Global Win TAK68 Heatsink

Manufacturer:  Global Win
Supplied by:  Global Win
Price: TBA

by Dean Barker  2/22/2002

 

Introduction

Over the past several years there have been heatsinks made in all form and fashion.  It is unusual to see cooling products that do not sport some mix of thin fins, copper, variable rate or oversized fans, or heatsinks that are unusually shaped.  A lot of junk has been put on the market by experimenting in this manner.  By the same token, a lot of great stuff has come out too.  This is called innovation.  If it weren’t for this aggressive experimentation by companies, we would still have the old Intel Pentium look-a-like sinks with only adequate performance.

Global Win has put out more than their fair share of innovative products that have all performed admirably.  The Global Win TAK68 is like nothing I’ve seen before.  It is the incorporation of new as well as proven ideas.  We would like to thank the good folks at Global Win for sending this product over for us to test and abuse.

     

When you first look at the TAK68 it looks like a kid got a tube of crazy glue, two Global Win WBK38 heatsinks and glued their bases together.  The variable fin height and clips that attach the fans are the most reminiscent of the WBK.  The TAK68 is constructed out of aluminum rather than copper.  This makes the sink not as heavy as it looks.  Aluminum dissipates heat faster than copper.  So theoretically, if you have enough surface area, aluminum can outperform a copper heatsink.  The TAK68 makes a go at this with 22 fins (included the sides) on opposing sides of the heatsink.  While not utilizing thin fins, Global Win was able to achieve 44 convection fins on this sink by putting them on both sides.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  That is a goodly amount of surface area if you ask me.  

  

The point of thin fin technology is to increase the surface area so that the heat dissipates faster via the convection process.  While this isn't state of the art design, it does the job and is cost effective, for Global Win and eventually us. 

There isn't really much base to this sink in the traditional form.  With the main mass of the heatsink being the way it is, the thermal efficiency is cut down.  To explain, let's use a traditional Vantec or Global Win CAK to help us.  As the CPU heats the base on a traditional sink, the heat is able to radiate 360 degrees over a 60 x 60mm square base with convection fins over top of that same 60 x 60mm area.  With the WBK design, the thermal energy can only go a short ways laterally then it moves from the base upwards.  In effect, you have more heat focused over the core.  And it can only move off by going up the main mass of the heatsink.  We don't know yet if the two sides of fins will compensate for this or not.  Perhaps that is the reason for the material being aluminum.  With this design you want that heat conducted as quickly as possible away from the CPU and aluminum can do that better than copper.  The base itself was smooth without any obvious imperfection to the eye or to the touch.  Unfortunately, it did have a piece of TIM on it.  That of course, came off.

  

The double sided areas of fins allowed Global Win to use a very non traditional clip.  This clip, without question is the best clip I have ever seen, heard of, or used.  Not a little better but A LOT BETTER.  I cannot over emphasis this.  To install the sink, you clip the catches over the socket lugs.  All six socket lugs I might add.  So you guys with broken center lugs on your favorite mobo take notice.  Once the clip is on, you tighten the knob on top of the heatsink.  This simple screw presses down on the sinks top pulling the clip up to provide for a firm snug fit.  I could (and did to prove my point to a buddy) install and remove this heatsink with no tools and with only one hand.  It is just too bad that a clip of this design can only be used when the fan is not on top of the heatsink.

     

  

The fan system consisted of two 60 x 60 x 10mm that turned 4,700 RPM with moving a 23.3 CFM at a respectable 37dBA each.  46.6 CFM total isn't too bad, especially with the fact that the noise level is tolerable and won't keep you awake if your PC is in your bedroom. 

We mentioned earlier of the resemblance to the WBK38.  Look below at how the fans are held in place.  The TAK68 is on the left and a pic of the WBK is on the right.

  

Exactly the same mechanism.  And I'm glad.  I loved it then and I love it now.  This makes it easy to swap fans if you need to.  (Say for a couple of... Deltas.  Read on, you know what's coming!)

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