3Rsystem Iceage 120 Boss II Heatsink

heatsink specsheet manufacturer: 3rsystem model no.: iceage 120 boss ii materials: dark nickel plated aluminum fins, copper heatpipes, aluminum base with exposed heatpipes. fan mfg: n/a fan spec: 2200-1000rpm, 12v, 0.38a fan airflow: 54-78cfm, fan dim: 25x120x120mm heatsink & fan dim: 152x97x131mm weight: 730 grams includes: multi-socket socket mounting hardware, thermal compound, fan speed controller, air spoiler, instructions Compatible with Sockets: AMD - 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 Intel - LGA775/1366 Pricing: $60USD ($65CDN)

For the M.E.'s in the crowd, Mohammad A. Elyyan wonderfully covers dimples and split dimple fin augmentation in his dissertation; "Heat Transfer Augmentation Surfaces Using Modified Dimples/Protrusions". It's an interesting read, particularly as an abundance of CFD simulations illustrate the air turbulence patterns caused by different dimple patterns. The scale of augmentations dealt with in Elyyan's paper is larger, but the concept has a measure of parallelism with the dots on both sides of each aluminum fin in the Iceage 120 Boss II heatsink.

In any event, the 3Rsystem Iceage 120 Boss II heatsink runs a tenth of a degree cooler than the Titan TTC-NK85TZ, and a full degree cooler than the previous front-runner on the AMD platform. Standing a good 152mm tall, the Iceage 120 Boss II heatsink is equipped with a 120mm fan that rotates at 1000-2200RPM. A manual fan controller is included. The entire package weighs about 730 grams, and installs onto Intel socket 775/1156/1366 and AMD socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 processors. It's rated for processors with a TDP of up to 200 Watts according to the maker.

Exposed heatpipe heatsinks are great for the larger CPUs entering the marketplace, the Intel Core i5 and Core i7 in particular. While Frostytech does not yet have thermal test results for these chips we can look to the AMD thermal results for guidance on what to expect. Five 8mm diameter copper heatpipes stacked side-by-side will cover a pretty big processor IHS (integrated heat spreader), the base is no less than 54mm x 40mm in fact.

A rear spoiler is also supplied if you wish to divert a portion of the exhaust air down towards adjacent devices on the motherboard.

Heatsink Mounting Hardware

3Rsystem's Iceage 120 Boss II heatsink ships with brackets for Intel LGA775/1156/1366 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3 processors. The heatsink mounts to both Intel and AMD motherboards using the permanently affixed metal bracket.

A collection of screws and spring-tensioned nuts accommodate the variety of hole patterns for the range of processors the Boss II heatsink is compatible with. Two sets of rubber vibration absorbing pads are supplied, along with a PCI bracket fan speed controller and the spoiler.

FrostyTech's Test Methodologies are 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 its performance in the thermal tests!