NZXT HAVIK 140 Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing3. NZXT HAVIK 1404. Installation5. Testing Methodology and performance6. Final Thoughts7. View All Pages

Today we have the chance to put the NZXT HAVIK 140 CPU Cooler through its paces. This is the first retail CPU Cooler that NZXT have released and if size matters, they will have a winner on their hands! The HAVIK 140 uses six, 6mm heatpipes, 46 aluminum fins and dual 140mm fans to dissipate heat.

After an initial visual analysis the HAVIK 140 is a really impressive design. It appears that NZXT have put in the required research and development time on their end; but are they really going to be a serious contender in this extremely competitive CPU cooler market?

Features

• Six 6 mm heat pipes with standard dual 140mm fans for the most efficient conductivity
• Unique fan blades provide quiet 25 dBA operation and highly effective airflow of 90.3 CFM
• Newly patented fins exceptionally slice passing air for increased ventilation and reduced noise
• 100% soldered copper base and aluminum fins with nickel plating to ensure resilience against deterioration, quality, and long life
• Includes sturdy Intel/AMD mounting kits to accommodate a variety of motherboards and secure the heatsink during transportation
• Universally compatible to Intel socket 1366, 1155, 1156, 775 and AMD socket AM3, AM2+, AM2

Specifications

MODEL	HAVIK 140
MATERIALS	Aluminum / Copper Nickel-Plated
DIMENSIONS	140(W) x 166(H) x 120(D) mm 135(W) x 160(H) x 60(D) mm (heatsink)
WEIGHT	1035g (including dual 140mm fans) 760g (heatsink)
MOUNTING PRESSURE	55-60 lbs
FAN SIZE	Dual 140(W) x 140(H) x 25(D) mm
FAN BEARING	Long Life (Oil-Leaking Prevention) + Shaft with copper sleeve
FAN SPEED	1200 +/- 10% RPM
NOISE LEVEL	25 dBA
AIR FLOW	90.3 CFM
CONNECTOR	3-Pin
INPUT POWER	3.6 W
LIFE	30,000 Hours
COMPATIBILITY	Intel Socket:1366, 1155, 1156, 775 CPUs AMD Socket: AM3, AM2+, AM2 CPUs

The HAVIK 140 is supplied in a shrink wrapped cardboard box. The front of the packaging has a high quality image of the cooler as well as a few product highlights. Turning to the opposite side we find a list of product specifications as well as multiple images that display some of the prominent features.

The two sides of the packaging also offer further insight into what makes up the HAVIK 140 CPU cooler.

The first thing we found inside were the 2 x 140mm fans, these are individually packed in protective foam. These foam inserts provide ample protection to make sure the HAVIK will ship without damage.

Once again as they do with all of their cases; NZXT makes sure to provide a complete array of mounting hardware to fully accommodate Intel and AMD installations.

The tower portion of the HAVIK 140 stands at 160mm and weighs 760 grams, without any fans. It consists of a copper base, 6 U shaped 6mm heatpipes and 46 aluminium fins.  All areas are nickel plated to improve the finished look.

If we take a side on view we can see the 6 heatpipes exiting the copper base and extending above the 46 aluminium fins. The tip of each heatpipe is nickel plated which adds a nice shiny finish to the appearance of the HAVIK 140. With the heatsink laid on it's side we get a much better view of the heatpipes and nickel coated copper base.

The base of the HAVIK 140 has a machined finish so it might not appeal to the audience who love a polished surface. After our initial examination the base of the heatsink appears to be flat. The fan has 9 rippled blades and should be quiet, with a noise level rating of only 25 dBA. These fans come with a 90.3 CFM rating which is impressive if the fan is as quiet as they claim.

Today we will be using an AMD platform for our testing. The installation procedure for an AMD system involves several steps. Due to the sheer size of the HAVIK 140 we strongly recommend removing the motherboard from the chassis prior to beginning the installation process.

We start with the universal backplate, which is used for both AMD and Intel systems. For the AMD install the first thing is to make sure the upside of the backplate is marked for AMD systems. This information is engraved in the backplate so making the correct choice is  straightforward.

Once the correct orientation is selected, the black plastic spacer should be placed on top of the backplate, then snapped into position. The next thing to do is attach the 4 insulating pads and insert the 4 long screws through the holes in the backplate.

Next we insert the screws through the mounting holes on the motherboard and secure them with the 4 black plastic pillars. Using the 8 small silver screws provided we attach the two metal AMD brackets to the  two Intel brackets.  The image above-right shows the assembled brackets.

On the Intel bracket there are arrows that should point inward towards the CPU socket. The retention brackets are then placed over the 4 backplate screws and secured by tightening the 4 cylindrical silver nuts. With everything tightened in place we need to apply a thin layer of thermal paste on the CPU.

The heatsink should be placed on top of the CPU and secured in place using the crossbar that is provided. The trick here is to use both hands and apply equal pressure on each side of the Crossbar before tightening the 2 retention nuts at the same time. After getting a grip on the threaded posts of the AMD clips a Phillips screwdriver finishes the task of tightening the crossbar in place. The 3rd image above gives us a look at the assembled support brackets that the HAVIK 140 requires for an AMD system.

To complete our installation we need to attach the dual 140mm fans. We start by attaching two of the rubber fasteners to one of the fans.

The next step is attaching the fasteners to the tower portion of the cooler. We just repeat this step to install the second fan and we are good to go.

The final image above shows just how good the HAVIK 140 looks fully assembled and ready for action.

Today we are going to test the NZXT HAVIK 140 with the AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition CPU. The AMD PII X6 1090T Black Edition ships at 3.2ghz but can hit 4.0 GHz (and above) when paired with the right cooler.

We like to try and mirror ‘realistic’ conditions when possible, so instead of the open bench concept, we are mounting the build inside the NZXT Phantom Chassis. Room ambient temperatures were maintained at a steady 21c throughout testing.

AMD System:
Processor: AMD PII X6 1090T Black Edition
Motherboard: MSI 990FXA-GD80
Thermal Paste: NZXT Thermal paste
Power Supply: Corsair HX 850W
Chassis: NZXT Phantom
Memory: 8GB Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Stiletto DDR3 1333mhz Cas 9-9-9-24- 1T
Graphics Card: Sapphire 6950 2 GB (1536 unified shaders)

There are several different applications out there that will load a processor to the max while running through a series of complicated calculations. For today’s testing we are going to use the latest version of Prime 95.

Prime95 is a popular freeware application that can be used to stress test the CPU.

CPU-Z Validation Link

Testing at stock speeds the HAVIK produced decent results with idle temperatures of 22c and only reaching 46c when running Prime 95.

After increasing our clock speed to 4.0 GHz our idle temperature increased to 24c and our load temperature jumped an additional 10c maxing out at 56c.

NZXT have taken the bold step of entering into one of the most competitive enthusiast sectors – processor cooling. The Havik 140 has to really deliver the goods however to be classed as a success.

Unlike many other companies NZXT haven't started with a entry level product to test the water … they have designed a cooler that could very well grab them a share of the high end market. This is a very bold and aggressive approach but NZXT have pulled it off.

The build quality of the HAVIK 140 is exceptional. The hardware package they use to secure the cooler is as good as any we have seen, and the dual 140mm fans are both quiet and effective.

In a market as competitive as CPU Cooling, pricing is often the determining factor when making a purchase. In the $50-75 range NZXT are competing with the big boys like CoolerMaster, Noctua, Thermaltake and Zalman to name a few.  The NZXT HAVIK 140 is currently available from NewEgg.com for $65 USD. We think $65 is a good deal considering the Noctua NH-C12P SE14 costs $75.

In the UK, it retails for around £59 which is reasonable, considering the overall cooling proficiency and quality dual fan configuration.

When we consider the entire package we feel that the NZXT HAVIK 140 is a “Must Have” product. It offers great cooling capabilities and is £10 cheaper than the class leading Noctua NH D14.

Pros

• Quality construction
• Dual 140mm fans
• Excellent cooling
• Easy fan installation

Cons

• Size may be an issue when installing in some cases

Kitguru says: A very daring first entry and one that has impressed us.

Become a Patron!