Written By:
Date Posted: October 5, 2002

Click for larger image

With the exception of the last heatsink I've looked at, Vantec has always been well known for their excellent clips. I know it's an odd thing to point out, but unless you've actually worked with one of their coolers, you haven't seen "easy" like these clips. Of course, every heatsink they've released has used a different clipping system, but they seem to put a lot of thought into it in order to make your life as simple as possible.

Basically, many heatsinks, particularly Athlon coolers, require a screwdriver, a lot of elbow grease, and steady hands. The horror stories of cracked cores only serve to demonstrate that although it doesn't take a Physics degree to install a heatsink, attention is required. The Intel Pentium 4 on the otherhand is perhaps one of the easiest heatsinks to install. No joke, all you do is drop it in the bracket, and flip two tabs. Any P4 owner will tell you it doesn't get any easier than this. Well actually, that statement is no longer valid, as the CopperX 478 is even easier to put on.

The fan is no Delta, and spins at 4000 RPM, with an output of 33 CFM and 34 dBA. It's a little louder than the Pentium 4 stock heatsink, but honestly, not much more. In fact, with the case closed, the 80mm fan in the front of our case was more noticable.

Testing

Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz
MSI i845E Max2-BLR
Nanotherm Ice Thermal Compound
Prime95 run for 20 minutes as a background task

A quick look in Windows XP showed us a 100% CPU load, which told us it's time to watch the temperatures. Temp readings were taken at idle, as well as full load. Room temperature was maintained at 23C/74F during testing. I've been told there are two stock Intel coolers, but we'll be using the one that came packaged with the 2.4GHz 533FSB P4 "B". This particular cooler is all aluminum (no copper or copper core)...

When the CPU is idle, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two coolers. Neither the stock cooler or the CopperX use huge fans, so neither heatsink has any real advantage over one another.

It gets a little more interesting under load. As we can see, the CopperX holds a noticable lead over the stock cooler. It's important to note that we are using the fans that were designed for both heatsinks. I wanted to use the same fan for both, but the conflicting heatsink designs would not allow for it. This now becomes a test between cooling "solutions". Although the CopperX is clearly superior on paper, it doesn't blow the stock cooler out of the water.

We did a little overclocking as well. Unfortunently, due to the limitations of either our CPU or our motherboard, the Vantec CopperX failed to best the stock cooler in overclocking, as both coolers tied at 153FSB. The gap did widen slightly in terms of temperature performance. The stock cooler hovered at about 64C, whereas the CopperX was at 61C. Although temperatures were much higher than I felt comfortable with, the testbed was rock solid, even at these high temperatures.

Final Words

No doubt, this is a good cooler. It simply wasn't a great one. Personally, I wasn't comfortable with either the stock or Vantec heatsink at the overclocked settings. Granted, these are not monster coolers, such as the Alpha or Swiftech, so I didn't expect any surprise results.

The CopperX 478 is a better performer than the stock solution, and unlike the bigger coolers, this one can probably be purchased in the 25$ - 30$ USD range, which to me is a good deal. By the same token, if you've purchased a retail Pentium 4, this heatsink isn't really much of an upgrade. If you're purchasing an OEM Pentium 4, which is just the CPU with no cooler, this may be something to consider. For anyone with a sub-2GHz CPU, and planning to keep the overclock under 2.5GHz, this wouldn't be a bad choice. Any higher than this... you're best to get something beefier.

It's not all bad for the product however. Despite it's performance, you'll have to consider a few things. It doesn't require any tools to install, which cannot be said for the really big coolers. It's fairly cheap, and the price includes the fan. The fan can be replaced with something more powerful, though it must be a 70mm one. Eitherway, the fan is adequate, and is very quiet, which will be a relief for anyone looking for a change from their 48 dba monster.

Pros: Well designed, simple clipping mechanism, quiet operation, well priced.

Cons: Doesn't improve much over stock cooling, and not suitable for long term, extreme overclocking.

Bottom Line: If you're not into overclocking, and are in need of a new heatsink/fan, I'd put this on your short-list. Overclockers may want to consider alternate coolers, but if you expect to stay under the 2.5GHz range, this may be a decent choice, and your ears will thank you for it.

Agree? Disagree? Discuss it in our forums.

Previous Page - Introduction

Home