Like most typical socket heatsinks the fan motor sits directly over the region of the heatsink getting the most amount of heat. With the Ascent, the fins were folded over, which effectively cut the number of channels air could flow down into by half.

The fan was fairly quiet for its size during our tests. Definitely not producing any audible noise over that of the power supply.

With a single piece of 1/8" aluminum forming the entire body of the heatsink, it would seem that heat should easily flow easily and the heatsink cool well. The folds of aluminum by the fan made us a little concerned that air wouldn't be able to easily get down where it was needed most however.

The fins are bonded to the base but we're not sure if they are soldered or glued in. The joint appears to be good enough for thermal conduction.

At first glance we were a bit weary of the base because of the markings. But despite our first impressions it proved to be pretty decent as far as flatness is concerned.