nPowertek's NPH 775-1 heatsink weighs in at 615 grams, making it a pretty heavy candidate for Intel LGA775 processor cooling. The 18x80x80mm looks a little timid for an open framed cooler of this size, but it seems to get the job done without much fuss.

nPowerTek NPH 775-1 Heatsink

heatsink specsheet manufacturer: thermal transtech int'l Corp. / nPowerTek Model No.: TTIC NPH 775-1 Materials: copper fins, copper heat column, aluminum fan support Fan Mfg: Everflow R128018DM Fan Spec: 3500PM, 12V, 0.25A Fan Dim: 18x80x80mm Heatsink & Fan Dim: 98x81x103mm Weight: 615 grams Includes: PCB support plate, mounting screws, thermal compound Compatible with Sockets: LGA775 Est. Pricing: $25USD ($30CDN)

The metal fan support frame connects to the extruded aluminum base, and simply rests on the top of the heatsink by the red cap. The base is designed to mount on socket 775 processors only, using the through-PCB holes and a rear motherboard support bracket which is included with the cooler. Four spring tensioned metric screws hold the 615gram heatsink firmly in place once it is installed.

The Heat Column

According to this documentation by QuTech , the heat column used here is essentially an empty cylinder of copper which has been internally coated with a thin "superconducting heat transfer medium." The copper cylinder is sealed off at both ends, and inside is under a vacuum of approximately 1 Torr.

Patent no. 6,132,823 explains QuTech's process steps for producing the unit used in the nPowertek NPH 775-1 heatsink, and it's entitled Superconducting Heat Transfer Medium. Here is a short excerpt from the patent which explains the technology in plain english... but feel free to skip ahead to the actual heatsink review.

"Inorganic Medium Thermal Conductive Device. This heat conducting device greatly improved the heat conductive abilities of materials over their conventional state. Experimentation has shown this device capable of transferring heat along a sealed metal shell having a partial vacuum therein at a rate of 5,000 meters per second.

On the internal wall of the shell is a coating applied in three steps having a total optimum thickness of 0.012 to 0.013 millimeters. Of the total weight of the coating, strontium comprises 1.25%, beryllium comprises 1.38%, and sodium comprises 1.95%....

The fact that a conventional heat pipe shares a similar outside shape to a thermal superconductive heat pipe used to raise some misunderstandings. Therefore, it is necessary to give a brief description on the differences and similarities of the two.

A convectional heat pipe makes use of the technique of liquids vaporizing upon absorbing great amounts of heat and vapors cooling upon emitting heat so as to bring the heat from the pipe's hot end to its cold end. The axial heat conducting velocity of the heat pipe depends on the value of the liquid's vaporization potent heat and the circulation speed between two forms of liquid and vapor. The axial heat conducting velocity of the heat pipe also is restrained by the type and quantity of the carrier material and the temperatures and pressures at which the heat pipe operates (it can not be too high).

The present superconductive heat transfer device is made of a thermal superconductive medium whose axial heat conduction is accomplished by the thermal superconductive mediums' molecules high speed movement upon being heated and activated. The present superconductive heat transfer device's heat conducting velocity is much higher than that of any metal bars or any convectional heat pipes of similar size, while its internal pressure is much lower than that of any convectional heat pipe of the same temperature."

FrostyTech's heatsink test methodology is outlined in detail here if you care to know what equipment is used, and the parameters under which the tests are conducted. Now let's move forward and take a closer look at this heatsink, its acoustic characteristics, and of course it performance in the thermal tests!