![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Monday , March 22, 2004
- Author:
- Steve Lynch
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Swiftech MCX64-V and MCX6400-V Heatsinks
Swiftech is a name synonymous with quality cooling components whether it be high end watercooling kits or state of the art air cooling products. See the latest in Athlon64 cooling from Swiftech put to the test.
The numbers speak for themselves as both the MCX64-V and the MCX6400-V shrugged off just about anything that could be thrown at them. As expected, the MCX6400-V performed very well but I think the real surprise was the way the MCX64-V with a larger fan hung right in there with the MCX6400-V. The stock OEM (Ajigo) cooler did better under overclocked conditions than I had expected but overall performance was poor and that lead to stability issues while overclocking.
Noise Levels:
The MCX64-V is undoubtedly one of the quietest performance coolers we have used to date. At 2 feet away from an open system, the noise level was a mere 17dB. Moving in to approximately 8” away from the fan the sound level was still only 20dB. The OEM cooler (Ajigo) sports a much, much smaller 70mm x 15 fan but still put out 26dB at 8” and had a noticeable high pitch whine when running. Swiftech deserves kudos for delivering great performance with very little sound output.
Issues:
We did encounter one minor issue with the MCX64-V and MCX6400-V that we felt should be brought to your attention.
While installing the MCX64-V we had several of the helicoid pins break off. While tightening the retention screw on one side of the heatsink, my knuckles brushed against the top of four or five pins breaking them off. The force used was no more than the force you would use turning a screw driver. Had there been force involved in breaking the pins, this wouldn’t really be an issue.
We tested other pins and noted that only the outer most pins ( bent at a greater angle ) were susceptible to breaking off. The most obvious reason is the fact that when the soft aluminum pins undergo the helicoid process, the “grooves” made in the pin significantly reduce the diameter of the pin. As you can see in the illustration above, the original size if the pin is reduced during the helicoid process making the center of the pin much smaller than it looks. To get the full scoop on why the pins broke, we talked to Gabe Rouchon at Swiftech and this is what he had to say:
This is 1100 Aluminum, the softest you can find (and the best for thermal conductivity). Bending operation does weaken the part at the bend. Soft annealing would restore metal integrity in this area, and was duly experimented with. Oven treatment rendered the part cosmetically unfit, and would require additional post production acid washing operations. Completely unfeasible at reasonable cost within our current organization. "Fragilizing" the part offers such a quantum performance trade-off that we feel it is well worth the penalty, given the current relatively low cost for the bending operation. Finally, from a practical standpoint, a few broken pins have no measurable effect on the product performance.
The moral of the story is that you should be careful when handling your Swiftech heatsink and not handle the pins unnecessarily.
Conclusions:
To say that we are thoroughly impressed with the performance and design of the MCX64-V and MCX6400-V would be an understatement. Considering the MCX64-V is targeted towards the OEM / low noise cooling crowd, we were extremely impressed with the way it managed to stay close in comparison with the larger MCX6400-V.
Normal users who do mild overclocking or prefer low temps AND low noise, the MCX64-V is the heatsink for you. Serious overclockers and enthusiasts will prefer the MCX6400-V coupled with the fan of their choice. The MCX6400-V is the first heatsink we have seem in a long time that could handle anything you could throw at it and I say that with confidence. If we know Swiftech like we think we do, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a Peltier version of this heatsink in the near future.
At press time, the MCX64-V retails for $51.95 ( fan included ). The larger MCX6400-V sells for a mere $3.00 more ( no fan ). While these two heatsinks may be a bit more expensive than your garden variety heatsink, the performance is well worth the premium. If I had my choice of Athlon64 coolers, it would definitely be one of these two coolers reviewed here today.
The MCX64-V and MCX6400-V are definitely "Must Have [Hardware]" for the enthusiast Athlon64/FX crowd. More information and where to buy these products can be found at Swiftech.
