Copper Cooler Comparison II

Alpha Pal 8045T

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

Our final HSF in this section is the Alpha Pal 8045T, one of the most hyped heatsinks to be released recently. Is the hype justified?? In many reviewers eyes, it is, in this reviews eyes, while being an excellent heatsink, the only justification I can see is price.

While, looking and performing like the Swiftech MC-462A, there are many differences that are notable.

The overall heatsink is Black anodized aluminum, as we have come to expect from Alpha, including their famous “Patented” bottom with copper insert. The familiar aluminum shroud is also present in the Pal-8045T.

There is one other important item to note; like most Alpha heatsinks the Pal -8045T has been designed to “suck air” up from the heatsink and into the case and performs best in this mode.

The fan we used is the Delta 80 x 38 mm FFB0812SHE that produces 68.5 CFM’s at a noise level of 48.5 dBA’s while spinning at 4900 RPM. Our good friend Zwolf, the moderator of the Case & Cooling forum at www.amdmb.com, was kind enough to wire the Delta with a four pin connector and a three pin connector so we could connect the fan to a power supply connector and still be able to monitor the fan using a motherboard header.

The copper insert had machining swirls in the contact area and lapping is a possibility. The PAL- 8045T uses the four holes found around the socket of most Socket “A” motherboards and of the three heatsinks we have tested that use this method the PAL-8045T was the most difficult to install and adjust (leveling).

The specifications of the Alpha PAL-8045T are as follows; the dimensions are 80 (L) x 80 (W) x 90 (H) mm and its sheer size means that you should make sure it is compatible with your motherboard before purchasing. This Black beauty weighs in at 600 grams and includes the weight of the fan.

Prices vary from reseller to reseller but the basic heatsink sells for about $40.00 USD plus the cost of the fan of your choice and don’t forget shipping. Our configuration with the Delta 80 x 38 mm fan cost about $60.00 USD. You can see them at www.kdcomputers.com and in the UK at www.chillblast.co.uk .

The Alpha PAL-8045T performed very well as can be seen below!!