Looking at the results, the Alpine 64 definitely outperforms the stock heatsink. The load differences get bigger the higher the vcore, so it's more efficient at dealing with the heat for sure. If you want to dabble in a little overclocking, you can absolutely give it a go.

This heatsink is everything the average enthusiast could want. It's easy to install, it's cheap (Recommended Retail Price (excl. VAT): 15.50 USD / 12.90 EUR) and it copes with the added heat of higher vcores.

It's also quiet. I unplugged all other fans in the case and could not hear the Alpine 64 at all. What's loud and what's not is entirely subjective, and I do work and sleep right next to a 50dba PC which is on 24/7 (call me crazy) so I may not be the best person to ask, but this really did seem silent. You normally have to pay for silence (SilenX fans anyone?) but not in this case.

This CPU cooler also looks good. It is oversized sink and the design of the fan makes a welcome change to the conventional design. It would look interesting even if it wasn't effective. As you noticed in the pics earlier, it is a monster compared to the stock sink. The rubber fan mounts on top ('Oscillation Dampeners') and fluid dynamic bearings are also an ingenius design, and an added extra you don't normally see at this price point. Quite frankly I find it very annoying when fans vibrate as they spin, drives me nuts. Unfortunately that's what you get when you buy cheap fans, but honestly who's prepared to pay £10-20 for a fan? It's ludicrious. But here, cheap and annoying vibrations cannot be used in the same sentence. Excellent.

What else can I say ... Installation ... I'll reiterate that again. I have known people before who have been afraid to change their heatsinks because they may damage something upon install. Hey, then this product is for you! It is incredibly easy and 100% safe. You do not need to use excessive force and you do not need to remove your mainboard from your case. You also needn't worry about the heatsink dropping off, because as big as it is, it's reasonbly light in comparison to an all copper version (now there's an idea!) and the it fastens securely to the retention bracket. 

To sum it all up, then, if you've just bought an OEM CPU, are wondering what heatsink to get, have a limited budget, but want silence and performance, then this heatsink is for you! This cooler is staying firmly plugged in. :-)

A final shot of the cooler installed onto the test mainboard.

On the next page we'll take a look at the Accelero X1.