Taisol CEK787172 Socket A Heatsink Review

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Faced with stocking a whole series of brand new low cost AMD-based PCs with coolers? If that's the case, the extruded aluminum Taisol CEK787172 socket 462 heatsink may just do the trick. To make installation a quick affair, the CEK787172 even comes with a pre-applied patch of Honeywell PCM45 thermal grease. This is a dead plain cooler, with no frills whatsoever; there are no flashing lights, no fancy copper plated components, no fan controllers, nada.

While the CEK787172 heatsink is dead basic, for older systems where cost and reliability is a factor, a heatsink such as this can usually meet the requirements; plus, it's AMD Approved for Barton cores up to the AthlonXP 3000+.

	Heatsink Specsheet: Model: CEK787172 HS Material: Extruded AL-6063 aluminum Fan: 4800 RPM, 12V, 0.30A Fan Dim: 13x60x60mm FHS Dimensions: 80x66x64mm Thermal Patch: Honeywell PCM45 Weight: 298grams Made by: Taisol Sold By: www.taisol.com

Taisol CEK787172 Heatsink From All Angles
	The Fan: The small fan doesn't really need a fan grill to protect it, seeing as it spins at just 4800RPM. The fan connects to standard 3-pin fan header on the motherboard, and supports RPM monitoring.
	Heatsink Top: With the fan removed we can see the 7mm area cut away for the clip to sit within. The 60mm fan screws into a recess in the plastic fan shroud so upgrading to a larger fan size may require a little modification.
	Side A: The clip Taisol use works really well, and locks in to all three tabs on the edge of the socket. The heatsink weighs less than 300 grams so it really doesn't need all three tabs to hold it in place, but they certainly can't hurt.
	Side B: The aluminum fins of this heatsink measure ~1.0mm thick, and are spaced 1.6mm apart at the base. The fins stand 32mm tall, and the T-6063 aluminum base measures 7mm thick. The fan shroud helps direct airflow from the fan down into the 22 fins.
	Heatsink Base: Upon checking with an engineers straight edge we find the sanded aluminum base is a little wavy from one side to the other. At the center is a small patch of Honeywell PCM45 thermal material that is pre-applied by the manufacturer.