The Zen scr325 heatsink...worth it?

[socketman]

I read a little about the Zen scr235 heatsink. The only prices I found listed it at 100$.

Here are some links to reviews:

review 1

review 2


So how about it? You get anywhere from 5-12 degrees cooler. Snappy looking, air cooling... but REALLY expensive.. If I lost my mind and got a raise, I would consider it.. how about you?

 

[sharkeeper]

Run, don't walk away from that one! If it were fifty bucks it may look tempting but...

There are many other superior designs (Alpha, Swiftech) out there that do a better job for less than half the money!


Based on what overclockers.com says...

"Based on the CPU Die Simulator, the ZEN comes in at the low end of current heatsink tests. Not having tested it on a motherboard, this is only an estimate.

The mounting system is a terrible design and can lead to CPU damage. The radiator is "free floating" and will not consistently locate on the CPU at exactly the same point.

Spring pressure, combined with the bulky plastic clips, makes the ZEN very difficult to mount on a socket; mounting with a motherboard inside a case might be a daunting challenge.

Overall, the ZEN may hold some real promise IF costs come down significantly (retail is over $100) and mounting issues are overcome. "

I would pass on this!

If you have $100+ to spend on cooling you should be looking at closed loop recirculating liquid systems. Water cooling for the jargon free. 🙂


Cheers!

 

[blade]

It's dropped in price now, I've seen it as low as 50. But as sharkeeper mentioned that really isn't your best choice even if you want to spend 100 bux. Many have crushed their cpu core when installing the zen. It's a major pain in the you know what to install. Looks cool yes, but why bother.

Better choices are the AX-7, Volcano 7 +(note the + ), Coolermaster w/heatpipe and the Cak II or others mentioned in this thread.