HSFs that have "soldered" pipes

[Sanhime]

I've read lot of reviews about thermalright's 120 HSF, seems like its one of, if not, the best that's out there. At the Thermalright website, one of the things I notice that they advertise is they solder their pipes to the base, as well as soldering fins to the pipes. My guess is thats probably the main reason why it has excellent heat transfer. However, that make me wonder, does that mean other companies don't solder there pipers to the base of their HSs?

This makes me think back on what I used on my previous rig. Right now, I'm using a xigmatek for my i7. Before that, I was using AC Freezer 7 Pro for my E6600 @3.4Ghz on my previous rig. The AC Freezer 7 Pro was probably the best cooler I ever used on my old C2D, and it was inexpensive too. I also realized that AC solders their pipes to the base!

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/images/gallery/F7Pro_Rv2_h03.png

Anyway AC finally release the Rev2 of the Freezer 7 Pro, I'm seriously considering getting for my i7. So back to my initial question what other companies besides Thermalright and AC solders (or claim to solder) their pipes to the bases of their HSs products?

 

[IINexusII]

xigmatek dosent need to since the pipes are touching the cpu anyway. and i dont think the freezer 7 would be enough for an i7

 

[Sanhime]

But as I learned from my own experience HDT is not necessarily better than flat single base. I have yet to read one review where any HDT HSF went up against a Thermalright 120 and beat it. More surface area of contact is always better. And when you solder your pipes to the base, you don't have to worry about surface area since the surface area on the pipes because part of the base.

 

[Kenshai]

But as I learned from my own experience HDT is not necessarily better than flat single base. I have yet to read one review where any HDT HSF went up against a Thermalright 120 and beat it.

You're also comparing a $30 heatsink that comes with a fan to a $60 heatsink that does not.

 

[Sanhime]

You're also comparing a $30 heatsink that comes with a fan to a $60 heatsink that does not.

Oh I'm aware of that, but what spark my interest is that the ideas use by both of these companies are the same: solder all your joints.

 

[nafets]

While having heatpipes soldered to the base or fins can certainly lead to more effective/efficient cooling, it's only a small part of the overall heatsink design.

Heatpipe size and amount, fin surface area and design, base flatness, and the fan(s) used are much greater aspects to consider with regards to how the heatsink will perform.

Obviously there are other considerations like price, mounting setup, etc.

I wouldn't make a decision solely or even partially based on whether or not the heatpipes are soldered. It's a nice feature, but not a deal breaker...

 

[sneekypeet]

Quality of the engineering and the metals used is a bigger part of the overall effect of a cooler, IF and only if you use the same fan to test all coolers.

Since a $20 cooler can come with a 120CFM fan it can easily outperform the TRUE, as it shipps passively out of the box. Add that same 120CFM fan and we are in a whole other catagory of testing, which most if not all reviewers wont take that step to see. They test the coolers as they are shipped.

In essence what you want is a cooler that does great with little to no CFM, requardless of build design. That way when it isnt cooling well enough, you can add a better fan to improve performance. This is where the TRUE's and Megahalems, and Noctuas come in to play.

 

[Sanhime]

Maybe not a deal breaker, but I think is very significant. When you solder metal, you're chemically bonding or bridging the metal lattice together. That's a important attritube for heat transfer imo.

 

[sneekypeet]

makes no real difference in controlled testing.

 

[Kenshai]

Maybe not a deal breaker, but I think is very significant. When you solder metal, you're chemically bonding or bridging the metal lattice together. That's a important attritube for heat transfer imo.

All you're really doing is adding another layer, you're not chemically bonding the metal together. You're adding solder, which transfers the heat and probably not very efficiently at that. There's a reason the TRUE is bigger than the 1283/1284

 

[Sanhime]

Quality of the engineering and the metals used is a bigger part of the overall effect of a cooler, IF and only if you use the same fan to test all coolers.

Since a $20 cooler can come with a 120CFM fan it can easily outperform the TRUE, as it shipps passively out of the box. Add that same 120CFM fan and we are in a whole other catagory of testing, which most if not all reviewers wont take that step to see. They test the coolers as they are shipped.

In essence what you want is a cooler that does great with little to no CFM, requardless of build design. That way when it isnt cooling well enough, you can add a better fan to improve performance. This is where the TRUE's and Megahalems, and Noctuas come in to play.

Oh no doubt, I don't disagree at all. I'm just saying this whole "soldering" gimmick or method kind of sparked my curiosity. Obviously engineering and quality of the metal is important too.

I apologize if I confusing anyone. I was in no way trying to compare Freezer 7 vs True, thats apples and oranges. The whole soldering thing is something that caught my attention.

 

[Sanhime]

All you're really doing is adding another layer, you're not chemically bonding the metal together. You're adding solder, which transfers the heat and probably not very efficiently at that. There's a reason the TRUE is bigger than the 1283/1284

Ah okay, I must be think of welding. You're correct, soldering is adding layer.

 

[Kenshai]

Xigmatek doesn't solder their fins on, you can slide them off one by one with a little force.

 

[sneekypeet]

its just a method of attatching. IMHO no better, no worse, it really depends on the overall design of the cooler, not simply how they attatch the pipes.

 

[Sanhime]

In any case, I like the Freezer 7 Pro a lot when I had a C2D. I wonder how it will perform on a i7. Quick!! Someone test and review please!

 

[Kenshai]

In any case, I like the Freezer 7 Pro a lot when I had a C2D. I wonder how it will perform on a i7. Quick!! Someone test and review please!

Honestly, I wouldn't try it. One of those barely kept my E8400 at bay let alone an i7. I'd still recommend a Xiggy over pretty much any cooler at the moment.

 

[hat]

Solder actually has very bad thermal transfer properties compared to aluminum, copper, etc. Now, if the heatpipes were WELDED to the cooler, that may make a difference... if they could somehow weld it without burning through the fins or obliterating the heatpipes.

 

[Deleted member 67555]

I'm testing a Thermaltake A1 against a Rosewill forte 120
At idle there is no difference a for most apps there is no difference in temps.....
In gaming the forte 120 starts to shine as max temps only reach 52c and cools quickly back to 48c after full load then steady back down to 34c
As for the TT A1 max temps go to 58c and slower but steadily goes down to 52c and slowly down to 34c
The main difference between the two are direct touch pipes on the forte 120
and about 4 fins.
not sure if this relates to this but i just got done with my testing and thought i would share it..

 

[Deleted member 67555]

Solder actually has very bad thermal transfer properties compared to aluminum, copper, etc. Now, if the heatpipes were WELDED to the cooler, that may make a difference... if they could somehow weld it without burning through the fins or obliterating the heatpipes.

Very true... it would be nice to see a silver braise ....would only add like $1 to production cost-that's what i used when i worked at a custom transformer shop-it bonds aluminum to copper quickly and cheaply
Come to think of it it would be easy to do, just start with soft copper scuff the surface, do the same for the aluminum, heat the copper to about 800f place silver tape strips down the copper slide the fins over and hit with a basic oxygen acetylene torch....done