When it comes to bang for the buck, the FSP Windale 4 sweeps away the current competition. The $32.99 MSRP dampens things a bit, but at its current retail price of just $26.99, it dominates the value segment, offering solid performance for its class while being ultra quiet. It is also an affordable AM4 entry option since it supports AMD's latest socket out of the box. Offering a maximum noise level of just 40 dBA, it can certainly be considered near-silent.

Build quality is very good as well, but not quite on par with the Windale 6. The fins are a bit more flimsy, but unless you bend them on purpose, they still stay put. It doesn't hurt that the Windale 4 is also very easy to install and comes with enough rubber fan mounts to support a dual-fan configuration. GPU clearance is also good, which is another plus.

I did encounter a few issues that could be fixed in future revisions. First and foremost is that the fan hangs over a single DIMM slot. It doesn't block it, but if using four sticks of memory, you will likely be limited to standard height offerings. The rubber fan mounts are finicky. They work well enough, but getting them in place and the fan on the heatsink is more trouble than it needs to be. Rubber mounts on the fan and some metal clips would be much less cumbersome. Finally, the warranty being just a year is a bit anemic. Sure, a heatsink works or doesn't, but a good warranty is still nice to have.

The FSP Windale 4 is a damn good cooler; it is not the quietest or best-performing, and sure, memory clearance could be better; however, in terms of pure performance per dollar spent, it is currently the best offering I have tested. This is the biggest selling point of the Windale 4 - it simply does more for less and does so without being loud!

If you are in need of a solid performer that won't break the bank and make your ears bleed, the FSP Windale 4 has you covered. It's quiet, affordable, and packs a punch.