NZXT Havik 140 CPU Cooler Review

👤by Sahil Mannick Comments 📅30-06-11
Closer Look


The heatsink

The NZXT Havik 140 has a very plain design on initial impressions, sticking to the tried and tested tower heatsink with laminar fins. The finish adds to the overall appeal and the clean finish further makes the Havik an attractive choice for anyone looking to spruce up their computer internals. In all, the Havik has style and promises to deliver substance. It is certainly very robust but at the same time not as heavy as the previously reviewed Alpenföhn Matterhorn. In terms of dimensions, it closely matches the likes of the Thermalright VX. It is less deep to maximise RAM compatibility and compensates by being wider.


The front face

Unlike more established CPU cooler manufacturers such as Noctua or Thermalright, NZXT have opted for straight fins stacked parallel to each other. They claim it is a patented design that “slices” passing air for increased ventilation but there’s little to no difference compared to the Frio. This is not a bad thing because it is a tried and tested design, one that is ideal for a company breaking into this market. Each fin is broadly rectangular with a slight curvature towards the centre and boasts an approximate surface area of 8100mm squared. A total of 46 fins make the total surface area 372600mm squared. For comparison, the Silver Arrow has 50% more surface area whereas that of the Venomous X is only marginally higher at 384000mm squared. The fin separation is 2.5mm.


The side profile

The side profile shows that the heatsink is fairly narrow, a mere 5mm more than the Thermalright Archon. Again, we see that the fin array is laminar and two grooves running down either side of the heatsink are for the rubber fan adapters.


The heatsink base

The base uses a copper construction for better conductivity that is nickel plated to keep in theme with the rest of the aluminium finish. It also increases the durability of the base. The base is flat but lacks a perfectly mirror finish. Instead, we can see slightly streaks running across but this is where thermal paste comes in handy. The flatness meant that thermal paste spread easily through the heatsink pressure alone when a small blob was applied.


The heat pipes

The six 6mm heat pipes are soldered to the copper base for the most efficient heat transfer. The heat pipes are shaped to form two rows of 6 heat pipe ends, not dissimilar to the Archon.


The top of the heat pipes

At the top we can see the arrangement of the heat pipes. Having two rows running parallel means that the airflow can cool more heat pipes, unlike on the Prolimatech Super Mega where the front heat pipe effectively blocks the other 5 behind it.


Rubber fan adapters

The Havik uses a very unique fan mounting mechanism. The adapters are made of rubber so not only are they flexible, but they also reduce vibrations. Since the rubber strips are straight, they need to be stretched and bent at the end. The strip slot nicely into the side fin grooves whereas the ends go through the fins. They are surprisingly secure even if left in the above position so installation is very easy.


Installing both fans

The end of the rubber adapters simply have to be inserted in the fan mounting holes to secure them on to the heatsink. The mechanism is very flexible and makes a brilliant alternative to metal clips.


The front of the cooler

From the front, we can see that the fan extends the dimensions in height and width. The sheer size of the 140mm fan means that the blades cover the whole area of the heatsink to maximise airflow.


The side of the cooler with fans

From the side we can see that the rubber fan adapters fit nicely along the side grooves so there’s no fear of the fans becoming loose. The design of the adapter ends means that some force is needed to remove them from the fan. The alternative method is to install the adapters into the fans first and then secure them onto the heatsink by latching them on as we will see on the next page.


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