Alpha Killer Shootout

UPDATE: I still can not find the Thin Fin’s manufacturer. However, the RDJD K601 is almost the same and readily available HERE for about $9.

SUMMARY: Move over Alpha, you have company! The FDP32, MC370-0 and “No-Name” heatsinks are viable alternatives to the Alpha socket 7. The real Alpha Killer is the No-Name heatsink – it costs about $8-10 retail and with the YS Tech fan equals Alpha’s performance.

When Alpha burst on the scene about 6 months ago, their socket 370 cooler was tops. Since that time, Global Win successfully took on Alpha head-to-head with their FDP32; although big, ugly and hard to fit, it can outperform the Alpha. Now there are two other pretenders to the throne – the Swiftech MC370-0 and the “No-Name” thin fin heatsink.

THE TEST

The test procedure involved running each heatsink in my ABIT BX6-2 on a slotket with a C366 running at 550 MHz. The thermal diode was used to measure CPU temp running Prime 95. The CPU throws off 33 watts of heat at this setting. The fans used in this test included the No-Name’s Innovative 60×15 @ an est. 16 cfm, the Alpha and Global Win’s YS Tech 26 cfm and the Swiftech’s 33 cfm screamer made by Pabst. As you will see, I did some fan switching to see how the different fans affected performance.

RESULTS

NOTE: Ambient temp 20.5 C

CONCLUSIONS

The Swiftech MC 370-0 comes out on top by virtue of its screaming 33 cfm Pabst fan – although loud at 43 dBA, it pushes enough air through the heatsink to nudge it over the top. Note that both the Alpha and Global Win FDP32 perform equally as well with this fan, followed by the No-Name which is 1C behind the others. Incredibly, this cheapo (I have seen this No-Name for $8 retail) equals the Alpha if fitted with the 26 cfm fan. More folded fin heatsinks are coming on the market primarily because they are cheap – performance is a bonus.

Overall. for good air-cooling, you can’t go wrong with any of these units. The Swiftech is slightly ahead of the pack due to its high cfm fan, albeit at the penalty of increased noise. I particularly like the Swiftech’s mounting system as it very nicely snugs the heatsink to the socket (although a number of people have broken off the heatsink’s plastic lugs by over-tightening). For everyday use, the No-Name is the clear price/performance winner; for more critical use, the Swiftech gets the edge due to its 33 cfm fan. If you have the Alpha or Global Win and can stand the noise, pick up the Pabst 33 cfm screamer for a performance boost.