Alpha S-PAL8952 Heatsink From All Angles
	The Fan: In true Alpha form, the correct way to install the fan on the S-PAL8952 is upside down - so hot air is exhausted out, and away from the cooler. The S-PAL8952 makes utilizes a 4000RPM Delta AFB0812SH 80x80x25mm fan. Noise levels are moderate, and the need for a fan grill is negated because of how the fan is mounted to the heatsink. The fan connects via a 3-pin connector to the motherboard fan header, and supports RPM monitoring.
	Heatsink Top: The fan draws air in through the pins in the heatsink, before exhausting it into the case. An aluminum fan shroud slips over the pins and holds the fan 6mm above the tips of the pins, to form a small plenum. The aluminum pins are 2.5 x 2.5mm in size, and spaced 2mm apart. The aluminum fan shroud hangs over side of the heatsink 19mm so that air must pass through the warmest section of the heatsink as it makes its way up and out through to the fan.
	Side A: From the side, the Alpha S-PAL8952 socket 478 heatsink stands about 84mm high with the fan. The aluminum fan shroud hangs down 19mm over the side, exposing 24mm of the Alpha's anodized aluminum pins for the air intake. The base of the heatsink is composed of aluminum and a large copper insert, and measures 9mm thick. The S-PAL8952 measures 79mm wide, and uses its own set of mounting hardware since it is too large to fit in the standard socket 478 heatsink retention mechanism.
	Side B: From one edge to another, the S-PAL8952 is 90mm long, about the same size as the actual plastic socket 478 heatsink retention frame. At each corner of the heatsink, a small amount of the base has been milled away so that there is sufficient space between the heatsink and the brass stand offs which need to be installed on the motherboard. The mounting hardware sits inside the actual heatsink, so you do not actually see the screws, or tension springs from the outside - making for clean lines. Like all Alpha heatsinks, the name is laser engraved into the side.
	Heatsink Base: The base of the Alpha S-PAL8952 consists of a copper plate which has been cold forged along with the rest of the aluminum base - yielding what is essentially a one-piece, homogeneous, chunk of metal. The same is true of the S-PAL8952's many pins, they are all part of the same heatsink, with no joints to cause thermal interference. The copper base insert measures at least 3-4mm thick, by 72x62mm in size. Alpha have CNC milled out the small recesses at each corner for the mounting hardware, and face milled the entire base extremely flat. While there are machining marks visible, the surface finish is nice and smooth.