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CoolerMaster xDream Special Edition Review

Author: Dennis Garcia

Published: Saturday, March 08, 2003

About the Heatsink

The base appears to be sanded flat due to the uni-directional scratches but the straightedge test shows that the two outer edges are higher than the center. Turning the straightedge 90 degrees shows the area to be completely flat. Some creative lighting exposes the imperfection. (The two white bands are the high points)
Even though we had no cooling related issues some may find "lapping" the heatsink to be a logical next step.

The xDream SE uses the 3-prong retention clip found on the previous xDream so solid mounting will not be a concern. The tab is finger size for easy clipping but can still cause problems with certain motherboard configurations.

Like other copper heatsinks the HSC-V83 xDream SE uses a skived fin technology. Basically this means that the fins were shaved from the base material making them uniform in width and spacing. The close-up will show you what this means.

There are a total of 36 fins that make up the entire heatsink and to save weight the completely enclosed fan shroud is made of folded aluminum and anodized a nice copper color.

The variable speed 80mm fan rated to move about 62cfm at full power. According to our testing the rifle-bearing fan spins between 1400 and 5400rpm. This differs slightly from the documented speed of 2000-4800rpm though considering the mountainous location of the Ninjalane Labs this isn't much of a concern.