Acoustic Samples: Listen to this Heatsink!

The little AK350 doesn't make all that much noise, but considering the ambient noise of server environments this isn't really as important as will desktop systems. To listen to the AK350 in operation, click on the little pair of headphones and download 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.

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. Measurements are in dB, on the A scale.

FrostyTech Sound Level Results
-	Manufacturer	Model	Noise Level	Scale
	Arkua	648N-6B	46.6 dB	quieter
	Vantec	CCK6012	49.5 dB
	Akasa	AK350	50.2 dB	louder

Anything under 55 dB is good, and the Akasa AK350 comes in at 50.2dB.

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

1U - 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
	Dynatron	DC1206BMR	23.8	51.0	56.5		80.6	86.8	silver	1	med	stiff
	Spire	5R057B1M3R	23.0	44.9	69.7		66.4	89.7	silver	1	med	easy
	Arkua	648N-6B	22.4	54.6	58.1		84.6	90.3	ceramic	1	low	med
	Vantec	CCK6012	23.5	58.4	60.7		91.7	96.5	ceramic	1	low	stiff
	Akasa	AK350	21.7	57.7	59.1		90.3	99.9	ceramic	1	low	med
	Alpha	Pal153	21.9	60.4	62.4		97.4	104.3	silver	1	low	easy
	Thermaltake	DTFCF014-1	26.0	60.0	69.6		94.2	108.4	ceramic	1	low	easy
	Thermaltake	TFCFR06	24.9	67.1	71.3		106.1	112.1	ceramic	1	low	med
	Vantec	FCE-6010	25.6	70.7	72.4		111.3	116.9	silver	1	low	stiff
				50W	50W		100W	100W

It is important to remember when you look at these results that we stress test each heatsink wth a 100W heat load. This is higher than a desktop processor will output, but gives you a good idea of just how much heat these little heatsinks can handle. That said, the Akasa AK350 looks like it will be coming in about mid-range in this list. The prime spot are taken by heatsinks which have an open frame so that exhaust air is also able to cool the processor itself.

Let's have a look at the rise above ambient temperature results and see how things fair overall.