The AVC Z7UB301 heatsink is one of the first stock Socket 754 heatsinks AMD shiped
with its processors, and it is currently used with most Socket
939 Athlon64 CPU models too. While its name lacks any mention of 'extreme,'
'whisper,' 'ultimate,' or some other such stereotypical marketing sloganry... it is
a damn fine heatsink. That, in spite of its complex
alpha-numeric 'Z7UB301001' nomenclature.
Asia Vital
Corporation (AVC) itself is one the largest heatsink
manufacturers in the industry, but primarily so in an OEM capacity. The
company produces several models of stock Intel and AMD heatsinks, in addition to a variety of after market
models. In our experience, AVC's heatsinks are designed and built with
reliability and cost in mind, so they perform well at a generally affordable price
point. Adding 'bling' and superfluous extras are not on the agenda...
which is exactly what FrostyTech likes to see - emphasis
on thermal performance!
AVC Z7UB301001 'AMD Reference'
Heatsink
|
 | |
 |
| HEATSINK
SPECSHEET |
| Manufacturer: AVC |
| Model No.: Z7UB301001 |
| Materials: Crimped aluminum fins inserted into grooved copper base
plate. |
| Fan
Mfg: AVC DS07020B12U |
| Fan Spec: 2900-5400RPM, 12V, 0.70A |
| Fan Dim: 20x70x70mm |
| Heatsink & Fan Dim: 59x78x72mm |
| Weight: 450 grams (est.) |
| Includes: pre-applied
thermal paste, mounting frame hardware and
PCB support plate. |
Compatible with Sockets: 754/939/940 |
| Est. Pricing: $25USD
($30CDN) | |
As a
reference heatsink for AMD, the AVC Z7UB301 heatsink meets a variety of positive
thermal and acoustic criteria. It utilizes a
thermally reactive fan that scales back its speed dependent on ambient case temperatures (ie. until genuinely required),
resulting in quiet cooling on the whole. 
Regrettably, the fan lacks a wire
grill to prevent errant wires from getting entangled, and this is a little
concerning.
The
design of the AVC Z7UB301 is so simple it's surprising more companies are not
following suit. It uses a solid copper base plate with swaged high-density
aluminum fins, and a fan above. That's all there is to it. This provides a
very compact thermal platform that can scale with the amount of air moving through
its fins.
However, I suspect AVC could have improved on this design even further by utilizing a triangular shaped bar
of copper...
Testing this heatsink was a little tricky, because of the thermistor tied into the
fan motor. It adjusts the speed of the impeller based on the ambient air
temperature, and so we had to short out those contacts to push the AVC Z7UB301
heatsink into its maximum operating speed. FrostyTech's Test Methodology is outlined in detail here
if you would like to know about the parameters under which this heatsink will be evaluated. Now
let's take a closer look at the AVC Z7UB301 heatsink, its acoustic
characteristics, and thermal test results!
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