Very good balance between noise and performance – Joe
SUMMARY: Very good performance at acceptable noise levels.
The kind folks at Vantec were nice enough to send a sample of their latest heatsink, the Vantec Aeroflow (model # VA4-C7040). This is a sawed aluminum heatsink with a copper plug insert which sits on the CPU core. Airflow through the heatsink is quite good – air exits from all four sides.
The copper plug is 25mm in diameter, about 18mm long and is well finished:
When I ran my nail over it, I could not feel or hear any ridges. It sits in a “well” about 20mm deep, surrounded by the aluminum finned base.
The clip is a good one – it engages all three socket lugs. It is fairly stiff and does require a screwdriver to mount.
The fan has no identifying label (99% sure a YS Tech PD1270155B-2F) – a 70 x 25mm TMD unit (small fan hub – drive magnets in fan perimeter) – rated at 36 cfm @ 5600 rpm, 38 dBA. I found it to be tolerably quiet – I measured its noise at 59 dBA with a Radio Shack sound meter 8″ from the fan’s intake, substantially less than a Delta 38 (about 69 dBA). It’s also safe to use a motherboard fan header – 3.8 watts.
The manufacturer’s noise rating is 38 dBA, typically measured 3 feet from the fan.
In summary, an copper core – aluminum base heatsink with a very secure clip that requires a screwdriver to mount.
The Vantec Aeroflow was first tested on the CPU Die Simulator which gives results that are unaffected by motherboard influences. I then tested it on an Shuttle AK31, modified to read AMD’s on-die diode, as an example of what users might see on their systems.
| Heatsink | Die Temp | Ambient Temp | Delta | C/W |
| Aeroflow, 5307 rpm | 41.9 C | 21.5 C | 20.4 C | 0.30 |
| CPU/Motherboard | CPU Die Temp | Ambient Temp | Delta | C/W | CPU Back Temp |
| XP @ 1467, Shuttle AK31 | 40.7 C | 22.7 C | 18.0 | 0.28 | 35¹ C |
¹In-socket thermistor per MBM
C/W = Delta / CPU Watts
Interpreting C/W: For every watt (CPUw) that the CPU
consumes, the HSF will limit the CPU’s temperature rise to (C/W x CPUw)
plus the temperature at the HSF’s fan inlet. For example, at an ambient temp of 25 C, a C/W of 0.25 with a CPU radiating 50 watts means that CPU temp will increase 50 x 0.25 = 12.5 C over ambient temp, or 37.5 C. The lower the C/W, the better.
Die Simulator results place the Vantec Aeroflow in the top rank of heatsinks tested to date (Heatsink Ranking).
Vantec’s Aeroflow is a very competitive Socket A cooling solution; especially note acceptable fan noise. Overall, a nice balance between noise and performance.
Thanks again to Vantec for sending this our way.
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