temperatures will be higher than expected. If you take this into account when installing the Mini Typhoon you won’t find any problems; plug and play. I was able to easily swap out the stock fan with a 92mm Delta fan, the included screws worked perfectly.
Performance and Noise :
I compared the Mini Typhoon to its big brother and the Thermalright XP-90C
The stock fan at full speed is horribly loud, the packaging states 18dBA Absolutely Quiet, I can assure you that this fan is not quiet at 12v, what’s even worse though is the performance, it’s not able to match the Delta fan which is 13dBA quieter! Only when running the stock fan at 50% it’s able to pull ahead and offer a slightly better performance/noise ratio.
Comparing the performance to the XP-90C the Mini Typhoon is on par CPU temperature wise, and is able to cool the PWM area 7°C better. The Big Typhoon clearly has the noise/performance lead.
At overclocked speeds the stock fan of the Mini Typhoon is able to outperform the Delta fan, but the noise level makes it simply no feasible option. With the Delta fan the Mini Typhoon is ahead of the XP-90C and only trailing the Big Typhoon by 3°C, not bad!
The Verdict:
The Mini Typhoon with its included fan is hard to recommend, its performance/noise ratio is horrible, however when you swap out the RX fan you can get excellent performance.
PRO
Good performance/noise ratio with standard 92mm fan.
Stock fan offers good performance/noise balance at LOW speed.
Plug and play installation
Multi platform compatible
CON
Stock fan incredibly loud at full speed with only average performance
Plug and Play installation on K8 only if you correctly place the clip
Where to buy?
Next up is our last contestant, the Tuniq Tower 120 ->
Tuniq Tower 120
Tuniq Tower 120Supplied by:
ThermaltakeTuniq is a subsidiary product series from the know well known
Sunbeamtech; Tuniq offers less “flashy” products, but rather those which belong in the “stylish” department. Their first CPU heatsink is nothing short of breath taking, not because it’s particularly stylish but because of its HUGE size. Weighing in close to 1kg it takes up almost all free space inside your case. 3 large heat pipes are joined in a large base. A 120mm fan sits in the middle of the
Tuniq Tower 120 (Not a very original name, but it does bring over the message).
For such a huge hunk of copper and aluminum pricing still remains acceptable in the
~$50 range. In Europe it can even be found at
€40!
Specifications :Compatibility:
AMD: Athlon64/64+ Socket754/940/939
Intel: Socket 478/775
Fan included: 9-blade 120mm fan. 120mm x 120mm x 25mm
(2000rpm / 0.25A)
Heatsink Dimensions: L131xW108xH153mm
Weight: 798gr (without fan!)
In the Box :
Instruction manual
Small tube of thermal paste
Mounting material and brackets for the different platform
Construction:
This heatsink is a monster, I thought I had seen it all when I reviewed the all copper Coolermaster Hyper 6 and that was 2 years ago! This heatsink dwarfs the Hyper6 which in turn dwarfed the Thermalright SP-94, how times have changed.
The base of the Tower 120 has very visible machine lapping marks, lapping it will increase performance. An uncountable series of tightly packed aluminum fins at both sides of the center fan provide for the necessary dissipation area. There are 3 U formed heat pipes running through the whole construction.
The included 120mm fan is mounted on a special “pointy” mounting bracket and this slides into the heatsink and is secured in place by four screws. The fan has its own fan speed controller which is mounted on a PCI bracket.
The largest heatsink I have in the “labs” until today was the Scythe Ninja, how does it compare size wise?
Installation :
Taking into account the weight of the Tower 120 I was surprised to find no rear mounting bracket for the motherboard. If your motherboard only comes with a plastic one (like my DFI NF3 does) I would not recommend mounting this heatsink on top, as the strain put on the plastic bracket might just be “too much” and you don’t want to see this heatsink fall down onto the graphics card.
I used a spare metal mounting bracket and set out to install the unit, on the K8 platform this is quite straightforward, you don’t need any tools to fix it in place as there are very large thumb screws included. The heatsink can only be mounted in one direction, but you can slightly twist the Tower 120 without risking improper CPU contact.
Performance and Noise :
The moment of truth!
The Ninja has reigned supreme for some time now in our charts but the Tower 120 is able to sneak in front of it, shaving of 2°C with the Papst at 100%. However at lower fan speed the Ninja still holds the lead (2°C) as the tightly packed fins on the Tower 120 are not designed for low CFM fans.
With the stock fan at high the performance is awesome but noise levels are very high, fortunately with the stock fan at low speed the performance/noise ratio remains excellent.
Overclocking the CPU shows pretty much the same results, at higher fan speeds the Tower 120 leads the way, at low fan speeds the Ninja is ahead. Let’s see how they do without active CPU cooling, I let the rear fan run at 5v and experimented with installing a ghetto duct mod on the Ninja and Tower 120.
The Ninja has a comfortable lead without the duct installed, once the two cardboard pieces are in place the Ninja really shows it muscles.
The Verdict:
With high/medium speed fans the Tuniq Tower 120 is the best air cooled heatsink out there right now, there is no doubt about that. The stock fan offers both extreme performance as a good performance/noise balance when you turn down its speed through the included fan controller. Its huge size and weight does bring complications when it comes down to mounting, the Tower 120 does not include a metal mounting bracket for the K8 platform, something which is vital for such a heavy heatsink. I would not install this heatsink if you only have a plastic one. Tuniq, pack a metal K8 mounting bracket with the Tower 120!
The Tower 120 is priced attractively, it offers multiple platform compatibility and installation is straightforward. Strongly recommended for those seeking an extreme performance heatsink.
PRO
Amazing performance
Excellent performance/noise ratio
Stock fan silent at low speeds
Multi platform compatible
CON
Stock fan incredibly loud at full speed (but coupled with extreme performance)
Installation on K8 advised only if you have a metal motherboard back plate (not included with this heatsink)
Where to buy?
Time to sums things up and show you our performance/noise overview charts ->
Performance at 2200Mhz and Passive Cooling
Performance at 2200MhzLet’s start with the CPU at stock speed and voltage; I’ve grouped the results in two “noise” divisions. Since most rooms have a 30-35dBA ambient noise, anything below 40dBA can be considered as none disturbing and silent to most people.
While those heatsinks which measured 40dBA can be heard clearly when you are in the room.
Performance at 2200Mhz – Passive CPU CoolingCooling a modern CPU without active cooling can be quite a challenge; there are not a lot of heatsinks out there which can pull it off. Those who can we compare here in this chart:
Performance at 2420Mhz and 1.7v vcore
Performance at 2420Mhz – 1.7 vcoreThis older generation S754 can take quite a bit of vcore, at 1.7v it’s putting out quite a bit of heat, more than the latest Athlon FX-60, in a closed case with only a single 120mm output fan at 5v (no other fans in the system!) temperatures will rise quickly, any heatsink not capable of keeping the CPU temperature below 75°C will guarantee a system crash.
Those heatsinks which get into this chart and keep noise level below 40dBA are to be recommended for those seeking to build a silent system. Do remember that CPU cooling is but a piece of the silent computing puzzle, if you have a loud Power Supply, leaf-blower cooler on your graphics card and 4 Western Digital Raptors 10.000rpm drives spinning away, you might find that swapping out your CPU cooling is not giving you the desired drop in overall noise generation.
Enough talk, here are the numbers:
Features & Compatibility List / Conclusive Thought
Features and Compatibility List: | Fan Support | Fan Included? | Weight (gram) | Motherboard removal? | AMD | Intel |
| Aerocool Dominator | 140mm | Yes | 630 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| AMD Stock Cooling | 70mm | Yes | 325 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| AMD Stock Heatpipe | 80mm | Yes | 400 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 | Custom 100mm | Yes | 486 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 | Custom 92mm | Yes | 460 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro | Custom 100mm | Yes | 528 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| Asus X-Mars | 70mm | Yes | 385 | No | S754/S939 | no |
| Coolermaster Susurro | Custom 92mm | Yes | 760 | No | S754/S939/M2 | no |
| Noctua NH-U 12 | 2*120mm | No | 700 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Noctua NH-U 9 | 80/92mm | No | 570 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Scythe Katana CU | 92mm | Yes | 590 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Scythe Samurai Z | 92mm | Yes | 360 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Scythe Mine | 92/120/140mm | Yes | 560 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Scythe NCU-2000 | - | - | 505 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478 |
| Scythe Ninja | 120mm | No | 665 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Scythe Shogun | 120mm | Yes | 790 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Sharkoon Red Shock | 80/92/120mm | No | 820 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Silverstone NT02 | 80mm | Yes | 880 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Spire DiamondCool II | Custom 90mm | Yes | 600 | Yes | S754/S939 | no |
| Spire VertiCool II | 80mm | Yes | 350 | Yes | S754/S939 | S775 |
| Thermalright HR-01 | - | - | 525 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermalright SI-120 | 120mm | No | 400 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermalright XP-90 | 80/92mm | No | 360 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermalright XP-90C | 80/92mm | No | 690 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermalright XP-120 | 120mm | No | 370 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermaltake Big Typhoon | 120mm | Yes | 813 | Yes | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Thermaltake Mini Typhoon | 92mm | Yes | 623 | No | S754/S939/M2 | S775 |
| Tuniq Tower 120 | 120mm | Yes | 900+ | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
| Zalman CNPS9500LED | Custom Size | Yes | 530 | No | S754/S939 | S478/S775 |
Conclusive Thoughts :My conclusive thoughts haven’t changed from the last roundup, if you want a silent, yet speedy PC with enough CPU power, you’ll have to invest in third party cooling, especially when you are into overclocking; the stock heatsinks just don’t quite cut it.
There were an interesting few additions this time around, offering excellent performance/noise ratios, easily installation and multiple platform compatibility. Manufactures are working hard producing products which meet all the demands from enthusiasts out there, making a silent, performing, easy to install heatsink which fits multiple platforms and doesn’t cost too much to produce is not easy at all. The different approaches each have their advantages and disadvantages; but it’s clear that this market is far from dead or stagnating.
The doorstep for new users is lowered each year, making installation close to risk proof with some of the heatsinks reviewed here today. Do always remember that you’ll violate your CPU’s warranty when you use a third party cooling solution.
As always I hope this roundup was useful and hope to see you again at the next incarnation. If you know of an interesting air cooled heatsink that wasn’t
reviewed yet at Madshrimps please let me know!
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