There's a certain colour of anodized aluminum that really straddles the line between aesthetics and misleading materials... today we're faced with a prime example of this. Before Frostytech gets into the SilenX EFZ-92HA3 heatsink review, know that this CPU cooler is made from anodized aluminum. The only copper components of this heatsink are the two heatpipes. To the untrained eye, spotting aluminum anodized and coloured to look like copper is tricky. I'm sure this cooler will be mistaken for solid copper by more than a few users.

Moving on. Although the box is labelled PCCooler, the SilenX Effizio Series EFZ-92HA3 heatsink is a SilenX product. The SilenX EFZ-92HA3 is a compact heatsink that's ideal for Media PCs powered by sub-85W TDP processors. It's built around two 6mm diameter copper heatpipes which are exposed at the base. The aluminum fin stack employs surface texturing in an attempt to disrupt laminar airflow and a scalloped leading and trailing edge for added measure.

Tiny heatsinks have their place, but it will be interesting to see how the SilenX EFZ-92HA3 CPU cooler fares against 125W and 150W heat loads at anything less than stock fan speed...

Standing 125mm tall, the SilenX EFZ-92HA3 heatsink is equipped with a single 92mm fan that rotates at 2200-800RPM. It has space for a second 92mm fan on the back side (rubber mounts included). At full fan speed the heatsink is pretty quiet, in part due to the fan SilenX have selected and in part because it's mounted on rubber posts which help to dampen vibrations. This diminutive cooler weighs 422grams and installs onto Intel socket 775/1155/1156/1366 and AMD socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM3/FM1 processors.

SilenX EFZ-92HA3 Heatsink

heatsink specsheet manufacturer: silenx model no.: efz-92ha3 materials: aluminum fins, copper heatpipes, aluminum base with exposed heatpipes. fan mfg: effizio efz-92ha series fan spec: 2200-800rpm, 12v, 0.20a fan airflow: 22-48cfm fan dim: 25x92x92mm heatsink & fan dim: 125x97x82mm weight: 422 grams includes: multi-socket socket mounting hardware, thermal compound, fan speed controller, instructions Compatible with Sockets: AMD - 754/939/940/AM2/AM3/FM1 Intel - LGA775/1155/1156/1366 Pricing: $25USD ($25CDN)

The fin pattern on the SilenX EFZ-92HA3 heatsink includes a small overlapping segment. One fin bends out as the fin below curves in. With the fan removed it's easy to see the alternating fin pattern pictured below. It's impossible for us to say what effect the dimpled fin texture has on the SilenX EFZ-92HA3's efficiency.

The 92mm fan is held on by its four rubber vibration absorbing posts, notches on the opposite side of the fin tower allow a second fan to be installed as well (second fan not included, extra rubber mounts are supplied).

Heatsink Mounting Hardware

SilenX's EFZ-92HA3 heatsink ships with brackets for Intel LGA775/1155/1156/1366 and AMD 754/939/940/AM2/AM3/FM1 processors. The heatsink mounts to both Intel and AMD motherboards using the permanently affixed metal bracket attached to the base of the heatsink itself.

A pair of plastic heatsink retention cages are supplied with the heatsink for mounting on Intel motherboards. Small plastic clips lock onto the motherboard holes and the heatsink then clips onto tabs set around the heatsink retention ring. With AMD processors, the heatsink simply clamps onto the existing AMD motherboard heatsink retention brackets. Eight rubber vibration absorbing fan posts are supplied.

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!