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Thermalright AX-478 From All
Angles |
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The Fan:
This 80mm fan is
what gives the Thermalright AX-478 its massive bite - it is also was
leaves the entire cooler over 80mm in height. The fan draws 0.81A of
current so it should not be connected up to a motherboard
fan header as this may eventually kill the board. To save fingertips and
small cats from 'damage' it's also a
good idea to install a wire fan grill.
Wire grills won't have any noticeable effect on air intake.
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Top: The H design heatsink is one that we've seen
do really poorly, and in this case, really well. The main section
measures just over 20mm in thickness. The outer arms are ~5mm thick, and
the fins average at about
1mm thick. Outer fin spacing sits at 2mm. The heatsink is
composed from this small extrusion section which has been nickel plated and
brazed/soldered to a rather thick copper base plate. Since the fan's motor sits
directly overtop of the central hub, the design is very efficient -
all working fin sections are directly in the path of
airflow. |
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Side A: With the 38mm thick fan back
on top of the Thermalright AX-478 we can get a feel for just how tall this
heatsink really is. The main portion of the heatsink sits 38mm in height as
well, and the nickel plated copper base adds another 6mm. The copper
base does not extend the full width of the heatsink however, and is only
50mm wide. The fins of the heatsink are undercut so that the heatsink will actually fit
into the pre-defined dimensions of the Intel heatsink retention mechanism. |
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Side B:
From this side the heatsink looks pretty serious. It is
also evident that the copper bar extends past the sides of the
main fin section. The reason for this is to create a flat area
where the clips can be used to grab a hold of the heatsink and keep
it in place within the HSRM. |
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Heatsink Base:
The base
as has been milled
flat, and the surface plated with nickel afterwards. There are some small machining marks visible
to the eye, but nothing too extensive. The four corners mark where thermal paste
can be applied. The heatsink with a fan weighs in at 620 grams so
it should be removed if the computer is being transported any great distance,
or shipped. |
