A Closer Look

At 139 mm, the ETS-T40 Black Twister by Enermax is a little bit wider than some of the other tower-style heatsinks using 120 mm fans. It weighs in at 610 g and consists of fifty-four TCC coated aluminum fins. Meanwhile, the six 6 mm heatpipes also come with a layer of TCC (Thermal Conductive Coating).


That deep black coat of TCC gives the ETS-T40 Black Twister a nice appearance, especially when paired with the blue circular LED fan. The only bit of contrast one will find on the heatsink is due to Enermax's gray logo, which, while simple and somewhat understated, draws just enough attention to add some flair.


No gaps are to be found in-between the heatpipes as they go through the aluminum fins; at least not to the naked eye, which is in part due to the coat of TCC. However, look at the base and it becomes clear that the coating is thick, not unlike a layer of paint. Whether the coating improves performance or not remains to be seen, but I will touch on that subject later. The heatpipes on the base have been ground down to the bare copper for direct contact with the CPU.


The base itself is not polished to a mirror sheen, but it is flat. That and the bare copper heatpipes should result in good thermal heat transfer. It is also worth noting that the black thermal conductive coating covers the heatpipes all the way down to the base, which, again, gives the cooler a uniform look. It is only where the heatpipes actually touch the CPU directly that the copper is left bare.


The fan Enermax has bundled with the ETS-T40 Black Twister is a bit fancy, with its circular LEDs and translucent blue blades. Featuring Enermax's magnetic twister bearing, this PWM model has an RPM range of 800-1800.