Swiftech MC462-A Rev1 Heatsink Review

There are heatsinks, and then there are SwiftTech heatsinks. SwiftTech makes a lineup of liquid-cooled, and high performance pin-based air cooled heatsinks. When a heatsink gets this large and this complex it really has to be called a 'system'.

In this case, we're looking at the SwiftTech MC462-A Rev1. It's a 38.5x76x77mm aluminum pin and 9mm thick copper base, monster of a heatsink. The difference in this heatsink over the earlier MC462 versions is that all the corners have been notched to accommodate motherboard capacitors placed too closely to the socket. Secondly, it also comes with a newer 53CFM Sanyo Denki fan which has a tachometer output.

The two main things you first notice about the MC462-A Rev1 is the MASSIVE fan and the amazing finish on the base. There are some comparison photos of the base later in the article, but they don't do justice to communicating the sheer size of it. The only downside, apart from having a motherboard that can't accept this cooler (it's rare, the Tyan KTA for example *just* let us mount the heatsink), is the $80USD price tag - but if you want performance you have to pay for it, right? As we're about to see, the MC462-A Rev1 is in a performance class of its own.