Arctic revealed a passive heatsink for low-powered AM4 processors like AMD's low-powered Ryzen GE processors and the Bristol Ridge APU lineup. The new Alpine AM4 Passive heatsink is a silent cooler for low-wattage AM4 processors that can dissipate up to 47W of heat in a tower case with good airflow--although you probably shouldn't push the cooler to that limit, because it’s meant for processors with TDP ratings of 35W or less.
The Alpine AM4 Passive heatsink features a black anodized surface, which helps to improve passive cooling performance, as well as large aluminum fins that help dissipate heat from the processor. Arctic said that the coating creates imperfections in the surface, which increases heat exchange between the aluminum and the air around it.
The Alpine AM4 Passive cooler includes pre-applied Arctic MX-2 thermal compound to simplify installation. The cooler also includes a hassle-free mounting solution, which uses screws to secure the cooler directly to the AM4 mounting holes on the motherboard. Arctic said the mounting system is safe for transport.
Don’t expect the Alpine AM4 Passive to keep up with an active cooler, but it dissipates ample heat for low-end chips. Arctic tested an AMD APU A12 9800E under full load with both the Alpine AM4 Passive and AMD’s stock cooler. The AMD cooler kept the chip at 40 degrees, whereas the Alpine cooler ran hotter at 58 degrees, but it did so silently. You'll have to decide which you value more, cooling performance or noise levels.
The Alpine AM4 Passive looks like a great cooler for low-powered AM4 APUs, but there’s one significant drawback. Arctic’s website lists the cooler for $999, which is simply an outrageous price for a 99mm x 99mm x 70mm block of aluminum. We expect that price is a placeholder or an error, and we’ve reached out to Arctic for clarification.
| Processor Support | FX 9830P | FX 9800P | A12-9730P | A12-9700P | A10-9630P | A10-9600P | Ryzen 3 2200GE | Ryzen 5 2400GE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radeon Graphics | R7 Graphics | R7 Graphics | R7 Graphics | R7 Graphics | R5 Graphics | R5 Graphics | Vega 8 | Vega 11 |
| CPU Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Max/Base CPU Frequency (GHz) | 3.7 / 3.0 | 3.6 / 2.7 | 3.5 / 2.8 | 3.4 / 2.5 | 3.3 / 2.6 | 3.3 / 2.4 | 3.7 / 3.2 | 3.8 / 3.2 |
| Graphics Cores | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| Process | 28nm | 28nm | 28nm | 28nm | 28nm | 28nm | 14nm | 14nm |
| DDR4 Dual Channel Memory Support | 2,400MHz | 2,400MHz | 2,400MHz | 2,400MHz | 2,400MHz | 2,400MHz | 2,933MHz | 2,933MHz |
| TDP | 35W | 15W | 35W | 15W | 35W | 15W | 35W | 35W |
