CoolerMaster
Sweeping, Light And Loud: CoolerMaster HSC-001
Despite its impressive outside dimensions of 80 x 78 x 70 millimeters, the HSC-001 is still a featherweight at only 320 grams. That makes it 20 grams heavier than the maximum weight recommended by AMD for a cooling solution on an Athlon or Duron. Assembling the HSC-001 is child's play, thanks to its clip. It could get a little tight on some motherboards, though.
The base plate and cooling ribs are made of aluminum. The HSC-001's ribs are much thinner than on a standard aluminum cooler (around 0.7 mm), and slightly curved. This design multiplies the effective cooling surface and carries away heat much more quickly.
Article continues below
As the measurement curve for the HSC-001 shows, it is a good standard cooler. It performs extremely well for a pure aluminum cooler, even though the noise level generated by the cooler is a bothersome 64 dB(A). It doesn't offer as generous thermal reserves for overclockers as a well-designed copper cooler does.