Pint-sized cooler with some good features.
HDT, or Heatpipe Direct Touch, is one of the main features of this cooler, first seen in the Red Scorpion. The SD964 also has this, but manages to cram it into a smaller size, with an even more attractive price - but is it worth looking at?
Looking at the base of this cooler, you'll notice that there isn't a block of copper with heatpipes soldered into it - the base IS the heatpipes. They've have been flattened down to touch the heatspreader of the CPU directly. The reasoning behind this is that if you can remove an extra step in the heat transfer (in this case the base), you'll be able to get the heat out of there much faster. There are a few gaps, but for the most part the base is incredibly flat, and the gaps shouldn't affect performance.
Mounted onto these heatpipes is an aluminium block that helps them retain their shape and structure, as well as providing a mounting point for either the AM2 or LGA775 stock clips - and yes, this heatsink uses the Intel pushpins. This means that you won't have to remove your mobo before installing the heatsink, which is quite handy.
The heatpipes are bent into a U shape, and run through 42 aluminium fins to allow the 9cm fan the best chance to dissipate the heat. This fan is mounted via rubber 'nipples', so vibrations aren't a problem.
Performance with a Quad is okay at stock, but don't expect to be overclocking a Quad with one. For smaller systems or Dual cores this is an excellent choice, however, especially if you're after a low-profile cooler. Just take a look at the low price - you're definitely getting an improvement over the stock cooler if you stick to Dual CPUs, without a huge investment.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012