Tocools Novasonic-AlCu Heatsink Review
This fall I
had the chance to see just how pervasive heatsink replicas are. While attending
Computex 2003 in Taipei, is was not surprising to see the exact same
heatsink being sold under two or three different brand names, and by several high
volume manufacturers as well. It became pretty obvious that the only way companies
can maintain control over their unique cooler concepts is to manufacturer
them in house.... Bearing that in mind, in this review we'll
be testing out a brand new heatsink from the Korean heatsink
manufacturer, Tocools.
The
Novasonic-AlCu
is a large Socket A heatsink (rated for AthlonXP 3200+ and higher) built
primarily from a machined block of extruded aluminum. Tocools have ingeniously created a triangular base within the heatsink by
machining the individual fins from the raw aluminum in such
a way as the central area peaks to 20mm -
in effect creating a Toblerone down the center of the Novasonic-AlCu.
Tocools call this technique
the "copper pyramidal core," being that a triangular copper insert has been
soldered into the base so that it comes in direct contact with the core of the
processor. The next step in the evolution of the Novasonic design will be an all-copper
cooler, but we may have to wait a little longer for that Athlon64
heatsink to materialize. ;-)
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| Heatsink Specsheet: |
- Model
No.: Novasonic ALCu
- HS
Material:
Machined aluminum extrusion, copper base insert
-
Fan:
Delta, 4500 RPM, 12V, 0.51A
- Fan Dim: 25x80x80mm
- FHS Dimensions: 79x74x80mm
- Made by: Tocools
Sold By: www.tocools.com
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There are several
very popular and frankly, cheap, ways of attaching copper base inserts to an all-aluminum heatsink.
Bolts, glues, thermal compounds and similar methods rank very low on our list as acceptable
options.
Apart
from Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying (CGDS) technology, Tocools employ another
fairly acceptable method, which is to plate the aluminum base with nickel, which then allows the
manufacturer to bond the copper directly to the rest of the aluminum heatsink with a tin-based
solder.
After all, if
the heat energy being absorbed by the triangular copper base isn't actually being transferred
to the aluminum portion of the heatsink effectively, then what's the point of
the copper base in the first place?
The triangular area at the
center of Tocool's Novasonic-AlCu heatsink measures approximately 66mm wide at
the base, and 20mm tall. As exhaust air from the fan travels down into the
heatsink fins, it is directed out, and away towards either side of the base.
This design method really seems to help make the Novasonic-AlCu pretty effective
considering the 25x80x80mm fan on board.
85%
