Introduction
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| FAK780B Athlon Cooler |
The Computer Nerds are one of the more premiere places to go for all of your overclocking needs. They have provided us with the FAK780B (80 on!) Athlon cooler, to include in our cooler roundup. There are several interesting things about this cooler that makes it stand out from the others. Size, engineering, and performance are just a few. Lets take a closer look at what it sure to be one of the more interesting coolers youll see represented in the Athlon cooler roundup.
Features /Specs
One Y.S.Tech 46 CFM 80-mm High-Performance Ball-Bearing Tachometer Shrouded Fan with Black-Anodized Heatsink
Fits on all Athlon Motherboards
Thermal Resistance of 0.35 degrees C/W
Dimensions: 120 mm Wide x 80 mm High x 52 mm Deep (4.7" x 3.2" x 2.0")
Dimensions w/o Fan: 120 mm Wide x 76 mm High x 25 mm Deep (.7" x 3.0" x 1.0")
5-Year Warranty
The Package /Installation
Our FAK780B cooler came shipped to us, assembled with thermal paste and a 3-wire to 4-wire converter.
First of all, this cooler is rather odd looking because of its proportions. There is a large (but flat) heat sink that covers the CPU to the maximum hilt and even above. Yes you heard me; part of the heat sink doesnt actually touch the CPU at all. But luckily this doesnt get in the way if you plan on putting a GFD on when overclocking. Then there is a 80mm (case size) fan that sucks air away from the CPU instead of blowing air downwards on it and it seems this is becoming a more common practice with higher end coolers.
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| FAK780B Installation Kit |
The installation was more involved than just snapping it on the CPU and pushing the power button. Since this unit actually screws to the Athlon metal, some disassembly must take place first, in order to mount it. Computer Nerds included a flyer on how to actually install the cooler, but be prepared to spend about 20 minutes doing it. First you have to remove your Athlon from its cozy Slot A. Second -completely un-assemble the cooler (eight screws) then spread the included thermal paste on the backside of the sink (with no fan attached) and place it onto the CPU. Then youll have to line up the holes on the Athlon with the holes in the heat sink in order to twist in the included screws, and since the Athlon cooler doesnt have pre-tapped holes, youll have to give each screw a little force in order to make them go in. Once you have the sink mounted, you have to re-attach the heat sink shroud and fan. Then finally you get to put your Athlon back into its slot. It sounds more difficult than it actually is, its just more time consuming than other cooler installations. But I can tell you this youd have to use a strong mule to remove the cooler from the CPU -its really tight!
