AeroCool Silence Solution Heatsink Fans

AeroCool Deep Impact HSF (DP-101)

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

The AeroCool Deep Impact heatsink fan comes securely packed in a clear-sided plastic box with cardboard inserts. The fan attaches to the fan shroud with four screws. Also included in the box are printed instructions and a tube of thermal compound (Stars-700, 10% silver).

• Copper Superconductor tube 110 mm long soldered to 30 mm square copper base plate
• Aluminum mounting base dimensions: 50 mm x 60 mm
• 42 aluminum fins: 58 mm x 62 mm
• Anodized aluminum fan shroud (various colors available)
• Everflow 60 mm x 60 mm x 20 mm axial fan
• 12 VDC, 0.09 Amps
• Rated fan speed: 3,000 RPM
• Rated air flow: 13.3 CFM
• Rated fan noise level: 24 dBA
• Designed to work with AMD Socket A and Intel Socket 370 CPUs
• Weight: 397 g heatsink/fan shroud, 458 g heatsink with 60 mm fan

The Deep Impact heatsink fan is an innovative cooler that incorporates what AeroCool calls a Superconductor Tube. In reality this is a copper heat pipe. The round heat pipe is soldered to a small square, copper base that when mounted sits directly on top of the CPU core. Heat is transferred out of the CPU and into the base of the heat pipe where it vaporizes (boils) the proprietary working fluid (typically distilled water in a partial vacuum). The working fluid vapor flows to the other end of the tube, which is air-cooled, by the numerous aluminum fins and condenses back into liquid. An internal wicking material then moves the liquid back to the hot end of the heat pipe via capillary action to complete the heat transport cycle. An integral wire mesh wick insures the heat pipe will operate properly regardless of the mounting position. The process of vaporizing and then condensing a working fluid is an extremely efficient way to transport heat. Water absorbs 540 cal/g (latent heat of vaporization) when it changes from a liquid to a gas and then releases that same amount of heat when it condenses back into liquid.

A large heat transfer surface area is created by all the aluminum fins, which are attached to the outside of the heat pipe. The fan shroud is designed to accommodate both 60 mm and 70 mm fans. Because of the relatively large cold-end fin area, less airflow is required to remove the heat, which should translate into being able to use a smaller and quieter fan.

The fan provided with the Deep Impact is an Everflow 60 mm axial fan. This fan is also rated at 3,000 RPM and 24 dBA, which should make it very quiet.

When I inspected the base of the Deep Impact heatsink, I felt a slight burr around one of the mounting holes in the aluminum base plate so I did a quick lapping with #600 grit wet paper on plate glass. Otherwise the surface finish was quite acceptable. (I doubt the burr would have caused any problems though because of its location.)