Acoustic Samples: Listen to this Heatsink!

The first sound image is from the 6040H model. This heatsink has the higher RPM fan as you will recall. The second sound image is from the 6040 which has a slightly less powerful fan up top.

The difference here is about 3 dB has we were able to measure it, but the 6040H model is a lot higher pitched in noise. As with every FrostyTech heatsink review you can listen to the heatsinks actual sound by clicking on the little pair of headphones and listening to the MP3 recording.

Vantec 6040H - FrostyTech Acoustic Sampling Chamber
Standard Waveform view of a 10 second recording. Click on the headphones to listen to an MP3 recording of this heatsink in operation.

Vantec 6040 - FrostyTech Acoustic Sampling Chamber
Standard Waveform view of a 10 second recording. Click on the headphones to listen to an MP3 recording of this heatsink in operation.

Sound Level Measurements:

Listening to the actual noise a heatsink makes allows you to hear what pure numbers alone cannot get across. To further emphasize FrostyTech's reliance on cold hard facts when evaluating a heatsink, we also take Decibel readings with a sound level meter. These results may be higher than the manufacturer's listed specs, but then again these are real world measurements.

FrostyTech Sound Level Results
-	Manufacturer	Model	Noise Level	Scale
	JMC Prducts	400023	46.6 dB	quiet
	Zalman	All Flower HSF	47.4/28.9 dB
	Taisol	CGK760092	48.4 dB
	GlacialTech	Igloo 2310	49.4 dB
	Noisecontrol	Silverado	50.8 dB
	Thermal Integration	TI-V77L	53.0 dB
	Tocools	Crown	54.5 dB
	Sibak	AT01515B	55.8 dB
	Vantec	6040	57.0 dB
	Sibak	AC02625B	59.7 dB
	Vantec	6040H	60.7 dB
	Dynatron	DY1206BH-625	63.3 dB
	Dynatron	DC1206BMP	65.1 dB	louder

Both heatsinks are noisy, and the 6040H is the loudest of the two. A measured noise level of 60 dB will put this heatsink in the range of "annoying" and not make that great a cooler for 24X7 bedroom computers. The lower RPM version is a bit better because the shrill sound of the motor doesn't seem as sharp - unfortunately sound meters like the one we are using don't pick up on individual tones, just the overall loudness of the noise.

Synthetic Temperature Test Results: *Ranked according to 100W small interface die test results.

FrostyTech Synthetic Temperature Test Platform Results
	Mfg.	Model	Ambient Temp.	27mm large copper block	15mm small copper block		27mm large copper block	15mm small copper block	Thermal pad	No. Fans	Fan Noise	Clip force
				50W	50W		100W	100W
1	Thermal Integration	TI-V77L	26.5	39.1	44.4		57.5	63.6	grey	1	med	med
2	Sibak	AC02625B	23.2	41.3	59.0		43.2	64.7	none	1	loud	med
3	Swiftech	MCXC370	21.4	38.3	43.4		53.5	65.7	none	1	med	med
4	Vantec	6040H	24.1	40.8	45.3		57.1	67.9	none	1	loud	med
5	Tocools	Crown	23.2	38.8	53.2		47.9	70.2	none	1	loud	stiff
6	Dynatron	DY1206BH-625	23.2	40.0	55.1		47.6	70.4	none	1	loud	stiff
7	Vantec	CCK-6027D	27.4	45.4	49.6		64.9	73.4	none	1	med	med
8	Swiftech	MCX370	22.3	42.0	46.1		60.3	75.6	none	1	med	hard
9	Vantec	6040	24.1	43.1	49.4		61.7	77.0	none	1	med	med
10	Taisol	CGK760092	23.4	42.7	61.2		51.3	77.5	pink	1	low	med
11	Zalman	CNPS6000-Cu	24.8	46.4	53.8		65.6	78.2	none	1	very low	easy
12	AVC	112AM1	24.8	46.6	52.9		70.1	79.6	none	1	low	stiff
13	GlacialTech	Igloo 2310	23.5	44.9	66.7		53.7	80.8	silver	1	med	very stiff
14	Thermaltake	Volcano 6cu+	26.5	40.3	55.3		58.6	84.4	carbon	1	loud	med
15	JMC Products	400023	23.1	44.5	65.2		55.3	85.2	Chomerics T725	1	low	easy
16	Zalman	CNPS6000AlCu	24.9	48.3	56.3		72.2	86.0	none	1	low	med
17	Sibak	AT01515B	23.0	45.1	64.6		60.1	95.2	none	2	med	stiff
				50W	50W		100W	100W

The 6040H is obviously going to be the better performing heatsink of the two because it has a higher RPM fan to play with. The 6040 seems to be producing slightly more mid-range thermal values which are quite respectable.

At the very least we can see that the 6040 series design has advanced over the 6027D design of earlier this year.

Rise Above Ambient Temp. (c)
	Mfg.	Model	27mm large copper block	15mm small copper block		27mm large copper block	15mm small copper block
			50W	50W		100W	100W
1	Thermal Integration	TI-V77L	12.6	17.9		31.0	37.1
2	Sibak	AC02625B	18.1	20.0		35.8	41.5
3	Vantec	6040H	16.7	21.2		33.0	43.8
4	Swiftech	MCXC370	16.9	22.0		32.1	44.3
5	Vantec	CCK-6027D	18.0	22.2		37.5	46.0
6	Tocools	Crown	15.6	30.0		24.7	47.0
7	Dynatron	DY1206BH-625	16.8	31.9		24.4	47.2
8	Vantec	6040	19.0	25.3		37.6	52.9
9	Swiftech	MCX370	19.7	23.8		38.0	53.3
10	Zalman	CNPS6000-Cu	21.6	29.0		40.8	53.4
11	Taisol	CGK760092	19.3	37.8		27.9	54.1
12	AVC	112AM1	21.8	28.1		45.3	54.8
13	GlacialTech	Igloo 2310	21.4	43.2		30.2	57.3
14	Thermaltake	Volcano 6cu+	13.8	28.8		32.1	57.9
15	Zalman	CNPS6000AlCu	23.4	31.4		47.3	61.1
16	JMC Products	400023	21.3	42.0		32.1	62.0
17	Sibak	AT01515B	22.1	41.6		37.1	72.2
			50W	50W		100W	100W

The final synthetic temperature test results are pointing squarely at the CCK 6040H as the heatsink to get, and we'd have to agree assuming you don't mind the noise levels. Even though this is a pre-production heatsink Vantec have definitely improved on past cooler designs to offer something even better to consumers.

The CCK 6040 proves a bit more conservative and falls behind the 50 degree rise above ambient temperature mark by just a few degrees. Depending on the price difference between the two coolers, performance users may want to get the less expensive model and simply upgrade the fan themselves.

The two 6040 series heatsinks we were sent both have the same "less than ideal" base finish, but manage to produce some pretty damn fine cooling numbers (6040H in particular). Just imagine what these copper Vantec heatsinks could do if they had their bases machined flat like Zalman, Arkua, Thermal Integration, Sibak, or the countless other manufacturers who give users such nice shiny surfaces to mount on their Athlon XP's!?