Arkua 838T-7G 2U Pentium 4 Heatsink Review

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The 838T-7G heatsink from Arkua has already made its way into more than a few Small Form Factor PC's and desktops thanks to its small 2U stature, and easy clipping system. The heatsink makes use of the existing Pentium 4 heatsink retention mechanism and simply clips into place, with a small lever to then put the core under tension and finish off the installation.

In those small book-sized systems and SFF PC's space is at a premium, and so manufacturers have taken to using heat pipes, or hybrid heatsinks like this unit from Arkua which are shorter than a typical P4 heatsink. Even though the space may be small, the goals remain the same - good cooling with little noise. Although the Arkua 838T-7G is not specifically designed as a low-noise cooler, its 70mm fan is pretty easy on the ears.

Blessed with a very efficient fin design, and solid copper core, let's see just how well this little heatsink performs!

	Heatsink Specsheet: Model Name: 838T-7G Fan Specs: 4500RPM, 12V, 0.28A Fan Dim: 15x70x70mm Heatsink Dim: 97x95x44mm HS Material: Extruded aluminum, copper insert Weight: 312 grams Mfg by: Arkua Sold By: www.arkua.com.tw

Arkua 838T-7G Heatsink From All Angles
	The Fans: The fan is mounted to a fan shroud which also serves duty as a heatsink retention mechanism. Behind the fan motor is a small spring tensioned apparatus that extorts pressure directly on the copper core of the heatsink. A small level on the side of the heatsink makes it simple to engage and remove the heatsink for a standard socket 478 heatsink retention mechanism. The fan draws 0.28A and hooks up to a standard motherboard power header.
	Bare Heatsink: Arkua have a good design on their hands, and in this case it is only 23mm thick. At the heart of this X-shaped heatsink is a 22mm wide cylinder of copper, the chewy copper insert is there to help speed up thermal transfer and increase the overall effectiveness of the heatsink. The fins measure 1.5mm on average, and are spaced a healthy 2mm apart. The design is pretty classic, and can be very efficient with the right amount of airflow.
	Side A: The Arkua heatsink is just 23mm thick, and with the height of the fan apparatus should be just the right height to fit into a 2U server chassis, small formfactor PC, or book sized computer.
	Side B: There are no external clipping mechanisms on the heatsink, and at about 200 grams, one of the lightest heatsinks we have come across intended for use on the Pentium 4 processor.
	Heatsink Base: The base is exactly like the top of the heatsink in layout, but has been finished with a nice bit of machining so that it will sit smoothly on the processors' heatspreader.