Aerocool X-Fire

The X-Fire from Aerocool is our first heatsink. Like most of the heatsinks you will see in this article, it has a 120mm fan for optimal air movement and noise. This 120mm fan also has 4 white LEDs for aesthetic purposes. The fan is mounted horizontally, which is good for cooling the components around the CPU socket. From the nickel plated base comes 4 heatpipes that occupy two separate finned sections.


As you can see from the reflection of the penny, the base isn’t very well polished. This will definitely affect this cooler’s performance, even if it is only a degree or two. The mounting hardware that comes with the X-Fire is the Intel 775 mechanism, the AMD 939 clip, thermal paste, and a set of instructions.

Installation

We are only going to show installation for the Intel Socket T (775) socket because the Core 2 Duo CPUs are wildly popular right now, especially for overclocking.

Place the 775 mounting clip over the base. The heatsink is standing on some Legos because the clip doesn’t attach to the base. Once the heatsink is on the CPU, press the black stumps on the clip down and they will secure on the back of the motherboard. Make sure that you hear a click, guaranteeing the best attachment. This is the most common type of mounting procedure for the 775 socket. It is not the greatest, because you sometimes have to use considerable force to push the black stumps through the plastic white bottoms. This method does not always give you the tightest attachment possible either. Lastly, plug in the fan.