The results speak for themselves. With the low noise Papst fan, the MCX-4000 is able to beat out the Taisol with its 4600rpm fan. With the big Delta, it absolutely decimates the competition, posting the lowest temperatures Ive seen on a Pentium 4 heatsink. That is watercooling territory. Your ears will pay the price for such awesome performance however.
I had high expectations for the MCX-4000 as far as overclocking, and fortunately the heatsink did not disappoint. Using the Papst, the system is completely solid at 159mhz fsb, 2mhz higher than the Taisol was able to achieve. With the Delta fan, I was able to boot into Windows at 166mhz, which is the farthest I've ever been able to stretch this processor. Nice work Swiftech!
If you're looking to get the most out of your Northwood Pentium 4, you need look no further than the MCX-4000. It easily outpeformed the rest of the coolers I tested it against, even with a very modest fan. You can find the MCX online for between $40 and $50. While not cheap by any means, you definitely get what you pay for. For overclockers who don't want to spend the money on exotic cooling systems, the MCX-4000 represents the finest in air cooling for the Pentium 4. Very highly recommended.
Click for an explanation of our awards.
Highs:
- Excellent performance
- Exceptional build quality
- Takes just about all 70 and 80mm fans
- Sexy
Lows:
- A bit on the expensive side
- Installation may take you a little while
