The MCX4000 comes neatly packaged with mounting screws for 70mm and 80mm fans of various heights, lock nuts, thermal paste and mounting screws. I should note that the included paste is Arctic Alumina, which is nice to see. Definitely no stinginess here.
Swiftech no longer sells the MCX-4000 with the TMD fan, as it had some issues, notably fan failure. The MCX-4000 now comes alone, but the included screws will take just about any aftermarket fan without a problem. (I prefer using my favorite Papst NMGL).
Installation of the MCX-4000 is the same as its Socket A counterparts. You will need to remove the motherboard, and the stock Intel retention mechanism. Aluminum standoffs (essentially the same as motherboard standoffs) go in the four holes around the CPU socket, and the heatsink is then screwed onto these standoffs. Since ATX motherboard trays don’t have mounting holes around the CPU socket for standoffs, you install the hex nuts on the back of the standoffs to keep them attached to the motherboard. This may seem a bit involved for a heatsink installation, but Swiftech provides detailed instructions on how to do it, and since most users will only be installing it once, it’s not too big of deal. This method of mounting also insures that the MCX-4000 will definitely stay in place, and I think an extra bit of work when installing is worth the piece of mind when hauling the case around.
One thing to take note of, the MCX-4000 is very large; in fact it’s the biggest heatsink I’ve ever seen. As you can see in the picture above, I managed to wedge it between the capacitors flanking the socket on my Abit BD7-II Raid, but you should definitely measure and make sure you have the room before buying. The MCX-4000’s increased size allows for more pins and more surface area than the previous generation MCX-478 (429 vs. 371 to be exact). According to Swiftech, this allows the MCX-4000 to provide the same cooling performance with a 37cfm fan as the MCX-478 with a Delta 68cfm fan. No small feat.
