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There isn't too much info on this CPU heatsink, so here is my mini review.
Introduction:
The Cooljag Falcon II is a low-profile CPU heatsink that boasts a clearance of 70mm, plus a fraction of a millimeter extra. I can attest that this fraction of a millimeter exists because I own a Silverstone Grandia GD05 PC case, which has a maximum CPU heatsink clearance of 70mm. When I tried to install the Falcon II with its stock fan, my optical drive pushed down just slightly on the fan chassis. In this regard, the Falcon II does fit. However, throw in the problem of routing cables over and around the fan (see in-case photo), and the stock fan just didn't work for me.
Installation Problems:
To install a slimmer fan (I used a 12mm-thick Scythe "Kaze Jyu" slim fan @ 1600 rpm), I carefully pried the black fan shrouds off the Falcon II, making sure I didn't bend any fins. As you can see in the picture I took of the Falcon II in my case, I took the "ghetto-mod" route and opted for two rubber bands to secure my new fan over the heatsink (if anyone knows of a cleaner solution that does not involve adhesives, I am all ears).
The second problem I encountered with the Falcon II was the mounting solution for LGA 1156 motherboards -- or lack thereof. The Falcon II comes readily adjustable for LGA 775 and 1366 mobos, but the third set of holes that were supposed to be for 1156 are too small for the provided mounting screws. It's like whoever made the Falcon II used the wrong drill bit, but made a hole anyway in the perfect spot. Using a dremel tool, I carved out the metal in between the LGA 775 and 1366 holes to create a slide-like hole (I would recommend using a drill-bit to bore out the 1156 hole instead of a metal disk like I used to cut everything out). After this mod, I simply made sure all the mounting studs were evenly spaced between where the LGA 775 and 1366 holes used to be. The included thermal paste is, surprisingly, top-notch stuff: Shin-Etsu X23-7762. It is [H]ard to spread, in my experience, but has achieved great results in various reviews.
Results:
The most demanding tasks I use my PC for is playing video games. Therefore, whenever I read a PC hardware review, I skip right to the "gaming performance" section. I'd rather be playing Left 4 Dead 2 than Prime95-ing it up all day. So my temperature results, likewise, were taken 1 hour into playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This game loves quad-core CPUs and is one of the most CPU-demanding games out today. In other words, BFBC2 is a game that is going to get your CPU hot.
I played BFBC2 on all high settings, with 4xMSAA and 4xAnisotropic Filtering, VSYNC off, and HBAO off @ 1680 x 1050, although these configurations are more important to the GPU temperature.
I am running an Intel Core i5 750 @ 3.2 Ghz (the picture shows it throttled down to about 3 Ghz).
I think these are great results given the circumstances. This cooler has a clearance of roughly 65mm after I added a slimmer fan. And we all know slimmer fan = less CFM = less cooling power. So, given that this is a small CPU heatsink with an underpowered, non-PWM fan (it can only go one speed, even as the CPU temperature increases), 51C is a great maximum temperature.
Conclusion:
So why did I go through all the trouble to fit the Cooljag Falcon II into my HTPC case? I think you'll find the answer at Frostytech.com if you search their top 5 under-70mm heatsinks in their low-profile section (http://www.frostytech.com/top5_lowprofile_heatsinks.cfm). Brutal, huh? It's a shame too, because besides CPU clearance, the Grandia GD05 is such a nice case in every other respect. I wish CPU heatsink manufacturers would make lower, wider coolers, with thicker heatpipes and dimpled fins.
Introduction:
The Cooljag Falcon II is a low-profile CPU heatsink that boasts a clearance of 70mm, plus a fraction of a millimeter extra. I can attest that this fraction of a millimeter exists because I own a Silverstone Grandia GD05 PC case, which has a maximum CPU heatsink clearance of 70mm. When I tried to install the Falcon II with its stock fan, my optical drive pushed down just slightly on the fan chassis. In this regard, the Falcon II does fit. However, throw in the problem of routing cables over and around the fan (see in-case photo), and the stock fan just didn't work for me.
Installation Problems:
To install a slimmer fan (I used a 12mm-thick Scythe "Kaze Jyu" slim fan @ 1600 rpm), I carefully pried the black fan shrouds off the Falcon II, making sure I didn't bend any fins. As you can see in the picture I took of the Falcon II in my case, I took the "ghetto-mod" route and opted for two rubber bands to secure my new fan over the heatsink (if anyone knows of a cleaner solution that does not involve adhesives, I am all ears).
The second problem I encountered with the Falcon II was the mounting solution for LGA 1156 motherboards -- or lack thereof. The Falcon II comes readily adjustable for LGA 775 and 1366 mobos, but the third set of holes that were supposed to be for 1156 are too small for the provided mounting screws. It's like whoever made the Falcon II used the wrong drill bit, but made a hole anyway in the perfect spot. Using a dremel tool, I carved out the metal in between the LGA 775 and 1366 holes to create a slide-like hole (I would recommend using a drill-bit to bore out the 1156 hole instead of a metal disk like I used to cut everything out). After this mod, I simply made sure all the mounting studs were evenly spaced between where the LGA 775 and 1366 holes used to be. The included thermal paste is, surprisingly, top-notch stuff: Shin-Etsu X23-7762. It is [H]ard to spread, in my experience, but has achieved great results in various reviews.
Results:
The most demanding tasks I use my PC for is playing video games. Therefore, whenever I read a PC hardware review, I skip right to the "gaming performance" section. I'd rather be playing Left 4 Dead 2 than Prime95-ing it up all day. So my temperature results, likewise, were taken 1 hour into playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This game loves quad-core CPUs and is one of the most CPU-demanding games out today. In other words, BFBC2 is a game that is going to get your CPU hot.
I played BFBC2 on all high settings, with 4xMSAA and 4xAnisotropic Filtering, VSYNC off, and HBAO off @ 1680 x 1050, although these configurations are more important to the GPU temperature.
I am running an Intel Core i5 750 @ 3.2 Ghz (the picture shows it throttled down to about 3 Ghz).
I think these are great results given the circumstances. This cooler has a clearance of roughly 65mm after I added a slimmer fan. And we all know slimmer fan = less CFM = less cooling power. So, given that this is a small CPU heatsink with an underpowered, non-PWM fan (it can only go one speed, even as the CPU temperature increases), 51C is a great maximum temperature.
Conclusion:
So why did I go through all the trouble to fit the Cooljag Falcon II into my HTPC case? I think you'll find the answer at Frostytech.com if you search their top 5 under-70mm heatsinks in their low-profile section (http://www.frostytech.com/top5_lowprofile_heatsinks.cfm). Brutal, huh? It's a shame too, because besides CPU clearance, the Grandia GD05 is such a nice case in every other respect. I wish CPU heatsink manufacturers would make lower, wider coolers, with thicker heatpipes and dimpled fins.
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