To ensure that the huge AX-7 is held securely (if it were to fall off, your PCI and AGP cards would be crushed like ants), Thermalright has decided to use a clip that grips all three of the ZIF socket holding clamps. Other manufacturers like Swiftech and Zalman prefer to utilise the holes on new motherboards, but although very secure, I find these a chore to install.
The clip is NOT user-friendly; the shape of the heat sink makes installation tricky and fiddlesome, and removal even harder. The AX-7 certainly isn't a core-cracker, and the clip holds the HSF down with just the right tension.
Test Setup Since Thermalright left the choice of fan up to me, I opted to test the AX-7 with both a high-speed and a low-noise setup. The legendary ear-splitting 80cfm Delta, and a low-speed Zalman were used respectively. I opted for my normal HSF review system, an Athlon 1.4GHz, since it offers more than a challenge to most coolers, and still runs hotter than the likes of the 1900XP. The full specs are:
- AMD Athlon 1.4GHz Thunderbird CPU
- 256MB Cas 2 DDR RAM
- IBM Deskstar 60GXP 60 GB
- Iwill XP333-R Motherboard
- 19" Sony Multiscan GDM-400PS Monitor
- Windows XP Professional
- Lian-Li PC-60 case
The thermal compound used was Arctic Silver II. All temperatures were taken using a thermal probe connected to a digidoc 5. Idle temperature was measured by allowing Windows to boot up, and leaving the PC idle until the temperature stopped fluctuating. To measure the temperatures at full load, I used Genome @ home and allowed the CPU to run at full 100% load for 30 minutes. This was sufficient to bring the CPU to its maximum temperature under the cooler. Where possible, all heat sinks were subjected to the same test conditions (Same Genome@Home work unit, same testing period, same ambient temperature of 25°C plus or minus 0.5 degrees.).
As you can see the Thermalright draws level with our current highest performing cooler, the all-conquering OCZ Goliath - a highly impressive result for an aluminium/copper hybrid. In low noise mode, a respectable 45°C is recorded, matching our current quiet favourite - the Silverado. NOTE: Using the 80mm screamer produces a noise level similar to a NASA rocket breaking the sound-barrier, but its performance is second to none. Be SURE to listen to this fan for a few minutes before parting with your cash, since most will find it unusable.
