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Test Setup
AMD Athlon XP 1700+
MSI KT3 Ultra2
2 x Maxtor 80GB 7200RPM
Nanotherm Ice
80mm Delta SHE, 68.5 CFM
80mm Thermaltake Smart Fan 2, 75.7 CFM at 4800 rpm, 20.55 CFM at 1300rpm
70mm Y.S. Tech TMD Fan, 35.5 CFM
Prime95 run for 20 minutes
Room temperature is maintained at ~23C/74F
Comparison heatsinks will be the Vantec Aeroflow, Thermaltake Volcano 9, and the Swiftech MCX462. The Aeroflow uses the TMD Fan, so we can compare 70mm fan performance, and the other two heatsinks will be tested with both the Delta fan as well as the Thermaltake Smart Fan 2. First, the Vantec Aeroflow vs the MCX462+…
The MCX462+ scores a narrow victory. The TMD Fan does a decent job of cooling the MCX462+, but I don't think it's the ideal fan for the heatsink. There are a lot of pins that aren't cooled by the fan, and my guess is performance will be better with a larger fan.
The next test will be with the Thermaltake Smart Fan 2 at the low setting…
At 1300rpm, the Smart Fan 2 is very quiet. It doesn't move a whole lot of air at this speed, and it's reflected in the temperatures above. The MCX462+ does come out ahead though by a substantial margin, making this a good choice if you're moving towards a quiet air cooling solution.
I'm sure a lot of you don't care about noise, so let's crank the smart fan up to full speed…
It's been a long time since I've seen sub 45C temperatures, and the MCX462+ accomplishes that feat. I shouldn't have to tell you that the fan is extremely loud at this point, but I suppose if you wear headphones while fragging, it doesn't matter.
The last test is with the Delta SHE fan. It moves a lot of air, and although it's loud, it doesn't seem to have the same pitch as the Smart Fan 2…
Temperatures are raised slightly, but the MCX462+ maintains its lead over the others.
Final Words
Using a 70mm fan, we managed some decent performance out of the heatsink. Using an 80mm fan though, provided outstanding results. The only annoying thing about using an 80mm fan is the snap rivets. Although installation is easy, you're going to need a flathead screwdriver to get these off if you want to change fans. It would have been nice to get 4 more snap rivets for a fan grill, but you can always use regular screws for that.
Compatibility with your motherboard may be an issue. It's a big heatsink, and we've had no problems fitting it into our MSI board and a Gigabyte board. Most of the AMD motherboards out right now probably have the 4 mounting holes you need, but that may change in the future since AMD is supposed to be doing away with these on their reference boards.
In the past, Swiftech coolers were very expensive. They're still expensive, but not as much as before, and you'll still need to pony up for your own fan. You'll have to keep things in perspective though. We're not talking about a small aluminum cooler. Compared to other heatsinks in its class, the MCX462+ is very competitive in terms of pricing. Over at Crazy PC, the rings in at 40$, and the sells for 44$, whereas the is 45$. This is a far cry from the 60$ and up the Swiftech coolers used to sell for, making the MCX462+ highly recommended.
Pros:
Excellent performance
Adaptable - Use almost any fan you want
Excellent build quality
Looks great!
Cons:
Installation requires removal of motherboard
Expensive (but you get what you pay for)
Bottom Line: For Athlon coolers, we've yet to come across a better air cooler than the Swiftech MCX462+. Of course, you pay for that performance, but that's a small price to pay for this level of performance. Other coolers may sell for slightly less, but in most cases they don't perform as well.
You can pickup this fine cooler at and .
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Swiftech MCX462+: The MCX462 was one of the best heatsinks to pass through our labs, but the competition is catching up. To fight off the next wave of performance coolers, Swiftech has updated it's MCX line with the MCX462+.
