A Closer Look

The Silent Whisper is a smaller heatsink based on a 92mm fan. It consists of three U-shaped heatpipes, a copper base and aluminum fins like many other coolers out there. The fan is an open-frame style which reduces turbulence and decreases fan noise. The fan clips and screws onto the fins of the heatsink, which means it is not easily replaceable. The two heatsinks actually use different fans, one for the Socket 775 version and one for the K8 version. The AMD version uses a standard three-pin connector, but the Intel version uses the newer four-pin connector with the PWM output.


The base of the heatsink has some thermal compound preapplied, so it is protected with a plastic cover during shipping. Here you can see the two different coolers, each with their own style of mounting hardware.


With the cover removed the thermal compound is exposed, and it is a thick, gray paste. After cleaning off the compound, the difference between the Silent Whisper and other more expensive heatsinks can be seen. The build quality of the Silent Whisper is not what many have come to expect when buying an aftermarket heatsink. There is quite a bit of extra solder around the heatpipes, and in some case not where it belongs at all. The two pieces that make up the base are misaligned, and they have been sanded down on the sides and base. The sanding is very rough, as I would guess nothing finer than 320 grit sandpaper or emery cloth was used. Surprisingly, the base is flat as seen in the razor test.


The top of the cooler shows the three heatpipes sticking out of the aluminum fins, and the fins are shaped like the letter "D." This helps to soften the back edge and create extra surface area for increased dissipation.



The mounting mechanism for the Intel version is exactly like a stock Intel CPU, using push pins to secure the heatsink through holes in the motherboard. The AMD version uses a clip that latches on to the stock retention frame like a stock heatsink would, but the lever is slightly different.