From the makers of the wavy BARAM heatsink comes the Thermolab BADA; a 136mm tall mid-tower heatsink that fills in the performance cooling void where taller coolers can't go. Height you see, can quickly throw a wrench into PC plans when the cooler doesn't fit in the case. It's for this very reason that Frostytech publishes the Top 5 Low Profile Heatsink Chart.

Thermolab's BADA heatsink is equipped with one 95mm PWM fan mounted to the heatsinks' raw aluminum fins via sturdy rubber vibration absorbing posts. At full speed the Protechnic MGT9212YR-W25 fan spins at 2800RPM. The baseline is a leisurely 1000RPM. The 597gram Thermolab BADA heatsink is compatible with Intel socket 775/1366 and AMD socket AM2/AM3 processors, though no word on LGA1156 compatibility at this time.

Interestingly for a commercial heatsink, Thermolab are pre-lapping the base of the BADA to ensure the three 6mm diameter exposed copper heatpipes are flat, smooth, and ideal for mounting onto the processor. The company call this "super flatness technology", but regardless of the marketing name it's a pretty rare feature for a thermal solution manufacturer to pre-lap the base of a heatsink.

The Thermolab BADA heatsink retails for in the region of $45USD via the usual online computer stores (here, here ).

Thermolab BADA Heatsink

heatsink specsheet manufacturer: thermolab model no.: bada materials: aluminum fins, copper heatpipes, aluminum base with exposed heatpipes. fan mfg: protechnic mgt9212yr-w25 fan spec: 2800-1000rpm, 12v, 0.41a fan airflow: n/a fan dim: 25x95x95mm heatsink & fan dim: 136x115x95mm weight: 597 grams includes: multi-socket socket mounting hardware, thermal compound, instructions Compatible with Sockets: AMD - AM2/AM3 Intel - LGA775/1366 Pricing: $45USD ($45CDN)

Although you probably wouldn't notice at first glance, there isn't a single straight line on the Thermolab BADA heatsink. Each edge of the aluminum fins is gently curved in one direction or another. Behind the fan we can see a small plenum created which gradually slopes down to form a larger void behind the motor - a typical dead spot of air flow.

The rubber vibration absorbing fan mounting posts are fixed in place, and a little tougher than the usual elastomer picked for the task.

The three copper heatpipes broach the aluminum fins every 10mm, helping to distribute the heat they conduct to a larger overall surface area. The heatpipes are also located behind the fan blades where heat energy is quickly dissipated from the aluminum into the surrounding air mass.

It's interesting that Thermolab have changed the fins on the BADA heatsink so there is less surface area at the top and bottom. Instead the majority of aluminum cooling fins occupy a region roughly 115mm wide, 65mm deep and 58mm tall at the center of the cooler.

Mounting Hardware

The Thermolab BADA heatsink ships with a couple metal brackets that screw onto the base of the heatsink, accommodating Intel socket LGA775/1366 and AMD socket AM2/AM3 processors. Both CPU types require machine screws that thread in from behind the motherboard with a metal backplate for added support. The motherboard may need to removed from the case to install the BADA, which is never fun, but it's a solid method when complete.

Apart from the mounting brackets, Thermolab ship the BADA heatsink with a syringe of thermal grease.

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!