Three Red-Hot Boxed Cooler Alternatives for the Athlon XP3200+

AMD Boxed 3200+ Cooler

The boxed cooler for the AMD Athlon XP 3200+ is apparently an OEM product from Asian Vital Components (AVC). At least, AVC offers an identical product under the name of 112C86. The screws with which the fan is fastened to the heat sink are simply screwed with the two outside cooling fins. A flow channel encloses the top of the entire heat sink. The heat sink is based on a profile of aluminum into which a copper core has been inserted on the base.

The copper core measures 30 millimeters in diameter. The core serves to rapidly conduct heat away from the surface of the processor and to distribute it over a larger area. It therefore functions as a kind of external heat spreader. Using this trick, it is possible to significantly increase the "efficiency" of the aluminum profile.

The base of the cooler is relatively flat, but is not glossy. The cooler is factory-equipped with a thermal pad that we removed for the test. Installation is easy, requiring only a screwdriver. We determined the thermal resistance of the cooler at 0.54 K/W (maximum die temperature at full capacity 55°C). The noise level stood at 51.8dB(A) (background noise level: 34dB(A)). With these values, the boxed model is sure to meet the standard requirements. However, neither does it operate especially quietly, nor does it allow any leeway for overclocking experiments.