360° View - Thermaltake Frio Heatsink Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here.
Each of the two 120mm fans is separately powered by a 3-pin fan connector with its own individual fan speed controller, this allows scaling from 1200-2500RPM. The heatsink stands 161mm tall and is about 140mm wide. Both fans mount to the heatsink via rubber vibration absorbing posts. Clearance below the fan is a scant 30mm. Fans are mounted in a push-pull configuration.
Each aluminum fin on the Frio measures 0.5mm thick and is spaced 2.0mm from the next. This heatsink weighs over a kilo, and most of that is taken up by the 62x130x115mm fin array. The 8mm diameter heat pipes are positioned side by side at the base where they are soldered to the copper base block. Total base thickness is 12mm.
The nickel plated copper base plate measures 48x36mm in size. All five 8mm diameter copper heatpipes are soldered in place to ensure good thermal conductivity with the 2-6mm thick heatspreader. From the top we can't really see that much as a plastic fans shroud covers the nickel plated aluminum fins and obscures the rubber fan mounts.

Base Finish and Flatness

Flipping a heatsink over to inspect the business end is often a simple indicator of overall cooler quality. More practically speaking, a heatsink is in many ways only as effective as the contact it makes with the processor - the flatter and smoother the better. Base finish is one of the criteria that Frostytech measure in the course of evaluating heatsinks, and it involves two distinct aspects. Surface Finish is the first; this is calculated with the aid of Surface Roughness Comparator that has a cross section of common machine surface finishes and their numerical surface roughness equivalents in microinches. The second is Surface Flatness. This is tested with an engineers straight edge or proven flat surface, in two axis.

The base of the Thermaltake Frio heatsink has a razor smooth machined surface finish. Surface roughness is at or better than 8 microinches, which is considered excellent. The nickel plated copper base plate is soldered to the five 8mm diameter copper heatpipes and is perfectly flat in both axis.

Next up, acoustic noise measurements and then it's on to AMD/Intel synthetic thermal test results.