Acoustic Samples: Listen to this Heatsink!

The waveform image here is basically overloaded because we didn't turn down the volume enough for this test. The acoustic sample gives you a first hand taste of just how loud this combination is, and makes that waveform image seem a little more accurate than it really is. If we had the recorder set at the right volume level it just wouldn't have cut the top/bottom of the image below - other than that, the acoustic sample is pretty true to form To hear just how loud this heatsink and fan combo are, please click on the headphones and listen to the MP3 recording.

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. Only on FrostyTech.com.

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
	Verax	P16	35.3 dB	quiet
	Zalman	CNPS6500B-AlCu	47.4/28.9 dB
	Intel	Socket 478	42.5 dB
	Cho-Liang	CL-CB0094-1A	49.8 dB
	Cho-Liang	CL-CB00881	50.2 dB
	Vantec	VP4C7040	55.6 dB
	Taisol	CEP426151A	50.7 dB
	ChoLiang	CB0307Z17	52.9 dB
	Dynatron	DC1207BMW	53.0 dB
	Globalwin	VA476	54.2 dB
	Dynatron	DC1206BMV	55.1 dB
	ChoLiang	CB0309Z17	55.7 dB
	AVC	117140	56.1 dB
	NengTyi	NW6700	58.0 dB
	Coolermaster	IHC-H71	64.4 dB
	Thermalright	AX-478	66.5 dB	louder

The Thermalright AX-478 with the 38mm Delta fan breaks the previous noise level record for the socket 478 platform and jumps all the way up to about 66 dB. That is very loud for a heatsink, and is one of the reasons why this combo won't suite everyone's tastes.