Coolsonic CS1662K Copper Skive Heatsink Review

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When we reviewed the very first copper skive heatsink a year or so ago there was only one manufacturer - now a days it seems as though there are dozens. Not to be left out, Coolsonic have a few skive based heatsinks of their own. The first of which we are examining today.

A stout 60mm cube of a heatsink, the Coolsonic CS1662K is good for just about any AMD processor, and should be able to handle a little overclocking on the side as well.

Skive technology for those who are unfamiliar with the term is based on a few principles which make it exceptionally good for heatsinks. The most important point is that the fins and base are one and the same - the fins have been cut from the base, rather than being soldered or swaged into cut groves. As the copper is unbroken from the base all the way to the tips of each razor sharp fin, thermal energy can flow more easily.

	Heatsink Specsheet: Model Name: CS1662K Fan Specs: YS Tech, 5200RPM, 12V, 29CFM, 0.23A Fan Dim: 25x60x60mm Heatsink Dim: 57x62x62mm HS Material: Skived Copper Weight: 368 g Mfg by: Coolsonic Sold By: www.coolsonic.com.tw

If for example, the fins were soldered into place, the thermal energy from toasty AthlonXP would face some resistance as it passed from the base to the fins. Depending on how well that imaginary fin was soldered to the copper base this resistance could be pretty significant, or marginal. By removing that "interface" from the resistance equation, the heatsink is able to operate a little more efficiently.

Skiving essentially describes a process where a tool cuts into the surface of a copper bar at a very shallow angle to draw up fins of about 0.45mm in thickness.

As each skived fin is formed, the side that is in direct contact with the blade remains quite shinny while the opposite becomes somewhat rough. The stresses and motion of a sliver of copper being drawn up from the flat bar cause distortion on the crystalline level and this causes the rough surface. But anyway, enough of the flash back to materials science, let's have a closer look at the Coolsonic CS1662K now.