Xigmatek Desktop Computer Heatsink Cooling Fan Gaia SD1283

pros: keeps cpu cool as compared to stock heatsink.cons: installing the fan was a bit tricky or a hassle since its not a screw on. not really that quiet.

The cooler is better than my stock cooler...Stock cooler ide 39c this cooler idle 30c under a full load with prime 95 my Athlon FX 4100 never climbed above 41c with the stock cooler it was at 53c.The drawbacks are the installation instructions are a joke. They should include an instruction set for the hardware the came with you cooler, not all the possible hardware you could have. Luckily I found instructions on the internet.I did not care for the all hand tighten design, They should have included a wrench for the last part. The fan installation is poor it should come with clips like the cooler master hyper 212 EVO.Here are some things to consider.1. If you have tall ram, in the closest socket to the fan take it out, first. I ended up having to move my ram no big deal though. It would have worked but the ram would have almost touched the front of the fan I did not like that.2. The instructions say put the fan on last. It is a good idea to put the fan on first because it is hard to get the fan on once the heat sink is on if you have a case with a bottom mounted power supply, If you have a case with a top mounted power supply you should be fine. I give it 4 out of 5 even though the installation is easier than the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. It could have been better..

On the plus side this is a big, well made heatsink from a good company. On the minus side, the fins are very thin.First off, this is my second Xigmatek CPU heatsink. I went back to them because of how much I like the previous one, an HDT-S1283. This sink is well made with three copper heat pipes that directly contact your CPU and a big 120mm fan to cool the whole thing. This had a leg up on the HDT because it's mounting hardware is more extensive allowing it to fit most modern processors without the purchase of an additional mounting kit. I was able to fit this to my LGA1150 i5-4670 no problem. The downside is that my original HDT had thick fins that would not bend. I could easily pick the motherboard, cpu, heatsink assembly up by the sink no problem, nothing bent. The SD however has much thinner fins which bent readily when installing the fan clips. Even factoring in the mounting kit I paid about the same for the HDT as I did for this sink and I got a lot less metal for the money. It's keeping temperatures low so no concerns there, it does it's job.It's a good heatsink, just not quite as good as my old HDT.

Lucky for me being the fact this CPU works for multiple sockets certain parts were missing but not for my socket. Only thing that was somewhat important that was missing was the Wrench they give you for securing it to the Motherboard. Ill have to use my own which will be bigger and more cumbersome. Need to make sure products ship with all parts.

Got this half price off from Amazon Warehouse Used - Like new.Currently it's cooling a 65w i3-2120. Fan is set to quiet/silent in my BIOS and idling @ ~875rpm @~38c in a 26c environment. It will definitely get the job done for my in-laws who were coming from an IBM Lenovo 80mm fan that was a jet blaster @ 1,800 rpm.Docking a star cause you can get a CNPS10X for $10 after rebate if you wait for a deal. Pay full price for this HSF only if you need it right meow.

I love xigmatek heatsinks on my intel builds but most AMD boards have the ram very close to the cpu. In this case my ram was blocking me from seating this heatsink.

Decided to buy this heatsink because of the low price. Definately worth every penny. Temps went from about ~68°C with a stock cooler when idle to a whopping and measly 25°C at idle with the SD1283. Only issues I truly had was installation but this was the first time I ever have installed an aftermarket cooler. I had to remove my whole motherboard out due to there not being enough clearance for my hand to properly tighten the mounting thumb screws. Either way, I doubt installation of such a massive cooler was meant to be as simple as pushing down a latch with stock coolers. Other issue was the instructions. I had to do a lot of glancing over and backtracking on the manual due to its vague explanations and pictures. Either way, for a first timer, this is definitely the way to go. It took me about an hour and a half to install. In the end, the only true thing I have to complain about is that I purchased the product for $30 and 2 days later when it arrives, the price goes down to $22? Come on man.

I want to love the Xigmatek, but I never had a chance to try it out. When I got my order it was missing all of the mounting hardware for AM3. I emailed support and it took them 7 days on top of 2 just to reply "we are gathering your parts". by this time i had already returned it to amazon and ended up getting a coolermaster.on a sidenote: amazon has great support!