Vantec VP4-C7040 and VA4-C7040 Review
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Vantec has come a long way in producing quality heat sinks. When I built my very first computer, I used the Vantec 62540D with the infamous Delta 60mm fan. It was great cooling my Pentium III 1GHZ.It was soon found to be inadequate for cooling as soon as people found the ease to overclock the AMD Thunderbirds. Vantec soon replaced the all aluminum heat sinks with copper. When their copper heat sinks were introduced, it performed decently, but still not enough. Here is the newest product from Vantec--the Aeroflows. Can hardcore overclockers use these Aeroflows in their systems to cool their expensive processors? That's what we're here to see...and to give you the results.
Aeroflow Technology
Vantec designed the Aeroflow heat sinks so that it works best with the Y.S. Tech TMD fan. The copper core makes full contact with the CPU die and absorbs all the heat.
Since the TMD fan focuses its airflow down the center, it will blow directly on the copper core, allowing for immediate cooling. The aluminum fins on the sides are designed to let the hot air flow right out of the center. The heat sink is simple but with a great design.
Vantec VA4-C7040 (AMD):
The Aeroflow I received was packaged very well. It was enclosed in plastic but not one of those that seals the product entirely. Opening the package was very easy and certainly gave me no cuts. Not getting cut is always a plus for me.
Included in the package is the heat sink itself, a small instructions manual with lots of pictures, and a small tube of thermal grease.
The heat sink itself looks really really good. This is one attractive heat sink. Even some of my friends who know nothing about computers said that it looks badass. The aluminum fins are made of excellent quality; not like some of the flimsy fins I've seen. The bottom of the heat sink was a layer of tape to protect the copper core. The shine on the copper is very nice. From the top view, it shows that the copper core is not just a small thin layer. It actually has a nice thickness to absorb heat.
Vantec went with the traditional installation design and used a clip. The first time I tried installing it, it was very rigid and hard. After taking it off and then reinstalling it, the clip loosened a little and gave me no problems. I still don't favor the clip though, even if it clips onto all the teeth of the socket.
Vantec VP4-C7040 (Intel):
The socket 478 Aeroflow came in similar packaging.
Like the VA4-C7040, the package included the heat sink, the instruction manual, and a small tube of thermal grease. The heat sink also had a piece of tape covering the bottom of the copper core. It protects the copper from being getting any stains or scratches. Everything about the socket 478 version is the pretty much the same as the socket A version.
The socket 478 version also uses a clip. The clip hooks onto the Intel heat sink bracket. The clip is one big clip instead of the two separate ones that I've been seeing. This is a good plus because it gives even pressure when you install it.
The Competition:
Up for competition would be the mighty Swiftech MCX series. The Swiftech MCX462+ will be the AMD competitor while the Swiftech MCX4000 sports the Intel. I chose these heat sinks because they have top notch performance, and the fact that they also fit the same fans.
Swiftech MCX462+
The 462+ was previously reviewed and proved to be an awesome cooler. Here are some pics for reference:
You can see that the Swiftech is made of high quality. Vantec does not fall behind in this category. Their heat sinks are finely tuned to perfection. No sloppiness could be found.
Swiftech MCX4000:
The MCX4000 was also previously reviewed and also was a great cooler. Here are some pics for reference:
Oh yeah, there were two missing pins on the MCX4000. It got loose and fell out. I guess I bent it a little too much while adjusting the pins to look good. The main concern for the Swiftech heat sinks would be the pins falling out.
The Fan:
The fan that came supplied with the Vantec Aeroflows was the Y.S. Tech TMD (Tip-Magnetic Driving) fan. The TMD fan is an awesome fan. It focuses its airflow right down the center, blowing directly at the core of the CPU.
The specs of the fan:
70mm x 70mm x 15mm
5600 RPM
35.5 CFM
38 dBA
As you can see, the 38 dBA is quite loud. Although quite loud, the fan is not a whiner. It does not come close to the Delta fans I've been used to hearing. It is still not something I can sleep to though.
Testing:
As always, I test my heat sinks with no case fans to aid in cooling. A temperature probe was used and was placed close enough to touch the CPU core and not cause any interference between the heat sink and the core. A fresh layer of Arctic Silver II was applied. The room temperature was consistent at 22C throughout the entire testing procedures.
Test System (AMD):
AMD Athlon XP2000+ @ XP2200+ (12.5x145) @ 1.85v
Abit KX7-333
Kingmax 256mb PC3200
Maxtor ATA100 30gb 7200rpm
Gainward Ti4200 64mb
Netgear FA311 NIC
Generic 52x CDRom
Antec SX830
Raidmax 400watt power supply
Test System (Intel)
Intel Celeron 2GHZ @ 2.9GHZ (20x145) @ 1.75v
Abit BG7
Kingmax 256mb PC3200
Maxtor ATA100 30gb 7200rpm
Gainward Ti4200 64mb
Netgear FA311 NIC
Generic 52x CDRom
Antec SX830
Raidmax 400watt power supply
Test Fans:
Y.S. Tech TMD fan 35.5 CFM @ 5600 RPM, 38dBA
Test Burn-Ins:
SETI (15 minutes)
Sisoft CPU Burn-In (20 loops)
3dmark2k1se (10 loops)
Idle time of 30 minutes
Click next to view the testing results and conclusions....
Next: Conclusion page 2 >>
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