Alpenföhn Nordwand Tower CPU Cooler Review

Posted by: Sahil Mannick (Helios1234) on: 11/12/2009 07:17 AM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]

Closer Look

The towering heatsink
The heatsink is nickel plated aluminium using a tried and tested tower design. Measuring 131 x 96 x 155mm, it is much deeper than the Thermolab Baram but slightly smaller in width and height. The cooler has a nice black finish giving it a professional and tidy look. Merely looking at it, you can tell that the Alpine related advertising is doing a very faithful job.

The closed design helps direct airflow where it should go
Closer, there is a very interesting feature, not seen in other heatsinks. The fins are such that the ends are bent such that there are no gaps in the side profile. This innovation prevents air from leaking out, thus focussing the entire airflow over the fans and towards the exhaust fan on your computer.

The copper heatsink on top of the base
Assimilated to the base is a small copper heatsink, aiding in dissipation of extra heat that is not carried by the heat pipes. This technique works very effectively. The heat pipes themselves are 8mm in thickness for optimum heat transfer to the fins.

5 thick U-shaped heat pipes for excellent heat transfer
Here we have a better view of those 5 thick heat pipes. Notice how the bend in different directions to spread themselves on the fins rather than being next to each other. This allows the heat to be transferred over a bigger surface area.

An almost weapon like look to seemingly tear apart its competitors. Take notice of the 4 circular grooves on each corner of the heatsink
The surface expression of the heat pipes shows that they are spread out in V-shapes so that air can moves heat away from a bigger surface area. Despite this, the design does not look as effective as the Thermolab Baram. Unlike most heatsink coolers, the tips of the heat pipes have been covered and are not visible, to give a much cleaner look.