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Akasa
Icicle 785 Heatsink
Manufacturer:
Akasa
Corporation
By
Dean Barker (1/12/2002)
Introduction
It
seems that most every heatsink coming out anymore is solid copper or have a
copper inlay. With all the focus on
construction materials, it is easy to forget that the efficiency of a design is
important as well. Today, we have
the Akasa Icicle 785 heatsink that is made from a block of solid aluminum.
The 785 closely resembles the Thermaltake Volcano line with the sink's
60x80mm footprint. Also like the
Volcano 5 and 6, something other than a 60x60x25mm Delta has been utilized. It seems obvious right from the start; Akasa is aiming the
Icicle 785 at the low cost and low noise arena.
And believe it or not, yes, there are people who are looking to save a few bucks and who DO MIND
a fan that sounds like a Hoover. Included
with the Icicle was a small tube of silver thermal grease.
It seems that having silver thermal goo included with a product is
becoming more and more popular with heatsink makers. This is a very nice addition to heatsink packaging.
Let’s go over the Icicle 785 and see what’s what.
Before we do, we want to thank the
Akasa
folks
who were kind enough to send over this review sample.
The
Icicle 785 is constructed from a single piece of aluminum.
These are in 23 fins (including the sides) running the 80mm length of the
sink. The fin’s height are such
that they form a convex curve at their top.
This varying height is similar to what we have seen on some of the Global
Win heatsinks. There is a 7mm wide
gap in the center that provides for the clip. There are also two small 2mm wide gaps that run the width of
the sink 22mm from the base. These
small areas create some turbulence that increases the efficiency of the heat
dissipation. The fins are smooth
with the exception of the fins that make up the sides of the unit.
The sides have small ridges cut into them that are more cosmetic than
anything else.
The
8mm thick base of the Icicle 785 was reasonably smooth. Tiny micro scratches
were visible that were left from the manufacturing process.
In running my finger over these scratches I could not feel any
imperfections. If the Icicle was
designed to be a high performance heatsink I would definitely be whipping out
the 1200 grit sandpaper and a pane of glass.
But given the application it is designed for, this is probably
unnecessary.
The
clip is of a rather standard design that is on most all coolers. On
one end exists a catch made up of three small pieces of aluminum so that the
clip can be pried on and off with a screw driver.
Utilizing the clip during installation, proved to be unremarkable.
The
fan perched atop the Icicle is a 60x60x20mm number.
The fan is rated at 5,000 RPM (ours made 5,500 RPM) and moves just shy of
26 CFM. While not a big mover of air, it will not keep you up at
night if you run your box 24/7. So
you can put those ear plugs back in the drawer.
The fan mounts to the main unit via a small plate that attaches over the
center of the heatsink to provide a perch of sorts.
Specifications
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pages Copyright © 2000 - 2010 by R. Dean Barker.
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