Thermaltake SlimX3 CPU Cooler Review

The Thermaltake SlimX3 (Cont'd)

In Figure 8, you check the heatsink without the fan. We are wondering why to install heatpipes on such small heatsink: the purpose of a heatpipe is to carry the heat from one point to another, and there is no point in taking the heat so close from the point it started. It could be better to build a heatsink of the same size, without heatpipes, but with copper fins.

Figure 8: Heatsink

In Figure 9, you see the fan. It supports PWM speed control (note the four-pin connector).

Figure 9: Fan

The base of the cooler is made of aluminum, not copper. It is not polished enough for a mirror-like aspect. Here there is another issue: the base should be made of copper, or at least the heatpipes should make direct contact with the CPU, in order to bring the heat directly to the fins.

Figure 10: Base