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In the Forums... |
Posted: March 16, 2001 Written by: Tuan "Solace" Nguyen Surface Efficiency (cont.) The best polished heatsink I’ve come across is the Alpha PAL6035. It has a mirror finish that almost negates the need for thermal compound but I would still use some anyway. Below are two types of heatsinks I’ll be testing in this guide as they employ different cooling techniques and designs. Note the extreme reflection on the PAL6035 (on the right).  Check out the reflection on the large stereo plug The Alpha already can conduct heat much better than the Vantec beside it because of the base combination. We see that Alpha has an embedded copper base to help carry heat away from the processor core fast and spread it out. The mirror finish on the base is a sign of extreme high quality in craftsmanship. If only Alpha made a new version that was larger; the PAL6035 is definitely showing signs of age. However, it’s still a formidable competitor when paired with a 38CFM Delta fan. Besides the heatsink there, there’s definitely something else that’s almost equally important -- the fan. Active or Passive The fan that gets attached to the heatsink is definitely an important component because it helps remove hot hair and circulate cool air around and into the heatsink. Without it, the heatsink will become extremely hot to the touch and often times, not be effective in cooling the processor. Using a heatsink with a fan is called Active Cooling. If you decide not to use a fan and resort to just the heatsink itself, you’re employing Passive Cooling. Both Active and Passive cooling have their advantages and disadvantages although the advantages of having a passive cooler over an active one are slowly fading away. Fan Direction Fan direction has got to be one of the most debated issues in heatsink talks. I’ve had a reader write to me, commenting on how my recommendation of having the heatsink fan pull air away from the heatsink was a disastrous recommendation and I should immediately correct myself. Although his arguments had valid technical points, one important fact still remained unseen. The fact that the Alpha PAL6035 was one of the best heatsink/fan combos (HSF) to be used for overclocking is not a mere coincidence. It’s also not a coincidence that the PAL6035 had its fan pulling air away from the heatsink either. Now, he also argued that blowing air gives more pressure than sucking air, and that in itself is correct. However, Alpha did employ a forced air system that uses a shroud that covers the top half of the heatsink to force air to enter from the bottom of the heatsink. This forces air quickly into where it’s needed most, and be taken away at the top. If I were to try the same thing with the Vantec, pulling air away from the heatsink would definitely not be a wise decision. This is because there is no forced air and it would be just sucked from any direction, causing very weak negative pressure on the heatsink. There are situations where pulling and pushing air has their advantages. One must also consider the innards of their PC. Certain pressures in one area of the computer can seriously affect air flow in another area. It’s important to observe air direction inside your PC before you make judgment calls. Please jump over to my Air Flow Tweak Guide for case optimizations. |
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