Synthetic Test Results:

While it may not be the prettiest of heatsinks on the outside, the CAK38 doesn't let it slip when it comes to sheer performance numbers. The 6800RPM Delta fan ensures that this copper cooler comes in on top of our reference heatsinks in this test. Scoring a temperature of 45.8 degrees on the synthetic tester is no small task. It takes a combination of good thermal conductivity and the ability to rapidly remove the heat to the surrounding environment.

The only two non-cosmetic complaints we have with the CAK38 are that the fan is very loud, and that the clip is very stiff. I would be a bit weary of clipping this heatsink onto my favorite Athlon with out first bending the clip down a little bit. Even for an Athlon heatsink it seems that the clip is tighter than it normally is.

Conclusions:

All in all the CAK38 is an excellent cooling solution if you don't mind the noise. We were a bit disappointed with the poor finish of the fins, and the less than flat base, which is also quite rough. That said, the CAK38 still manages to spit out some spectacular cooling numbers on the synthetic test bed.

It is alway's good to see that big fans like this come with Molex pass through cables, just incase you aren't sure you motherboard can handle the draw. While the Delta fan can be plugged into the fan header on the motherboard, an adaptor makes it possible to connect the fan directly to the power supply. It's a small feature, but a nice one to see included with a heatsink these days.

I would suggest anyone who gets one of these copper coolers from Globalwin spend the time and lap the base of the heatsink for a while. Just smoothing out that base will do wonders for heat transmission. If that isn't your style, be sure to use plenty of good thermal compound (we used generic silver compound in our tests) to fill in all those light marks.

So what is the bottom line on the CAK38? It's loud, it's ugly, and it really works well. I guess it's what counts that really matters. ;-)