A Closer Look

The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium is a tower-type heatsink with a copper base and four U-shaped heatpipes, which lead up through 44 aluminum fins. The edges of the fins wrap around the front to protect the sides of the fan.


The entire heatsink is coated in a mirror finish that looks more dark gray than silver. On top of the heatsink the middle section dips down while the two sides bend up. All of the fins are the same way, which creates the Nirvana's honeycomb design.


The fan on the front is a transparent 120mm proprietary fan that attaches to the base with some metal clips. The fan is tilted upward to help elevate the dead spot behind the hub. At the end of the fan wire is a standard 3-pin connector.


The copper base has the same mirror plating on it as the rest of the heatsink. I did notice that there were two small spots on the base that looked as if some foreign material was caught in the plating, as seen in the red squares above. Although the base is very shiny, there are some mill marks still visible. The razor test shows the base is convex and only the very center touches the blade.