Testing

When it comes to testing a heatsink, I generally try to thrash the system while monitoring temperatures. Since we're talking about a cooling solution that has the processor as its primary concern, I find it easiest to simply run it at 100% load and monitor in the background. This simple method lets me see just what a cooling solution can do and also lets us know where we should consider spending our hard-earned upgrade dollars.

Before getting into the meat of the matter, though, let's take a quick look at the test system:

AMD Athlon FX-53 Processor @ 2.4GHz (Supplied by Newegg.com)

DFI LANParty UT nF4 Ultra-D Motherboard

2x512MB Mushkin "Redline" PC3200 Memory (Supplied by Mushkin)

GeCube X1900XTX Graphics Board (Supplied by GeCube)

Thermaltake PurePower 600w PSU (Supplied by Thermaltake)

Testing will be monitoring temperatures at both idle and at load. The processor is running at default speeds but still manages to put out 94 watts of heat. Voltage of the CPU is 1.55v and testing temperatures were a consistent 22C. Arctic Silver 5 is the TIM being used (after a 3-day burn-in) and the test system will be a closed case setup to more accurately reflect the conditions that you would use yourself.

Results

When I first looked at this product and noted fewer heatpipes, I was concerned that the performance would not be up to par. After testing, however, my concerns were put to rest. While not the best performing model on the market, the results are in line with what I have come to expect from this cooling technology. I still enjoy the smaller difference between idle and load that heatpipes provide. The results of the Antazone model show a 12C differential between the two states.