Reasonable noise, OK performance, TMD fan – Joe
SUMMARY: An OK performer for socket A/370 with tolerable noise levels.
The kind folks at CoolSonic were nice enough to send a sample of their heatsink, the Model #CS-1672-A. This is a copper skived unit with a YS Tech TMD fan (note that this fan features a plastic shroud which avoids any potential shorting issues). Skived heatsinks shave the fins from the copper base so there is no thermal interface between the fins and base – more efficient.
The CoolSonic CS-1672-A ships with YS Tech’s
TMD fan (PD1270155B-2F) – a 70 x 25mm TMD unit (small fan hub – drive magnets in fan perimeter) – rated at 36 cfm @ 5600 rpm, 38 dBA¹, with a plastic fan shroud. I found it to be tolerably quiet – I measured its noise at 61 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 base is well finished:
When I ran my nail over it, I could not feel or hear ridges.
The clip engages one socket lug and requires a screwdriver to mount. The slot for the blade is not too wide, so care must be used to avoid the tip slipping out while mounting.
In summary, a copper skived heatsink with a secure clip .
The CoolSonic CS-1672-A was first tested on the CPU Die Simulator which gives results that are unaffected by motherboard influences. I then tested it on a 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 |
| CoolSonic CS-1672-A, YS Tech TMD | 47.2 C | 20.7 C | 26.5 C | 0.38 |
| CPU/Motherboard | CPU Die Temp | Ambient Temp | Delta | C/W | MBM¹ Temp |
| Shuttle AK31, XP @ 1467 | 43.0 C | 22.0 C | 21.0 | 0.32 | 35 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 CoolSonic CS-1672-A in the mid rank of heatsinks tested to date (Heatsink Ranking).
The CoolSonic CS-1672-A does an OK cooling job with tolerable noise levels.
Thanks again to CoolSonic for sending this our way. Interested distributors may contact them at 886-2-8688-1795 (Taipei Hsien) or by emailing CoolSonic.
¹Note that manufacturers measure fan noise usually 3 feet from the fan.
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