Date: May 25th, 2006
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
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PRODUCT INTRODUCTION
We're going to do a little something different this time out. I recently came into possession of one of the newer heatpipe CPU coolers AMD is shipping with their dual-core processors. We thought it might be interesting to see how it performs. Follow along as we put it to the test.
PRODUCT PICTORIAL AND WALKTHROUGH
First of all, by doing a web search, I was able to determine that this HSF is made by CoolerMaster and designated the CMHK8-8I22A-A2. It has four copper heatpipes running through many closely spaced aluminum fins and is topped off by an 80mm fan.
These heatpipes are soldered to a solid copper base that is 8mm (0.32 inches) thick. The base is dead flat, and…..
…..has a finish that, while not mirror-like, is about what you'd expect in a “free” OEM cooler. I removed the stock TIM since I'll be using an aftermarket thermal paste on all the coolers used in the testing phase of this article.
Unlike some heatpipe coolers, the fins actually come into contact with the base, providing additional surface area for heat dissipation. There is also some offset in the fin arrangement for component clearance around the socket. I was pleasantly surprised by the design and execution of this heatsink. The large number of closely-spaced fins, massive copper base and four heatpipes should add up to excellent cooling performance.
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