Although the XtremeGear HP-1216B heatsink appears nearly identical to the 3Rsystem Iceage 120 Boss II heatsink Frostytech previously tested, the cooling fins are indeed designed slightly differently. In almost every other respect the XtremeGear HP-1216B could be mistaken for that Boss II heatsink, as both feature five 8mm diameter exposed copper heatpipes at the base and a distinctive "X" pattern that places the heatpipes in the path of the highest velocity air from the coolers' 120mm fan. The XtremeGear HP-1216B heatsink utilizes a dimpled surface texture on its raw aluminum fins as well, and quite amazingly retails for $29!

XtremeGear are the branded reseller, so we're guessing PC Cooler or a similar thermal solution OEM is the manufacturer behind the HP-1216B.

Standing 153mm tall, the HP-1216B heatsink is equipped with a single no-name 120mm fan that rotates at 2000-1000RPM and is illuminated by four blue LEDs. At full speed it's moderately audible, and at the slowest speed you'll get good performance a nearly silent levels. The HP-1216B comes with enough rubber vibration absorbing mounting posts that an additional 120mm fan can be installed on the obverse side of the heatsink if you wish. A manual fan controller is included as well. The entire CPU cooler weighs in at 844 grams, and installs onto Intel socket 775/1156/1366 and AMD socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 processors.

XtremeGear HP-1216B Heatsink

HEATSINK SPECSHEET Manufacturer: XtremeGear Model No.: HP-1216B Materials: aluminum fins, copper heatpipes, aluminum base with exposed heatpipes. Fan Mfg: N/A Speedy -13 Fan Spec: 2000-1000RPM, 12V, 0.25A Fan Airflow: 56-80CFM, Fan Dim: 25x120x120mm Heatsink & Fan Dim: 153x131x97mm Weight: 844 grams Includes: Multi-socket socket mounting hardware, thermal compound, fan speed controller, instructions Compatible with Sockets: AMD - 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 Intel - LGA775/1366 Pricing: $22USD ($22CDN)

The fin pattern on the XtremeGear HP-1216B heatsink includes a small overlapping segment at the center. One fin bends out, the other curves in. With the fan removed it's easy to see the alternating fin pattern pictured below.

Exposed heatpipe heatsinks are great for the larger CPUs entering the marketplace, the Intel Core i5 and Core i7 in particular. While Frostytech does not yet have thermal test results for these chips we can look to the AMD thermal results for guidance on what to expect. The five 8mm diameter copper heatpipes stacked side-by-side at the bottom of the XtremeGear HP-1216B heatsink will easily cover big CPU integrated heat spreaders. The base is no less than 54x38mm in size to be specific.

The fan is barely held on by its four rubber vibration absorbing posts. The problem is that the rubber posts are spaced a bit longer than the slots in the aluminum fins comfortably allow... The fan holes are 105mm apart while the aluminum fin tower is 105mm high, so you can see where this is just bad design. What ends up happening is the rubber keys fall out, usually the bottom two.

Heatsink Mounting Hardware

XtremeGear's HP-1216B heatsink ships with brackets for Intel LGA775/1156/1366 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 processors. The heatsink mounts to both Intel and AMD motherboards using the permanently affixed metal bracket pictured below.

A collection of screws and spring-tensioned nuts accommodate the variety of hole patterns for the range of processors the HP-1216B heatsink is compatible with. Eight rubber vibration absorbing fan posts are supplied (only one fan included, two can be attached) along with a manual fan speed controller.

FrostyTech's Test Methodologies are outlined in detail here if you care to know what equipment is used, and the parameters under which the tests are conducted. Now let's move forward and take a closer look at this heatsink, its acoustic characteristics, and of course its performance in the thermal tests!